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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Frozen River

EMAILPRINTSony Pictures Classics

Frozen River reviews
82
8.4 User Score:

Movie Info

Genre(s): Drama

Written by: Courtney Hunt

Directed by: Courtney Hunt

Release Date:
Theatrical: August 1, 2008
DVD: February 10, 2009

Running Time: 97 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: R for some language

Starring Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Michael O'Keefe, Charlie McDermott, and Mark Boone Jr.

Frozen River is the story of Ray Eddy, an upstate New York trailer mom who is lured into the world of illegal immigrant smuggling when she meets a Mohawk girl who lives on a reservation that straddles the US-Canadian border. Broke after her husband takes off with the down payment for their new doublewide, Ray reluctantly teams up with Lila, a smuggler, and the two begin making runs across the frozen St. Lawrence River carrying illegal Chinese and Pakistani immigrants in the trunk of Ray’s Dodge Spirit. (Sony Pictures Classics)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Film Threat Don R. Lewis

It's tough and cold and gives an inside look at poverty in America. Yet the film is also incredibly compelling and intense and I can't think of another film that's this small and powerful.

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100

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

As the summer heats up, let Frozen River wash over you; let its bracing drama and the intensity of its acting restore your spirits as well as your faith in American independent film.

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100

Time Richard Schickel

In the end, you feel that Frozen River gives about as truthful a picture of American bleakness as it's possible for a movie to present. It is a movie that asks something of an audience, but it richly rewards our curiously rapt attention.

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100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Sometimes two performances come along that are so perfectly matched that no overt signals are needed to show how the characters feel about each other. That's what happens between Melissa Leo and Misty Upham in Frozen River.

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100

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

There is nothing sentimental or picturesque about the performances or imagery. The word that best describes both is elemental.

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91

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

A tale of ordinary Americans scraping bottom, yet there's a redemption in that. The film asks: If you were this desperate, wouldn't you do the same?

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90

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

This is a debut feature, though you'd never know it from the filmmaker's commandingly confident style, or from the heartbreaking beauty -- heartbreaking, then heartmending -- of Melissa Leo's performance as a poor single mother who's living her whole life on thin ice.

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90

The New York Times Stephen Holden

Ms. Hunt's eye for detail has the precision of a short story writer's. She misses nothing.

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90

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

Made with uncommon skill and assurance, the film never succumbs to rank sentimentality, but it manages to get at the nuances of human relationships.

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88

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Does what too many independent American movies only pretend to do: Takes you to an unnoticed corner of our country and shows what it's like to actually live there.

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88

USA Today Claudia Puig

A Sundance hit that is both absorbing and bleak, Frozen River is anchored by powerful performances, believable scenarios and excellent writing.

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88

Chicago Tribune Tasha Robinson

Possibly one of the biggest reasons Frozen River stands out among bad-decision movies is that Ray never really tries to justify her actions.

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88

TV Guide Ken Fox

Strikingly authentic, socially conscious crime drama.

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88

New York Post Lou Lumenick

There is no shortage of indie movies about economically challenged women. This one is different, in that the women actually do something besides just talk about it.

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83

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

Melissa Leo is startlingly good...You feel like you're watching a life, not a performance.

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80

Village Voice Ella Taylor

If there's one thing this movie gets dead right, it's the desperation of impoverished single mothers trying to fend for their children.

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80

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

Frozen River isn't cinematically ambitious or formally adventurous, but it's built around powerful and nuanced performances by Leo, Upham and Charlie McDermott.

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80

Empire Angie Errigo

Original, sad, suspenseful and involving: the kind of work that helps independent American cinema retain its good name.

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80

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

A first-rate thriller, maintaining a high level of suspense.

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78

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Frozen River skates matter-of-factly on thin ice.

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75

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

A solid, satisfying movie.

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75

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Stephen Cole

The film's greatest achievement is that it allows us to know Ray.

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75

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Melissa Leo is one of America's most underrated character actresses, and Frozen River confirms that opinion.

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75

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

It's not a happy film, but it feels true.

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75

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

If the role brings her more recognition and work, all the better, but Leo certainly isn't lobbying for it. She doesn't show off. She just does what she's always done: Reveals a character for who she is, nothing more, nothing less.

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75

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White

Most films about illegal immigration are set on the Mexican border, and Frozen River is free of the stereotypical characters and situations of that familiar setting. It also offers a rare look at modern Native American life, exploring the ambiguity of what it means to say that the laws of the white man cannot be enforced on Indian territory.

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70

Variety Robert Koehler

No trendsetter or breakthrough, this is more than anything else a welcome chance for the fine actor Melissa Leo to finally dominate a film in a terrific and affecting lead role.

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70

New York Magazine David Edelstein

All in all, Frozen River is gripping stuff. Except it's also rigged and cheaply manipulative.

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50

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

If we're going to be honest, we need to look inside and ask ourselves: Do we really want to see a listless movie about a woman whose dream is to move into a double-wide trailer?

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40

New York Daily News Joe Neumaier

Has moments of honesty, but more often the barren landscape - both outside and inside - drains the emotions out of the film.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 39 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
My third favorite of last year after Happy Go Lucky and WALL-E.

Patti L. gave it an8:
Very good story set across Canadian-native-American borders. Intertwining of women lives from different backgrounds while exploring family and racial issues.

aideen m gave it a6:
I stopped watching this movie after 10 minutes. Although the acting seemed fine, the movie was just too grim to watch with my grandchildren.

Tony B. gave it a7:
Here is a small film that delivers big. Let's see more of Melissa Leo.

S M gave it a1:
This movie was pretty boring. The story was OK, but the acting and directing was really weak. I cannot accept such a high user rating.

Nerijus D gave it a3:
Lame movie. Very poor direction, cinematography and supporting cast. The script has many holes as well. Some felt even ridiculous.

Colin C gave it a7:
I can see why reviewers and many other people liked this film. It certainly was an interesting look into the lives of people far removed from me. But it was also so bleak that I just felt completely drained at the end of it. Worth checking out if you're into non-commercial fare that explores some interesting themes revolving around sad, depressing people and their sad lives. And the look into how modern Indian reservations work, especially in regards to the white man's laws just outside their borders, was truly fascinating.

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