Story takes place in (I'm guessing) the 1930s in the deep south. Anney (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is an unwed mother with two girls the oldest being Ruthann (Jena Malone). She meets handsome lively Glen (Ron Eldard) and marries him. But Glen has a bad temper and beats Ruthann regularly. Her mother doesn't know it and Glen keeps getting angrier and angrier.VERY disturbing but well-done movie. The actors all fake authentic Southern accents and it captures the era perfectly. The acting is just incredible. Leigh was just letter perfect as the mother. She does love her girls and her husband and is horrified when she realizes what's going on. Eldard was a little one-note in his performance but that was mostly cause the script didn't really explore his character. He was downright terrifying when he loses control a few times. Malone was only 10 when she did this and she was incredible! VERY talented for such a young child and holds her own especially in downright horrific sequence at the end. Even the supporting roles were well-acted with Michael Rooker and Glenne Headly being standouts. Also it's all narrated by Laura Dern. As for the beatings--they're never really shown until the very end. You HEAR them though and that's bad enough. The acting is so good by Malone and Eldard you believe every second of them.One complaint--the movie feels unfinished. It looks like either a lot was cut out of the script or out of the movie. Some scenes come and go quickly and have characters you've never met. Still this is well worth watching...but it is disturbing (as it should be) and powerful.

I saw this on Movie Central one cold, Greg day and I have never been able to forget it. Ron Eldard is completely believable in his performance, and will both captivate and horrify you. All the characters in this movie have such a subtlety to them. Houston's directorial debut enhances the performances of these talented actors. You know there is love, of a kind, between the family members. Yet one of the most compelling aspects to this movie is the flat and joyless undertone to the characters. Anney (Jennifer Jason Leigh) stands out in her family because she is an emotional firecracker - her emotions are almost a separate character from that of Anney Boatwright. Special mention must go to Jena Malone for her sophisticated, passionate portrayal of Anney's young daughter, 'Bone'. Bone carries the weight of her mother's world on her shoulders. This is her first major role to speak of and she carries the movie effortlessly.

I was very impressed with the acting of the movie. However, at the same time, the content was so hard to watch. I know this kind of thing goes on all the time and in fact, have a few friends and relatives that have gone through it. Having 12 and 9 year old daughters, it is very hard not to place them in the shoes of the girls in the movie. I cannot imagine what I would do to a man like that if I ever found out that was happening. I admit I tend to cry at every movie - even comedies, but this movie had me crying from so much feeling for Bones during and especially at the end when she's sitting by the fire. My oldest is already in bed, but I went in, hugged her very tight and kissed her forehead. She woke up and asked why I was crying. I could only say to her that I loved her very much and would never let anyone do anything to her and would never leave her. I recommend this movie to everyone, especially those who are in the mother's situation. Maybe it will make them see from a different angle that love for a husband should never be more than the love for a child that is being abused.

IMDd's average rating at the time of this post (7.5/10) is about right.This is a good movie, but it suffers from:.Exaggerated/unbelievable southern accents.Insufficient development of Anney's character before Glenn's arrival.Bone is treated more as a supporting character for Anney and Glenn than the protagonist in her own rite (she receives no exclusive scenes of her own -- a major weakness given Jena Malone's acting ability).Raylene's character is pivotal at the end but she almost appears out of nowhere.Bone's illegitimate birth has limited impact on characters' actions (Anney wants a man "to take care of us girls", not "make you legitimate"), yet the last scene portrays it as a major subtext throughout the movie.Had I been Anjelica Huston I would have:.Portrayed more of Anney, Bone, and Reese's life before Glenn.Given Bone at least 50% more screen time, especially not as a pretext for scenes that ultimately center on other characters.Made Glenn less of the stereotypical child abuser (a true type of abuser to be sure, but one that is over-represented by Hollywood). In fact, much greater depth could have been brought to his character.Chosen someone other than Laura Dern to narrate (her languid narration actually dampens otherwise powerful scenes).As stated, this is a good film, but it has even more potential not realized.On the plus side:.Jena Malone's acting ability, especially facial expressions.Atmospheric, though not 100% accurate, representation of the period South.Except for two scenes, mercifully free of gratuitous representations (the beatings were much more powerful portrayed from Anney's side of the door).