Frozen River, is an adult version of The Women. Manicures and facials are out, survival and sacrifice are in. Instead of an affected glossy world of testosterone free bliss, Frozen River is grounded in an unglamorous reality where abandoned women make hard choices for their families. There is no kitschy bond between girlfriends here, instead the bond between women is about survival.
In upstate New York, near the Canadian border, during Christmas time, Ray Eddy, played with grit by Melissa Leo, and her two boys are abandoned and robbed by her husband who's gambling away the down payment for their new home. While looking for her husband and the missing money, Ray gets entangled with a Mohawk woman named Lila who smuggles illegal aliens across the boarder.
As the story unfolds the movie explores the excruciating decisions women make to protect their children. Our mothers sacrificed everything to make sure we had what we needed to survive. There is something uniquely feminine about that kind of strength and I commend the film's writer and director Courtney Hunt for unapologetically portraying real women. See this film if you, like me, like to see woman portrayed as more than mannequins for nice bags and great shoes.
