Frozen River

Plot

Takes place in the days before Christmas near a little-known border crossing on the Mohawk reservation between New York State and Quebec…

Release Year: 2008

Rating: 7.2/10 (14,001 voted)

Critic's Score: 82/100

Director:
Courtney Hunt

Stars: Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Charlie McDermott

Storyline
Takes place in the days before Christmas near a little-known border crossing on the Mohawk reservation between New York State and Quebec. Here, the lure of fast money from smuggling presents a daily challenge to single moms who would otherwise be earning minimum wage. Two women – one white, one Mohawk, both single mothers faced with desperate circumstances – are drawn into the world of border smuggling across the frozen water of the St. Lawrence River. Ray and Lila – and a New York State Trooper as opponent in an evolving cat-and-mouse game.

Cast:

Melissa Leo
–

Ray Eddy

Misty Upham
–

Lila Littlewolf

Charlie McDermott
–

T.J.

Michael O'Keefe
–

Trooper Finnerty

Mark Boone Junior
–

Jacques Bruno

James Reilly
–

Ricky

Jay Klaitz
–

Guy Versailles

John Canoe
–

Bernie Littlewolf

Dylan Carusona
–

Jimmy

Michael Skye
–

Billy Three Rivers

(as Michael Sky)

Gargi Shinde
–

Pakistani Mother

Rajesh Bose
–

Pakistani Father

Azin Jahanbakhsh
–

Pakistani Dealer

Jack Phillips
–

Pakistani Baby

James Phillips
–

Pakistani Baby

Taglines:
Desperation knows no borders.

Details

Official Website:
Official site [Japan] |
Sony [United States] |

Release Date: 31 October 2008

Filming Locations: New York, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $1,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $70,234
(USA)
(3 August 2008)
(7 Screens)

Gross: $4,028,957
(Worldwide)
(2008)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Charlie McDermott and James Reilly, who play brothers, are, in actual life, cousins.

Goofs:

Factual errors:
In Québec there are no license plates on the front of vehicles. However, there is a front Québec license plate mounted on the Toyota Forerunner driven in the second smuggling.

Quotes:

Ray Eddy:
I think we need to talk about this Troy… come on out. Troy?
[shoots gun]

Ray Eddy:
… I mean it Honey.

User Review

Introducing Melissa Leo

Rating: 9/10


How extraordinary to find a forty-something actress you've never seen
or heard about before and being blown away by her. Her name is Melissa
Leo and I believe she is here to stay. She gives the most powerful
performance I've seen all year. She managed to slip into my
subconscious and I find myself thinking about her (about her character)
as I do someone I truly care about. That in itself is a major
achievement. A first time director, Courtney Hunt, gives this character
and this actress a remarkable space to breath and grow. The gelid
landscape envelopes the desolate story but there is a human warmth
devoid of sentimentality that makes "Frozen River" a welcome rarity.
Moving, suspenseful, not to be missed.