RENEE MONTAGNE, Host:
People in the southern part of Missouri are proud of the movie "Winter's Bone," even though it offers a grim portrait of their world. Set in the harsh landscape of the Ozarks, the film traces a young woman's journey as she searches for her father who faces drug charges and has skipped bail.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "WINTER'S BONE")
GARRET DILLAHUNT: (as Sheriff Baskin) Jessop signed over everything. If he doesn't show at trial, see, the way the deal works is ya'll are going to lose this place. You got someplace to go?
JENNIFER LAWRENCE: (As Ree) I'll find him.
DILLAHUNT: (as Sheriff Baskin) Girl, I've been looking.
LAWRENCE: (As Ree) I said I'll find him.
MONTAGNE: "Winter's Bone" was shot on a small budget, using a mix of local talent and little-known actors. As Missy Shelton of member station KSMU reports, locals are thrilled that the film has been nominated for four Academy Awards, including best picture.
MISSY SHELTON: It's not often that people in the Ozarks have a special reason to celebrate at Oscar time.
BETH DOMANN: I hope you heard the hillbillies screaming, because it started early.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
DOMANN: I think everybody's real excited about it, real excited.
SHELTON: Beth Domann is one of the local actors in the film that's based on a novel by Missouri native Daniel Woodrell. Despite its dark story about the drug subculture here, "Winter's Bone" has been embraced by locals like Mike Dickerson and Lianne Drysdale. They attended a recent celebration of the movie's four nominations at a downtown restaurant in Springfield, Missouri.
LIANNE DRYSDALE: I've seen it five times. Tonight's going to be my sixth. The first time I saw it, I knew it was a winner. The whole cast is just marvelous.
MIKE DICKERSON: I think you should start the "Winter's Bone" fan club.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
DRYSDALE: I think I already have.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
SHELTON: There was no red carpet surrounded by paparazzi, but local fans did have the chance to meet some of the actors, as well as the musicians featured in the film. Most of them live in the Ozarks, including Marideth Sisco, whose a cappella voice opens the movie.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MISSOURI WALTZ")
MARIDETH SISCO: (Singing) Way down in Missouri, where I heard this melody, when I was just a little baby on my mama's knee. The old folks were humming. The banjos were strumming...
SHELTON: Because of the film's success, Sisco is trying to get used to requests for her autograph.
DENNY PILANT: I'm Denny Pilant, and I'm a fan. And I wonder if you could possibly sign my album.
SISCO: It's good to meet you. Thank you. I can. And let me - I don't know if I have the right kind of pen.
SHELTON: Sisco's had to keep pens handy, whether she's traveling throughout the Ozarks, the U.S. or overseas.
SISCO: Who would've thought? Sixty-seven years old, and I'm in a brand new career and going to Italy and Austin, Texas and New York and all that stuff. It's not anything at all I expected.
SHELTON: Almost everyone here who loves "Winter's Bone" talks about the authenticity of the film, from the accents to the scraggly looking animals. Director Debra Granik shot the film in Missouri so she could capture the details of Ozarks life. She recalls what happened when a shipment of brand new Carhartt jackets arrived for the actors to wear.
DEBRA GRANIK: We looked at these brand-new ones, without any life, no history. No one had sweated or toiled, no one had stood in a deer stand for four God-forsaken cold nights in any of these coats.
SHELTON: So the crew gave local residents the new Carhartt jackets in exchange for their worn ones. It's just these kinds of details that ring true for audiences here. Apparently, they've also won over some members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Though locals are quick to acknowledge that "Winter's Bone" is a long shot for best picture, most say they're still thrilled that the film was nominated at all.
For NPR News, I'm Missy Shelton in Springfield, Missouri.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
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