Down to the Bone (2003)
Average Rating: 7.7/10
Reviews Counted: 33
Fresh: 31 | Rotten: 2
A vivid portrayal of the effects of drug abuse that avoids cinematic clichés, Down to the Bone is a winning effort by first-time director Debra Granik and features a breakout performance by Vera Farmiga.
Average Rating: 7.7/10
Critic Reviews: 13
Fresh: 13 | Rotten: 0
A vivid portrayal of the effects of drug abuse that avoids cinematic clichés, Down to the Bone is a winning effort by first-time director Debra Granik and features a breakout performance by Vera Farmiga.
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Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 26,066
Movie Info
Independent filmmaker Debra Granik makes her feature debut with the drama Down to the Bone, based on her award-winning short Snake Feed. Vera Farmiga stars as Irene, a working-class mother living in upstate New York. She struggles to keep her marriage together and raise two sons while keeping her cocaine addiction a secret. Hoping to make a change in her life, she tries to kick her drug habit. However, this proves even more difficult with the oncoming winter and a developing affair. Also
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Cast
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Vera Farmiga
Irene -
Hugh Dillon
Bob -
Clint Jordan
Steve -
Caridad De La Luz
Lucy Negron -
-
Taylor Foxhall
Jason -
Chris Heitzman
James -
Terry McKenna
Gene -
Gia Mitchell
April -
Crystal Verdachizzi
Tina -
Edward C. Crawford
Kevin -
Ernst Longyear
Pete the Biker
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All Critics (33) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (2) | DVD (1)
This downbeat story of blue-collar drug abuse becomes a moving portrait of people battling their inner demons, thanks to an outstanding acting ensemble.
Top CriticIf there were an ounce of taste left in Hollywood, the magnificent Vera Farmiga would be a front-runner for the Best Actress Oscar.
The film is so pitch perfect and realistic, it seems you are there with these people, watching their lives unfold before you as it happens.
Down to the Bone achieves what only the best independent films have: making life, at its most unvarnished, a journey.
Conventional movies, even independent ones, tend to get histrionic and judgmental about such drug-related setbacks. But Granik's film, though hardly a clinical case study, keeps a measured distance from the heavy-handed or simplistic.
... a harrowing character study.
The movie boasts a fantastic performance by Vera Farmiga and an exceedingly unhappy storyline. It's a movie you "appreciate" more than you "enjoy."
The movie takes us down an unexpected path with riveting skill and a refreshing lack of easy answers.
The movie seems to be about drug addiction and recovery, but it gradually shifts, becoming a look from an unusual angle at what a big job it is to be a parent and the priorities it requires.
Farmiga effectively shows the fear, need and hope at war within Irene, how the false high of being clean for a week can fade when she realizes the second week isn't going to be any easier.
Strong performances from Vera Farmiga and Hugh Dillon keep things from becoming overdramatic.
if you've ever wondered why people in 12-step programs aren't supposed to sleep together right off the bat, well, this movie is about to show you, in detail.
A quietly harrowing chronicle of addiction and fragile recovery anchored by Vera Farmiga's intense performance.
Vera Farmiga gives an astonishing performance in this complex chronicle of a drug addict who goes through rehab, yearning for redemption, but her experience is not tidy and there's no neat conclusion.
This marks [Farmiga's] arrival as One to Watch. See her here, and you can say you remember the early days.
Debra Granik's independent drama "Down to the Bone" builds with a strong, quiet intensity.
A glimpse into the private lives and dirty secrets of people trying to claw their way to a better place.
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Movie: ID: 9368 Title: Down to the Bone Release Date: 2005-11-25 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 4 Status: 1
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