RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Down to the Bone
Down to the Bone

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Down to the Bone (2004)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
93 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:30

Fresh:28

Rotten:2

Average Rating:7.6/10

Consensus: 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.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for pervasive drug content, language and some sexuality.

Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Nov 25, 2005 Limited

Synopsis: Last year's Sundance Film Festival honored DOWN TO THE BONE with two high-profile, prestigious and extremely competitive awards: Best Director and A Special Jury Prize for acting. A stellar entry... Last year's Sundance Film Festival honored DOWN TO THE BONE with two high-profile, prestigious and extremely competitive awards: Best Director and A Special Jury Prize for acting. A stellar entry in the Dramatic Competition, writer/director Debra Granik, in her feature film debut, and actress Vera Farmiga became the talk of the Festival and the indie film community. In DOWN TO THE BONE, Irene (Vera Farmiga) is 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. After a series of nearly fatal mishaps, and finally hoping to make a change in her life, she decides to check herself into a rehab center. She knows kicking the habit would be tough, but the experience proves even more difficult than she could have anticipated. There, she meets and falls in love with a fellow reformed addict (Hugh Dillon). When one of them falls into a relapse with the addiction, their commitment to staying clean - and to each other - shatters. This beautifully wrought film accurately and authentically explores the wrenching road of recovery without ever resorting to histrionics. DOWN TO THE BONE is based upon Debra Granik's 1997 short film, "Snake Feed," which won the Sundance Film Festival's Short Filmmaking Award in 1998. --© Laemmle/Zeller Films [More]

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Hugh Dillon, Clint Jordan, Caridad De La Luz

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Hugh Dillon, Clint Jordan, Caridad De La Luz

Director: Debra Granik

Director: Debra Granik
Producer: Susan Leber

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 7

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue. Or if you don't want to wait, you can click on the "PLAY" button and watch it right now!

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Oct 31, 2006

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Down to the Bone

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
21 - 33 (sorted by date)
Text View | |< << 1 2
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

A glimpse into the private lives and dirty secrets of people trying to claw their way to a better place.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
11/25/05
Glenn Whipp
Glenn Whipp
Los Angeles Daily News

Unlike most movies about addictions, Down to the Bone doesn't follow the usual, comforting three-act structure -- social user develops a problem, user becomes a desperate addict, user finally gets some help.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
11/25/05
Stephen Whitty
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Any sympathy developed for the characters quickly erodes as they continue to not only engage in self-destructive behavior but expose children to it.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
11/25/05
Annlee Ellingson
Annlee Ellingson
Boxoffice Magazine

First-time feature director's disciplined objectivity is coupled with humanism in this collaboration with a gifted cast and cinematographer.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/23/05
Robert Koehler
Robert Koehler
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Quietly devastating.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
11/23/05
Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor
L.A. Weekly

a brave, elegantly filmed, treasure of perseverance

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/22/05
Rachel Gordon
Rachel Gordon
Filmcritic.com

This film has an ear for the way moms talk to kids, a sensitivity to drug-sweetened intimacies, and an appreciation of the urgent nuance, not just the comedy, of recovery-speak.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
11/21/05
Laura Sinagra
Laura Sinagra
Village Voice

A terrifically dark tale.

Full Review Source: Planet Sick-Boy | comment Comment
04/01/05
Jon Popick
Jon Popick
Planet Sick-Boy

It's the opposite of most films about drugs vs. life because it puts life up front.

Full Review Source: Offoffoff | comment Comment
06/12/04
Joshua Tanzer
Joshua Tanzer
Offoffoff
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
05/22/04
Andrew Pulver
Andrew Pulver
Guardian [UK]

Whether you're ready for the ride depends on whether you're looking for traditional filmic fare, or whether you're in the mood to be dragged into the depths of depression.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
03/03/04
Oz
Oz
eFilmCritic.com

Granik brings to her drama a clear-eyed realism as she charts one woman's descent into a drug-fueled purgatory.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
02/04/04
Pam Grady
Pam Grady
Reel.com

For actress Vera Farmiga, Down to the Bone presents her with a breakout role.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
01/27/04
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
21 - 33 (sorted by date)
Text View | |< << 1 2
See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

RT On Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196

What’s Hot On RT

Nine Pictures

Nine Pictures

Hottest poster ever? 14 pictures from Nine

Disney Countdown

Disney Countdown

Look back on Disney's best animated movies!

RT's Gift Guide

RT's Gift Guide

Give the best movies, gear, and more!

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman

See what her 10 best reviewed films are!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
13
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
16
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
21
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
40
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
156
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
  • Tron Legacy Duo Heading into The Black Hole Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies
101
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
96
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
55
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
39
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
35
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
28
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
20
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
18
  • 2010 Sundance Film Festival Lineup Announced
7
  • Duncan Jones Reteams With Kevin Spacey
5
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Down to the Bone at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Down to the Bone at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
History of Disney Animation
History of Disney Animation External Link

MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.

90 Years of Screen Vampires
90 Years of Screen Vampires External Link

TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.

Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones
Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones External Link

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

Recent Headlines as TV Movies
Recent Headlines as TV Movies External Link

AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.