{Winter’s Bone opened in Seattle on Friday, June 25 and is currently playing at The Guild 45th and Uptown Cinemas}

This affecting human drama focuses on headstrong teen Ree Dolly’s journey to track down her missing father through a poverty-stricken world of close-knit kin, gangster-like politics, burnt down meth labs and above all: deep, dark secrets.

Jennifer Lawrence channels Ree’s strength and determination with such honesty that it will damn near break your heart. Here’s a girl trying to do everything she can to keep her catatonic mother and smaller siblings sheltered and fed, pushing through every obstacle she encounters with brute force. Navigating her way amongst several scary characters (all of whom appear to be related), Ree searches for clues that bring her closer and closer to the truth about her dad’s disappearance.

Just when you think the search is going to come to a frighteningly bloody conclusion, the story catapults you into an even more traumatizing wrap-up that somehow (???) eventually leaves you with some hope. I’m not sure how Writer/Director Debra Granik pulled it off – but Winter’s Bone is a nice surprise, and something that I’ll be pondering for a long, long time. Definitely worthy of all the good buzz.