Frozen River (2008)
83%RT Audience Score: 74%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
32 wins & 39 nominations total
Veteran character actress Melissa Leo delivers a stunning performance in this powerful — if grim — indie film
Frozen River is a movie that will have you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails, and wondering what will happen next. Melissa Leo’s performance is so good that you’ll forget she’s acting and think she’s a real person. The movie is a mix of suspense, drama, and a little bit of hope. It’s a great reminder that independent cinema can still deliver amazing stories that will stay with you long after the credits roll. So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and get ready for a wild ride on the frozen river.
Production Company(ies)
Greenwich Film Productions,
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Plattsburgh, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some language
Year of Release
2008
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 36m
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Language(s):English, French, Chinese, Urdu, Mohawk
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 1, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 10, 2009
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Michael O’Keefe, Mark Boone Junior, Charlie McDermott, James Reilly, directed by Courtney Hunt, written by Courtney Hunt, drama, R-rated, box office gross $2.5M, reviewed by Alyx Vesey, Ryan Gilbey, Candice Frederick, Hank Sartin, Emma Paterson, Angie Errigo, Jason Best, Nikki Baughan, Brandy McDonnell, Dan DiNicola, Stuart Klawans, Simon Miraudo, working-class, single mother, smuggling, immigrants, Mohawk, St Lawrence River, New York, gritty, suspenseful, thriller, character study, Oscar-nominated performance, female-driven, indie film, poverty, desperation, survival, crime, family, relationships, bleak, uncompromising, reality, tough, empathy, compassion, white trash, gambling, double-wide trailer, jacuzzi tub, dead-end job, means to an end, silver lining, dangerous, local sheriff, mystery, thriller, North Country, Upstate New York, Akwesasne, St Regis Mohawk Reservation, Canadian border, Christmas, discount store clerk, bingo-parlor employee, uneasy alliance, cinematography, music
Worldwide gross: $5,457,664
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $7,517,724
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,049
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 819,817
US/Canada gross: $2,511,476
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,459,462
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,912
US/Canada opening weekend: $70,234
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $96,745
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,944
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $1,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $1,377,462
Production budget ranking: 2,063
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $741,763
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $5,398,499
ROI to date (est.): 255%
ROI ranking: 526
Misty Upham – Lila
Michael O’Keefe – Trooper Finnerty
Mark Boone Junior – Jacques Bruno
Charlie McDermott – T.J.
James Reilly – Ricky
Director(s)
Courtney Hunt
Writer(s)
Courtney Hunt
Producer(s)
Chip Hourihan, Heather Rae
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
32 wins & 39 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (138) | Top Critics (50) | Fresh (122) | Rotten (16)
A gripping story.
January 5, 2021
Alyx Vesey
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
Melissa Leo must take at least as much credit for the film’s successes as her director. She isn’t merely tough as old boots – she makes old boots look like ballet shoes.
July 6, 2018
Ryan Gilbey
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
… I thought the performances were good, but I just thought it could have done more.
September 12, 2017 | Rating: B+
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Frozen River is a taut, suspenseful thriller; a troubling of borders both cultural and national; and testament to the virtues of communion, empathy and compassion.
July 17, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
Emma Paterson
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Original, sad, suspenseful and involving: the kind of work that helps independent American cinema retain its good name.
July 17, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Leo’s gritty authenticity ensures that Frozen River never loosens its icy, unbearably tense grip.
November 23, 2020
Jason Best
Movie Talk
Focused, poignant and expertly-crafted, Frozen River asks a great deal of an audience used to tales of triumph against all the odds and happy endings but it’s about as rewarding a viewing experience as you’re likely to find.
October 30, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Nikki Baughan
Roll Credits
Frozen River delivers a harrowing journey with just enough hope under the surface to make it a memorable ride.
August 15, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
Brandy McDonnell
The Oklahoman
Courtney Hunt’s work is a dramatic thriller, but it is also a rich character study of a woman we have all met.
February 5, 2018
Dan DiNicola
The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)
This fine drama delivers a reality tougher than realism.
March 6, 2015
Stuart Klawans
The Nation
Frozen River is bleak and uncompromising – and that’s just how the Academy likes it.
October 21, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5
Simon Miraudo
Quickflix…
Plot
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.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Melissa Leo’s performance in Frozen River earned her an Oscar nomination and marked a revival in her career.
Courtney-Hunt.jpg
