VividSimon Simply Perfect

Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

ted_luster1 We see a lot of nice, beautiful, adrenalin rush, horror, on the screen, these days, but not a lot of thought provoking pseudo docudrama. This story parallels social attitudes, during a period in which our parents lived, when a kid wasn't bottle-fed information, about everything, via movies, TV, & the Internet.This movie isn't just about abuse of a child, but the struggles of the unlearned adult poor, "just making it", in every quarter, of the United States, during the '40s. I've enjoyed J. Leigh for a good many years, & found her up to par, in this movie. I'm gaining a tremendous respect, for the abilities of Miss Malone. I just watched, last night, another of her efforts, "The Ballad of Lucy ????" last night. I recommend this film, even for a minor (with parent present for questions).Ted Luster

StrikinglyStunning I have read this book, Bastard Out Of Carolina by Dorthy Allison, and it was a great book.It was so good, I was interested in watching the movie. It came on Lifetime, and the movie basically covered the book.It's about this girl Anne Boatwright (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who meets this guy Glen Waddell (Ron Eldard). At first, he is this good looking guy who is really nice and wants to be the father of Bone (Jena Malone) and Reese.He asks Reese to call him "Daddy" and she has no problem calling him that. Bone, can't say it for the simple fact that he's not really her dad.He gets angry. This was a man who was all about control. He gets Ruth Anne pregnant, and while she was giving birth, Glen , the two kids, Reese & Bone were in the car. The kids were asleep. Glen wakes Bone up and rapes her in the car. -VERY DISTURBING SCENEIt was too horrible to watch, I had to change the channel. I didn't have the stomach for it.It all about physical abuse, he beats her because Bone was "direspecting him", and Ruth Anne believes Glen over her own daughter Bone.Ruth Anne sends Bone to go and live with Aunt Alma. When no one was in the house with her, Glen rides along, and goes over there. Unfortunately, he rapes her again. Again, I had to change the channel. It was absolutely horrific what he was doing to Bone.The movie is VERY graphic, you see almost everything. I didn't have the stomach to watch all those gruesome parts.I remember watching Sleepers, with Ron Eldard, now, I don't think I can look at him the same. He's good at playing bad guys.It was a good movie. (Although, very disturbing. I' not sure I can watch it again)

kellyleighcrutcher I saw this movie for the first time on 9/27/06. The young actress who played 'Bone' did a great job. The scenes of child abuse, though, made me physically sick to my stomach.When I saw that band of men begin 'beating the crap' out of her bastard of a stepfather (I'm not calling the actor that, of course. He did a great job in his role. But the character he played was a sadistic piece of crap.), I began cheering aloud. There was a line from Gilbert and Sullivan's 'Mikado,' I think it was: 'Let the punishment fit the crime.' (I'd also like to have a copy of the book this movie's based on; usually I watch the movies first, then find the books.) I was glad at the end. 'Bone' got a legal name and a good family.

BC_Babe I saw this on Movie Central one cold, Greg day and I have never been able to forget it. Ron Eldard is completely believable in his performance, and will both captivate and horrify you. All the characters in this movie have such a subtlety to them. Houston's directorial debut enhances the performances of these talented actors. You know there is love, of a kind, between the family members. Yet one of the most compelling aspects to this movie is the flat and joyless undertone to the characters. Anney (Jennifer Jason Leigh) stands out in her family because she is an emotional firecracker - her emotions are almost a separate character from that of Anney Boatwright. Special mention must go to Jena Malone for her sophisticated, passionate portrayal of Anney's young daughter, 'Bone'. Bone carries the weight of her mother's world on her shoulders. This is her first major role to speak of and she carries the movie effortlessly.