Anjelica Huston's directorial debut shows great courage and skill -- the courage to take on a project such as this, knowing that it would most likely not be a 'box office smash'; and the skill to tell the story so effectively. This subject (child abuse/incest) is one of the most uncomfortable for our society to acknowledge, and it has too often been treated luridly on screen -- the sensitivity displayed here by all involved is welcome and refreshing, and it should give us hope. I wish this incredible film had seen a theatrical release, so that more people could experience it. The screenplay, carefully rendered by Anne Meredith from Dorothy Allison's moving novel, is one of the best adaptations I've ever witnessed. Some parts of the book were necessarily omitted -- the film could only be so long -- but Meredith shows intelligence and respect for her base material by not tinkering with it. The story is a hard one, told well in the book -- and the translation to the screen has retained that impact, with all of the horror and pain of Bone's childhood there for us to see and feel. The cast is simply amazing, especially Jena Malone as Bone. It' very rare to see an actor so young turn in such a performance -- it must have been extremely difficult for her -- her courage, as well, should be applauded. If she can show us work like this at such a young age, what does her career hold in store...? To those who feel there was too much brutality in this film -- this is real. This is something that occurs far more often in our 'civilized' society than most people would be comfortable admitting. The horror and disgust we feel at witnessing such actions, even in a film, are as nothing compared to the pain and scars (both physical and psychological) that such crimes leave on innocent children -- pain and scars that can last a lifetime. Shame on you if you cluck your tongue and decry such an important film because it 'makes you uncomfortable'. That's exactly what it should do. I would also recommend Tim Roth's stunning film THE WAR ZONE. Kudos to Anjelica Huston and everyone involved in bringing this moving work to the screen.
Review of Bastard Out of Carolina
