The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (2005)
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A housewife wins various prizes in jingle-writing contests to support her family while navigating her husband's abusive behavior and financial secrets.
The story
In Defiance, Ohio, housewife Evelyn Ryan supports her husband, Kelly, and their ten children by winning various jingle-writing contests. While Kelly struggles with alcoholism and low self-esteem, often exhibiting cruel and abusive behavior toward Evelyn, she manages to secure a variety of prizes ranging from household appliances to a sports car. As the children begin to grow up and move out, Evelyn finds herself increasingly isolated until she connects with other local housewives. However, the family's stability is threatened when Evelyn discovers Kelly's secret financial failures, forcing her to seek a miraculous victory to save their home.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In Defiance, Ohio, housewife Evelyn Ryan supports her husband, Kelly, and their ten children by winning jingle-writing contests. Kelly, who lost his singing voice in a car accident, is often cruel and abusive when drunk, leading to several incidents where Evelyn must talk him down. While Evelyn wins various prizes—some useful like a washer and dryer, others like a pony or bird seed—Kelly feels threatened by her success and damages some of her winnings. As the older children move out, Evelyn befriends other local housewives. The family faces a crisis when Evelyn discovers Kelly took out a second mortgage without her knowledge, leading to imminent foreclosure. The children pray for her to win a contest sponsored by Dr Pepper; she succeeds and pays off the mortgage. Years later, after Kelly's death, Evelyn discovers he had placed his pension checks in a bank account for her to atone for his failures as a husband and father. The film concludes by showing the Ryan children as adults.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 99
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jane Anderson
- Writers
- Jane Anderson · writer
- Cast and characters
- Julianne Moore · Evelyn Ryan; Woody Harrelson · Leo "Kelly" Ryan; Laura Dern · Dortha Schaefer; Trevor Morgan · Bruce; Simon Reynolds · Ray the Milkman; Monte Gagne · Lee Ann Ryan; Jordan Todosey · Young Tuff Ryan; Ellary Porterfield · Tuff Ryan
- Genres
- biographical drama
- Themes
- Domestic Violence; Financial Struggle; Motherhood; Resilience
- Tone and mood
- Bittersweet; Dramatic
- Setting
- Defiance, Ohio, during the late 20th/early 21st century
- Premise and plot tags
- Biographical; Drama; Domestic Violence; Family
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2001 book by Terry Ryan
- Content notes
- Domestic Violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with a 59% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 58/100 score on Metacritic. Critics noted Julianne Moore's performance but described the film as indistinct and tentative.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 59% · review count: 83; Metacritic · score: 58 · scale: 100 · review count: 28
- Production trivia
- The film was released on DVD by DreamWorks, different from its theatrical distributor Go Fish Pictures.; The film was produced by Revolution Studios and ImageMovers.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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