I saw a good movie this week (on my mother's recommendation):  The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio.  Took me two nights to watch it, since I'm trying to get to bed earlier these days.

Set back in the days when homemakers really knew their stuff, this is the true story of a mother of 10 (played by Julianne Moore) whose husband spends too much of their income on alcohol.  She literally feeds and houses her family by her wits, writing jingles for contests.  Many prizes come just in the nick of time, getting them out of some very difficult scrapes.  I haven't read the book and I don't know how much of the suspense can be chalked up to dramatic license, but her skill and good fortune were truly amazing.

Evelyn's stoic cheerfulness in the face of many disappointments would be almost unbelievable, were it not for the final injustice that does her courage in later in the film.  Her indomitable optimism and will to be happy are inspiring.  I loved the scene where she comforted her little daughter, who had made a big mess trying to change the baby, by showing her how the delay actually bought them some time in a problematic situation, so it was "meant to be."  

And speaking of that problematic situation, I wonder if their real-life milkman was as annoying as the one in the movie, or if that was another little bit of dramatic license.  If he was, he certainly deserved to be immortalized as a jerk on film!  The father was somewhat sympathetically portrayed, but he does come off as terribly irresponsible at best, and downright mean at his worst times.  Woody Harrelson managed to evoke pity for his character.  I imagine it would be hard on any man's ego for his wife to have to be the breadwinner because of his faults.  Evelyn's gracious ability to soothe him is amazing.

The vintage look of the film really adds to its charm.  It feels like a trip back in time. 

Unfortunately, the feminist myth of the subjugated 50's housewife is detectable, as well some stereotyping of the Catholic church.  But the film does transcend these defects, especially by giving us a glimpse of the real children, Evelyn's real legacy, at the end.  I recommend it!