North
Country is a women’s rights piece that recalls the Sally Field film Norma
Rae, and I find it extremely interesting that most of the males in this picture
are precisley the type of men Charlize Theron’s character in Monster would
have put down.
North
Country is based on true events and tells the story of single mom Josie Aimes
(played by an effective Charlize Theron), an independent woman who would take
a mining company to court after being mistreated one too many times. After failing
to convince the equally mistreated women at her work place to get behind her cause,
she realizes she has no choice but to go it alone. That is until lonely attorney
Bill White (Woody Harrelson) reluctantly decides to represent her.
Yes,
you read that synopsis correctly. The woman is helpless until the man comes to
her rescue. In all honesty though, North Country isn’t about a damsel in
distress. Josie is a strong female character who, while extremely scared, fights
the good fight regardless. The film works surprisingly well given the rather heavy
handed mechanics of the screenplay. In fact, for the most part, I found North
Country extremely effective, and I attribute it’s power to brilliant acting
and strong direction from Nicki Caro, a film maker responsible for one of my favorite
pictures of 2002, the majestic Whale Rider. That movie too was about women’s
rights, but it was a little more subtle and family friendly than North Country.
Still, this film isn’t without it’s moments of power.
While
Charlize Theron is billed as the star, North Country plays more as an ensemble
and every performance is top notch. Theron is tough but vulnerable, and we learn
that there are deep rooted emotional issues at the core of this complicated woman.
This lovely, talented actress proves that Monster was no fluke. Sissy Spacek (the
Coal Miner’s Daughter herself) and Richard Jenkins (a terrific character
actor) are powerful as Josie’s parents. Jenkins in particular, takes part
in two of the film’s strongest sequences, and elevates the screenplay above
Lifetime Channel fare. Woody Harrelson is terrific as an attorney who’s not
entirely sure he knows what he’s gotten himself into, but by the end of the
picture he’s assertive and extremely likable. Frances McDormand is sensational
as Josie’s ill friend Glory, a strong woman who realizes deep down that she
too isn’t respected by the men she works with, but chooses to look the other
way. Sean Bean turns in one of his best (and most subtle) performances as Glory’s
caring husband.
North
Country suffers from heavy handed strokes. The evil men who work at the mining
field, aren’t just mean, their callous beyond belief (going so far as to
do a little finger painting with their own feces), and while I have no doubt that
there is sexism and harassment in the work place, I found that the film did take
things a little too far. Also adding to the overly melodramatic is a Dead Poet’s
Society inspired ending that doesn’t work because most of the individuals
taking part in the "oh captain my captain" scenario haven’t really
learned anything or contributed to Josie’s cause. They don’t take any
sort of stance until after the dirty work has already been done. This display
of so-called respect didn’t work for me at all.
Norma
Rae and Dead Poet’s Society aren’t the only movies that I was reminded
of here either. There’s a moment in which a persistent White badgers a witness
into revealing "the truth" even though he might not be able to "handle
the truth". This sequence has A Few Good Men written all over it. Not that
movies don’t borrow from other movies, but this was an extremely self conscious
scene.
North Country
is impressive in that many scenes that really shouldn’t work, do work because
the stellar cast is always up to the challenge. Take for instance a scene in which
a terrified Josie has the courage to speak to room full of co-workers who clearly
don’t like her. Theron plays the scene with gut wrenching realism, and Richard
Jenkins caps off the sequence with perhaps the most moving speech in the film.
By
the same token, there are scenes that don’t work or feel a little out of
place. There’s a pivotal sequence in a classroom that’s poorly played,
particularly by the actor who plays the teacher. There’s also a scene in
which the head of the mining comany has a misogynistic field day with his female
attorney. While I understand the intent of the scene, it was unnecessary.
North
Country is tough to watch at times. In fact, it can be a downright uncomfortable
experience. Some of what these despicable men do to these women isn’t fit
for print. And how the women deal with this abuse is extremely realistic. This
isn’t one of those underdog pictures where all the women revolt and start
fighting back, because we all know that in the real world, things aren’t
that easy. The issues on display in the movie are dealt with in a restrained,
honest manner (save for the previously discussed courtroom ending – which
is sappy to say the least).
North
Country isn’t a perfect film. It does tend to get weighed down by the overly
melodramatic, and at times, it does go too far - but overall, this is a provocative,
meaningful movie and I applaud Caro and her cast for a job well done.
