THE PRIZEWINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO

US, 2005, 99 minutes, Colour.
Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Trevor Morgan, Ellary Porterfield.
Directed by Jane Anderson.

The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio is a memorable film, modest in its scope, but insightful into human nature and is effective as a piece of Americana about the 1950s and 1960s. It was based on the book by Terry Ryan, the Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mom Raised Ten Kids on Twenty-five Words or Less.

The film focuses on the Ryan family, an ordinary but rather impoverished family in Ohio in the mid-1950s. The father, who had an accident with his throat to stop his crooning career, works in a menial job in a factory. He is alcoholic – and violent when drunk. Woody Harrelson plays him very effectively. Julianne Moore, however, is the focus of the film as Evelyn Ryan, with her ten children, always genial, satisfied in many ways with her lot in life. However, she is an expert at slogans for contests which were very popular in those days and is able to keep the family going by her winnings.

The film recreates the atmosphere of the time very effectively, the life of families in those years – with the touch of the Catholic religion, the children seen praying rosaries at times, and the very ineffectual visit of the parish priest who urges the mother to be content with her lot.

The film shows the struggles in the household, especially with the father’s violence. It also shows with some exhilaration the excitement with the slogans and the winnings. Laura Dern as a cameo role as the president of a group of women, centred in nearby Indiana, who are all members of a club who write slogans. This proves to be a wonderful outlet for Evelyn Ryan.

The actual Terry Ryan appears at the end of the film and there are photos of each of the ten children and their subsequent careers – all seem to have done very well in life.

The film is written and directed by Jane Anderson who directed a segment of If These Walls Could Talk 2, Normal and When Billie Beat Bobby.

The film did not receive much release when it was made – but is well worth catching.

1.A pleasing film, a memoir, the people, the times? A piece of Americana?

2.The town of Defiance, Ohio, the houses, the streets, the factory, the countryside? Indiana? Authentic atmosphere? The score, television of the times, the songs?

3.1956, the look, costumes and dress, language, family life and its detail, obedience, hard work, the hard life, religion and the church, exhortation, prayer? The place of women – and their being subservient? 1960 and the beginning of changes, especially with feminism?

4.The title, the focus on the contests, their popularity, the wide range, the monetary prizes, prizes in goods? The skill required, verbal dexterity, rhymes and rhythms? The ads and slogans? The songs? Wit? The appeal, the ambitions of the housewives, the range of prizes? The change in the 60s, the lessening of the competitions, the indication that no skills were required? The humour of Raising a Family on Twenty-five Words or Less?

5.The place of women, the 1950s, Dad’s attitude, the children, the using of the names Mother and Father, Mum and Dad? The glimpse of the 1960s, the television interview with the woman in the era of the Kennedy election and her not voting for women …?

6.The screenplay devices of introducing Evelyn, her talking to camera, interacting with the audience, her descriptions, her commentating self interacting with her ordinary self? The flashbacks to the courtship, Dad’s crooning, the dancing, the fun, the narrow family, marriage, the children? The home, the need for money, having to move? Dad and his drinking, the priest and his exhortations? Dorothy and the device of having her talk to Evelyn and communicate with the audience?

7.Evelyn as character, Julianne Moore bringing her to life? Happy, her saying she had no regrets? Love for her husband, the sense of duty, love for the children? Her mental agility? Winning competitions, the joy, using her children’s names – and explaining that was legal? Her saving situations? The money, the contract for the house, the wife not needing to sign, Dad signing, and his signing for the second mortgage? Evelyn actually owning the house? Life at home, the children, noise, meals? The love for food? Moving into the new house? Financial difficulties – as exemplified with the milkman, his stern reactions? Dad and his drinking, the children’s reactions, Tuff and her observations, direct talking? The competition to get the trolley full – the family cheering Evelyn on, the people in the supermarket helping, the choices of food – and the meal after? Dad and his sulking? The small wins, the difficulties at home, the children and the baby making a mess? The tests? Dad and his drinking, pushing Evelyn, her cutting herself, the milk spilling, going to the hospital? The boys and their reaction to their father? The group getting in touch, Dorothy and her information about the women’s group? Dad refusing to drive Evelyn, his teaching his son to drive, her about to go on the visit and the little boy and his taking the neighbour’s flowers, her not going? Tuff finally driving her, the breakdown, the repairs to the car, her return, Dad locking the children out? The revelation about the mortgage? The Doctor Pepper competition, the detective and his interview, her comment about orange juice on the desert island? Winning? Her happiness, going to Dallas? Her final comments about seeing the children off and their various careers?

8.Dad and Woody Harrelson’s interpretation? His impact on the family, working at the plant, his pride, signing the contract, spending the spare cash on drink, his flaring up, angers about the football, not wanting the freezer, bashing it? Always being sorry afterwards? The trolley competition and his later sulking? Wanting to be the breadwinner? His underlying resentment of Evelyn’s winning? The kids and their reaction, his love for them, Tuff and her being direct? The boys standing up to him? The episode with Roger stealing, the way Evelyn handled the situation, Dad’s violent reaction? His deriding the contests, not driving her to see the group? His pushing her, his tears after the accident? The lockout, upset at her being late home? His buying her the desk and his pride in her happiness? The second mortgage and his reaction? Evelyn trying to cope? The winning – and everybody admitting that Dad would never change?

9.The portrait of the kids, the boys, their growing up, love for their mother, reaction to their father? The girls, the younger children, the baby? Tuff and her writing the biography of her mother? The real kids and their photos at the end and the information about their lives?

10.Dorothy, nice, the contact with Evelyn, the introduction to the other members of the group, the slightly comic touches, the woman in the iron lung? Evelyn and her driving with Tuff, the breakdown, her saying that she was contented to be with her daughter, not having regrets? The meeting, the sharing, the good-natured competitiveness? The character of Dorothy and the other women?

11.The milkman, his sternness? The neighbours and their help? The people announcing the winnings, the phone calls? The Doctor Pepper detective and the discussion about the family? The staff at the supermarket and the trolley competition?

12.Dad’s attitude towards Evelyn at the end, calling her a saint? Her saying she wasn’t? Yet the audience seeing that she was a good woman? The status of family, poverty, hardships, love? A film exploring basic human values?