Technology
Crime drama
Frozen River (2008): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Frozen River is a 2008 crime drama directed by Courtney Hunt, starring Melissa Leo, Misty Upham and Charlie McDermott. It runs 1 hour 37 minutes and earned $5.5 million worldwide. It won 1 award from 10 nominations, among them 2 Oscar nominations. Critics gave it 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and 82 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 37m (97 min)
- Director
- Courtney Hunt
- Original language
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English - Studio
- Sony Pictures Classics
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is Frozen River About?
The premise of Frozen River without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Ray Eddy, a struggling single mother, finds herself in dire financial straits and turns to an illegal and dangerous scheme. She partners with Lila, a determined Mohawk woman, to smuggle undocumented immigrants across the frozen St. Lawrence River from Canada to the United States. Facing harsh conditions and moral compromises, the two women risk everything as they transport people seeking a new life, all while battling the elements and the risks involved in their perilous journey.
Frozen River Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- mohawk
- smuggling
- trailer
- smuggler
- single mother
- f rated
- title directed by female
- illegal border crossing
- native american reservation
- strip club
- native american
- u.s. canadian border
+38 more Show fewer
- missing husband
- visual impairment
- blowtorch
- cartoon on tv
- 15 year old boy
- female director
- female filmmaker
- husband
- 5 year old
- money
- river
- border
- car
- immigrant
- illegal immigrant
- frozen river
- christmas
- quebec
- present
- canada
- gambler
- border crossing
- triple f rated
- needing money
- black ice
- criminality
- stopped by police
- malnutrition
- stolen car
- saving money
- tribal law
- tribal council
- police officer
- baby boy
- sitting in a tree
- scam
- chinese
- credit card
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Cast & crew
Frozen River Cast
Melissa Leo leads the cast, with Misty Upham and Charlie McDermott. Directed by Courtney Hunt.
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Director Courtney Hunt
Ratings
Frozen River Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Frozen River 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and 82 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
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IMDb 7.1 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 88% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 74%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 82 Metascore
User score 7.3
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 66% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
Frozen River Plot Summary
What happens in Frozen River from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The story unfolds in the North Country of Upstate New York, close to the Akwesasne (‘Where the Partridge Drum’) St. Regis Mohawk Reservation and the Canadian border, just before Christmas. Ray Eddy, portrayed by Melissa Leo, is a hardworking clerk at a discount store, struggling to raise her two sons. Her husband, a compulsive gambler, has vanished with the money she planned to use for buying a double-wide mobile home. While on a quest to locate him, she crosses paths with Lila Littlewolf, played by Misty Upham, a bingo-parlor employee from the Mohawk community who is found driving Ray’s husband’s abandoned car, keys still in the ignition at the local bus station.
Full summary
The whole story of Frozen River, scene by scene
Box office
Frozen River Box Office
Frozen River grossed $5.5 million worldwide. $2.5 million came from the US and Canada and $2.9 million (54%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$5.5M
- US & Canada
- $2.5M
- International
- $2.9M
US & Canada 46%
Rest of the world 54%
Awards
Frozen River Awards & Nominations
Frozen River won 1 award from 10 nominations, among them 2 Oscar nominations. Its biggest night was the Spirit Awards 2009, with 1 win from 6 nominations.
1 win10 nominations4 ceremonies
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Spirit Awards 2009 1 win · 6 nominations- Won Best Female Lead – Melissa Leo
- Nominated Best Director – Courtney Hunt
- Nominated Best Feature
- Nominated Best First Screenplay – Courtney Hunt
- Nominated Best Supporting Female – Misty Upham
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Oscars 2009 2 nominations- Nominated Actress in a Leading Role – Melissa Leo
- Nominated Writing (Original Screenplay)
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Critics' Choice 2009 1 nomination- Nominated Best Actress – Melissa Leo
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Actor Awards (SAG) 2009 1 nomination- Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role – Melissa Leo
Videos
Frozen River Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Frozen River.
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Frozen River?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who plays the role of Ray Eddy in the film?
Cars
Cars in Frozen River
20 cars on screen, including the 1993 Dodge Spirit and the 1995 Ford Contour.
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1993 Dodge Spirit Main role -
1995 Ford Contour Important role -
1988 Jeep Cherokee Important role -
1995 Nissan Sentra Important role
Details
Frozen River Also Known As
17 alternative titles, including “Rio Congelado” and “Frozen river - Fiume di ghiaccio”.
- Also known as
-
- Rio Congelado
- Frozen river - Fiume di ghiaccio
- A befagyott folyó
- Frozen River - Auf dünnem Eis
- Donmuş Irmak
- Zamrzlá řeka
- Río helado
- 冰冻之河
- Замерзшая река
- Rio Gelado
- נהר קפוא
- Замръзнала река
+5 more Show fewer
- 프로즌 리버
- Rzeka ocalenia
- フローズン・リバー
- 冰原之心
- Замерзла ріка
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From the blog
Articles About Frozen River
5 articles about Frozen River. The latest: “The Impact of Digital Technology on Film Production”.
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FAQ
Frozen River FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Frozen River, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Frozen River?
Frozen River runs 1 hour 37 minutes (97 minutes).
When was Frozen River released?
Frozen River was released on August 1, 2008.
Who directed Frozen River?
Frozen River was directed by Courtney Hunt.
More films by Courtney Hunt Who is in the cast of Frozen River?
Frozen River stars Melissa Leo, Misty Upham and Charlie McDermott.
How much did Frozen River make at the box office?
Frozen River grossed $5.5 million worldwide ($2.5 million domestic, $2.9 million international).
How is Frozen River rated?
Frozen River has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, 82 on Metacritic and 66% on TMDB.
What awards did Frozen River win?
Frozen River won 1 award from 10 nominations, including Best Female Lead at the Spirit Awards 2009.
Does Frozen River have a post-credit scene?
No. Frozen River has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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