The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Trevor Morgan, Ellary Porterfield ... see more see more... , Simon Reynolds

The true story of one woman's effort to keep her family afloat under difficult circumstances comes to the screen in this bittersweet comedy drama. Evelyn Ryan (Julianne Moore) was a woman of intellige... read more read more...nce, talent, and pluck living in the small town of Defiance, OH, in the 1950s. Evelyn was married to Kelly Ryan (Woody Harrelson), a man who gave her ten children but not much else; Kelly had a severe drinking problem, struggled to hold on to a job, and tended to spend his money as soon as he earned it. It was seemingly up to Evelyn to support the family, but with ten kids to look after, taking a job outside the home hardly seemed practical. But the resourceful Evelyn discovered a way to bring some extra money into the household -- at a time when a number of companies held contests to find new advertising jingles for their products, Evelyn had a genius for coming up with slogans and winning contests, and for the better part of a decade Evelyn kept food on the table and a roof over her head by dreaming up jingles, tag lines, and ad headlines and winning contests with her handiwork, often selling the merchandise she won to pay the bills. The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio was based on the best-selling memoir by Terry Ryan, who was the sixth of Evelyn Ryan's ten kids. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

56% liked it

18,073 ratings

Critics

57% liked it

82 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 39 min.

Directed by: Jane Anderson

Release Date: September 30, 2005

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 14, 2006

Stats: 711 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Julianne Moore in The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio
Upload a Photo | View All The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (711)

  • hunterjt13
    October 14, 2011
    hunterjt13
    A housewife keeps her family from sinking into bankruptcy by winning ad-writing contests.
    The main plot line of this film, a productive and almost optimistic response to fifties patriarchal oppression, becomes obvious early on. But Evelyn Ryan's bright-eyed responses to her husb... read moreand's insecure harangues make it hard to sympathize with her. How long can we scream, "Leave the bastard" at the screen until we give up on her plight? But just when it gets to be oppressive, she says, "Your job is not to make me happy, but to stay away from me when I am." Could there be a more heart-breaking thing for a wife to say to her husband?
    Julianne Moore's performance was, of course, awful, and she shares the blame with the script for making Evelyn a tiring character. Woody Harrelson doesn't rise to the level of being a malevolent force, but his character has nuances, moments of compassion mixed with his fits of outrage.
    Overall, I thought there was some things to like about The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio - it's an interesting story that has flashes of brillance - but Moore's performance and some structural problems make it ultimately a disappointment.
  • erika250
    July 1, 2011
    erika250
    The prize Winner of defiance, Ohio Is about Dysfunctional family trying to make ends meet. The father is abusive and has a drink problem that laeve the family with out money. The mother enters contests to money to make end meet. Will the family be able to staying one place or wil... read morel the have to move?
    Pros
    Good acting and plot.
    Can be funny at times.
    Cons
    Could be slow at times.
    i
  • fb100000145236770
    June 30, 2011
    fb100000145236770
    This is a very interesting, off-beat dramedy with 2 Academy Award worthy performances. Julianne Moore gives one of her best performances(she has a lot of good ones to choose from) as a mother who wins a ton of contests in the 1950's to help support her family of ten kids. She r... read moreeally lights the screen with her positive outlook and radiant smile. Woody Harrelson plays her alcoholic husband who has a hard time coping with life. He plays the character perfectly, as you hate the way he treats her, but you feel sorry for him. This movie reminded me of another little gem of a flick called "Waitress." They're very different, but the tone and the way the story is told is pretty similar. Geared more towards women, but there's enough here for guys to like as well. Emily stayed awake the whole time and really enjoyed it. If she stays awake through an entire movie in the evening, then it's a winner! :-p
  • ceWEBrity
    September 5, 2010
    ceWEBrity
    The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio chugs right along for a great majority of its running time as a primally effective but generally repetitive and nothing-new tearjerker about the strength of a mother's love. It seems to hit all its big story beats multiple times with no real var... read moreiance between each one; we see Woody Harrelson being a drunk abusive douchebag several times, we see Julianne Moore sacrificing a personal luxury for the sake of her children several times, etc. In other words, we really aren't seeing much, but the movie's constant melodrama and the strong execution of these personal tragedies at least keeps it from being totally uneventful. It's over the top, but Moore is on hand to make sure it's lively. Harrelson seems inappropriately cast and anachronistic; I really don't think he works well in drama, short of The Messenger.

    The ending, on the other hand, completely dismantles everything. It's an icky "everything's gonna be all right" coda resting itself on the power of Harrelson's atonement, which is weak as piss. For what I'm assuming to be a proto-feminist period piece, the notion that Evelyn Ryan could shield herself from the pain of an abusive marriage with a day trip to Texas and a fistful of money is borderline insulting. This may be because the movie is exponentially more comfortable with depicting Kelly Ryan as a monstrous, imprudent, emasculated drunk than as a loving father or husband, washing out any of his sympathetic traits and making him less of an "antagonist" so much as a straight-out "villain." The movie's feints at Evelyn recognizing the pain and injustice of her situation - a couple of off-handed lines, a scathing remark pointed at Kelly - are the most interesting parts of the movie, but sadly her refusal to change her milieu for the sake of her or her kids makes her seem flat-out dumb. There's sacrifice, which we see the character work through many times through the course of the movie, and then there's saccharine martyrdom.

    The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio isn't an utter waste of time, but it just gets more and more infuriating right up to the ending, which in addition to its previously-discussed problems is packed with some "and here they are now!" gimmickry. It's cheap and sentimental and utterly worthless, much like Moore's fourth-wall shattering narration, but it becomes apparent very quickly that the movie isn't really bothering with subtlety. When you have the services of one of our greatest dramatic actresses on hand and all you really ask of her is to giggle with bittersweet longing and cry on command exactly once, tricks that Moore could do in her sleep, there's an obvious waste of potential there. She does it beautifully, of course, but all it does is bring attention to the movie's true lack of substance or psychological complexity.
  • Redlats
    February 1, 2008
    Redlats
    I guess this movie was OK. Not to fault the actors or anything; they were fine. Good to Evelyn for holding her family together. It is just that I will have forgotten I'd ever seen this movie in two weeks time.
  • puffchunk
    November 30, 2007
    puffchunk
    Woody Harrelson is awesome in this movie as a drunken crappy father. "I'm a chump in a slump, and I live in a dump. SANDWICH." Other wise, the rest of the movie was some inspirational overcoming adverstiy story that I failed to pay attention to.
  • jjnxn
    August 19, 2007
    jjnxn
    Love Julianne Moore but this was very average
  • wildaly14
    May 25, 2007
    wildaly14
    Not many will be compelled to watch this or be touched by it but I could say it is one of the few films that has absolutely touched me and sent me to genuine sobs by the end of it. It is based on a real story but more than that it relates to hundreds of stories. This film shows u... read mores the real worth and strength of a mother who faces many odds and manages to overcome all obstacles and proudly raise her children. I highly recommend it.
  • dreamfaeries
    March 5, 2007
    dreamfaeries
    Cute true story about battling to stay afloat.
  • flickfever
    July 5, 2006
    flickfever
    Another great Julianne Moore performance in a another film that sort of came-and-went! As a contest-enterer and occasional prizewinner myself, I can identify completely with Moore's character in this film. It also touches on lots of family themes: responsibility, hope for a bette... read morer future and being able to provide for a large family despite being a housewife and having a bi-polar husband. This movie will really inspire some and even make you shed a tear or two. Oh yeah-- and it's all based on a true story!

View All The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio Reviews

Critic Reviews

Bob Longino
November 10, 2005
Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It makes for a nice Mother's Day card. But not enough for a complete movie. Full Review

Bill Muller
October 20, 2005
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

Rarely do you have a movie in which both lead actors give Oscar-worthy performances, but Defiance, Ohio is one. Full Review

Susan Walker
October 14, 2005
Susan Walker, Toronto Star

For once, a true story gets no romanticizing or needless embellishment to become a captivating movie. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
October 14, 2005
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

What distinguishes Anderson's work is her obvious empathy with all of her characters, including Kelly Ryan, whom she does not demonize.

Rick Groen
October 14, 2005
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Anderson can't do much with the inherent limitations of the hagiopic, which demands a repetitive litany of sacrifice and sanctity, with each hill and every valley designed to further enhance the lands... Full Review

Wesley Morris
October 14, 2005
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

There's not much to the film's story, but the characterization of a family's life is vivid and rich. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
October 13, 2005
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

It has its own subversive power, as it elevates one family's struggle for working-class survival and valorizes a woman of simple faith and inner strength. Full Review

Philip Wuntch
October 13, 2005
Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News

A mixed bag of goods. A bag of goods, it definitely is, but without a consistent point of view. Full Review

David Edelstein
October 4, 2005
David Edelstein, Slate

An honest tear-jerker. Full Review

Richard Roeper
October 3, 2005
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

A bit thin and uninvolving. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Welcome to Sarajevo
    Welcome to Sarajevo (67%)
  • New York Stories
    New York Stories (100%)
  • River's Edge
    River's Edge (100%)
  • The Squid and the Whale
    The Squid and the Whale (75%)

More Movies like The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Evelyn Ryan: I don't need you to make me happy, Kelly. I just need you to leave me alone when I am.
    • Evelyn Ryan: Everything is possible.
Submit a Fact | View All

The Prize Winner ... : Watch Free on TV

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio Trivia

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohi... Trivia

  • How does Julianne Moore bring in some extra money in The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio?  Answer »
  • How many kids does Evelyn have in The Prize Winner Of Defiance , Ohio ?  Answer »
  • What was Evelyn's husbands name in The Prize Winner Of Defiance , Ohio ?  Answer »
  • What had Kelly been in the Prize Winner Of defiance , Ohio ?  Answer »
More The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?