I know that I read The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio ages ago and loved it, which is one of the main reasons that I wanted to see the movie, which is a strong, albeit generous to all characters adaptation. The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is based on the true story of a housewife who supports her family by winning contests. I vaguely remember that the book is more merciless and was written by the daughter of the titular character.
Another reason to watch The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is Julianne Moore, who is a great actress. After the remake Far From Heaven, casting Moore in The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is a no brainer. Moore definitely is the right actress to nail the must be perfect demeanor of that period while projecting the inner conflict, intelligence and awareness of her subjugation.
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio frames the story by using the titular character as a narrator in the vein of the classic television host aware of the entire story, including after her death-think Our Town, and as the mother and wife whom the viewer watches as her life unfolds. The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is a 50s period piece.
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio portrays the peculiar and onerous gender roles expected of men and women. The women had to play the role of the unsexual wife and mother, but also hide their ambition and role as secret provider who is still subject to any man’s criticisms while simultaneously not able to rely on men who fail to fulfill the burden of their normative gender roles. The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio criticizes but also shows how damaging these expectations are to men. Woody Harrelson shows a tremendous amount of emotional nuance in his portrayal of the angry, inadequate alcoholic father. He is crushed by the times’ expectations, and the author of his own destruction, but never enjoys the benefits of a system that looks the other way when you’re the right gender and harm others.
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio makes a moralizing milkman a subtle reflection of our times. We set up a system that puts women in an untenable position, then criticize women for being in that position and making choices that are not entirely theirs and seek to benefit from their downfall by lording it over them or taking away what little dignity they have by lecturing them from our safe perches.