Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)

Fantastic!

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Story takes place in (I'm guessing) the 1930s in the deep south. Anney (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is an unwed mother with two girls the oldest being Ruthann (Jena Malone). She meets handsome lively Glen (Ron Eldard) and marries him. But Glen has a bad temper and beats Ruthann regularly. Her mother doesn't know it and Glen keeps getting angrier and angrier.VERY disturbing but well-done movie. The actors all fake authentic Southern accents and it captures the era perfectly. The acting is just incredible. Leigh was just letter perfect as the mother. She does love her girls and her husband and is horrified when she realizes what's going on. Eldard was a little one-note in his performance but that was mostly cause the script didn't really explore his character. He was downright terrifying when he loses control a few times. Malone was only 10 when she did this and she was incredible! VERY talented for such a young child and holds her own especially in downright horrific sequence at the end. Even the supporting roles were well-acted with Michael Rooker and Glenne Headly being standouts. Also it's all narrated by Laura Dern. As for the beatings--they're never really shown until the very end. You HEAR them though and that's bad enough. The acting is so good by Malone and Eldard you believe every second of them.One complaint--the movie feels unfinished. It looks like either a lot was cut out of the script or out of the movie. Some scenes come and go quickly and have characters you've never met. Still this is well worth watching...but it is disturbing (as it should be) and powerful.

This movie is a masterpiece.It deals with a touchy subject. The actors and actresses play there parts so well. You can actually see the sadness in Malone and the hate in Eldard's face. Its sad because things like this happen all the time. This movie is not some fake movie that someone made up in there head. Its truth this does happen to people. And its sad because Leigh's character as the lonely mother is real there are mothers out there that are stuck between loving there child or there lover. Its a sad situation and this movie shows you life. This movie is for sure excellent 10 stars from me.I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes serious movies that just have you on the edge of your seat.

This was a terrific film that explored painful subject matter and did it well. The creeping malice and cowardice of Glenn (a brave role for Ron Eldard) was terrifying and will be recognized as realistic by any survivor of child abuse, as will Bone's sense of isolation and responsibility for "keeping the peace." The women in the film acted their roles with real strength and tenderness - particularly, I thought, Glenne Headly as Aunt Ruth. Jena Malone was a natural. I also loved Grace Zabriskie as Grandma. Displaying the lives of people commonly labeled "poor white trash" could have gone horribly wrong, but "Bastard" doesn't patronize or demean.One wishes that those who made hay about the brutal child-rape scene in this film would devote this energy to protesting the actual occurrence of such things. The graphic nature of this scene was disturbing, to be sure, but not gratuitous or exploitative.A worthwhile rendering of Dorothy Allison's semi-autobiographical novel.

I just finished watching this movie five minutes ago and I am disgusted! At the beginning, you feel sorry for Annie, especially the part when she's at her husband's funeral with her two daughter, but all that sympathy disappears in a flash! I think that Annie is as much as a monster as her husband! At first she does try to provide and protect both of her daughters but than, she becomes a fool in love; A REALLY BIG ONE! I don't believe how could she allow a monster to abuse her own flesh and blood like that! When I was watching this, I kept thinking "what if he's doing it to her other daughter!?" I was disturbed while I watched every scene that Bone endured every type of abuse. The part that made me choke up was when Annie found Bone being rape by her crazy husband. I was appalled at the fact that after she saw it with her own two eyes, Annie choose that low-life over her daughter.Angelica Huston did a wonderful job as director by keeping the scenes realistic (I know I was yelling at the T.V. in Spanish and English). The actress who portrayed Boone (sorry I forgot her name) did an amazing job at bringing life into that character. She evoked sympathy from the audience and made you want to just save her from her misery. The actor who played her abusive step-father did an excellent job at portraying a monster. My favorite part was when all of Bone's uncles beat up the step-father at her aunt's funeral!Overall, I gave this movie an 8/10.If your gonna watch this be prepared to go through a cycle of emotions, pretty much all of them-don't forget the box of tissues!