Because of the long title and boring sounding description I nearly didn't watch this one at all. However, on pure chance my phone rang while i was browsing the new releases and it stopped on that one. I hit the wrong button the controller when i walked outside to take the call and when I came back in, it was already playing. I'm a bit of a weirdo so I figured "well, we've come this far, may as well watch it!"
The story focuses on Evelyn Ryan (played wonderfully by Julianne Moore) and her life with her family of 10 (yikes!) in a rather the rather "ho-hum" town of Defiance, Ohio. Her life is plagued with financial woes partly because of the fact that she has 8 damn kids and also because her husband Kelly (Woody Harrelson) is an alcoholic. It's worth noting that as alcoholic fathers go, he is a rather decent one, he just wastes what little money the family has on booze.
[source](http://www.media4.hw-static.com/wp-content/uploads/the-prize-winner-of-defiance-ohio-movie-stills-woody-harrelson_2445791-396x305.jpeg)
I've always enjoyed Harrelson, and I am not exactly sure why This is not the main part of the plot; I'm sure these sorts of tragic stories are a dime a dozen. It is a story because Evelyn has a knack for writing slogans and jingles for businesses that have main-in contest. She wins all sorts of stuff including cars, trips, bicycles, appliances, and of course cash.
[source](https://f.ptcdn.info/915/060/000/picm4x3qkyWx44Htn4c-o.jpg)
one of the things she wins is a 10-minute shopping spree, where she picks up all sorts of goodies that their family could normally never afford The show is touching because even though Kelly is a failure in life and his alcoholism certainly contributes heavily to this, he is not an abusive father but the contest winnings actually end up making him feel even more useless. He makes mistake after mistake and his wife keeps winning contests and the family must sell most of the prizes just to be able to live.
I'll admit that this film isn't for everyone, but there were a couple of things I really enjoyed about it. 1) I quite enjoy touching family movies - I don't have to be a tough guy all the time. 2) Although I normally hate child actors, the ones in this film are used sparingly enough that they never have a chance to get on my nerves. 3) It is based quite closely on the real life of a real family. 4) The directors use this interesting tactic where they remove the 4th wall and allow Evelyn (Julianne) to speak directly to the audience (ask a film student what this tactic is called - i dunno.)
I didn't skip any of the movie and it was the middle of the afternoon. When this rare phenomenon happens in my living room, it is normally a pretty good sign that the movie is a winner. I can't give it the highest marks, but it's up there pretty high on my list of recent finds.
