DVD Review: North Country
When Josey Aimes (Academy Award winner CHARLIZE THERON) returns to her hometown in Northern Minnesota after a failed marriage, she needs a good job. A single mother with two children to support, she turns to the predominant source of employment in the region – the iron mines. The mines provide a livelihood that has sustained a community for generations. The work is hard but the pay is good and friendships that form on the job extend into everyday life, bonding families and neighborhoods with a common thread.
Review:
North Country is a film that is based on actual events that occurred at Eveleth Mines in Minnesota’s Iron Range. It was in the late 1970’s that women were first allowed into the mines. North Country deals takes place in the 1980’s leading up to the first class action sexual harassment lawsuit in the early 1990’s.
The main character, Josey Aims (played to perfection by Charlize Theron) is a single mother who has left her abusive husband and took her children to live with her parents. She struggles to make ends meet working as a shampoo girl in a local beauty saloon, and after running into an old friend, she decides to take a job at a local mine so that her and her children can afford their own place.
Watching this film and witnessing the injustice that Josie has had to endure, you find yourself going through a range of emotions from sadness, to anger, to inspiration. Sexual harassment is an issue that still exists today, and this film brings a piece of its history to light. Without a doubt, this is one of the most powerful films of 2005. It’s inspiring to see Josey stand up for women’s rights despite the lack of support around her, and with the amazing Oscar winning supporting cast mates like Sissy Spacek and Woody Harrelson you end up with a truly exceptional film. This film is very well-crafted, moving, and highly recommended by those of us here at FanBolt.
Review by Emma Loggins
Grade: A+
Official site: http://www.northcountrymovie.com/
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