Critic Reviews

Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) Rank 5 Reviews

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Movie critics combined give Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) a score of 2.6806 out of 4
based on (98) reviews
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Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Tony MedleyTony Medley
I had no sooner awarded the 2005 Best Actress award to Gwenyth Paltrow for her scintillating performance in "Proof," when I saw Julianne Moore playing Evelyn Ryan, the mother of 10 in this moving story based on her daughter, Terry ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Tony Medley
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for RopeofSilicon (Laremy Legel)RopeofSilicon (Laremy Legel)
Can you hear the rumbling? It was Dan Bern who said "I feel like things are turning like a cool country kiss," or on a more grandiose note it was JFK who said "So let us begin anew." What the hell am I talking about? What do these whispers on the wind ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at RopeofSilicon (Laremy Legel)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)
[Offers] an almost subversively idealistic subtext to a now-familiar ritual exposé of the American dream. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for EDGE Boston (David Foucher)EDGE Boston (David Foucher)
Julianne Moore delivers another hard-hitting performance as a 1950s housewife – and despite being too earnest to be entirely believable, it’s a highly rewarding film. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at EDGE Boston (David Foucher)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Lindsay Leese, Tracy Hoyt, Laura Dem and Julianne Moore in The Prize Winner of Defiance, OhioJulianne Moore is sure to hear Oscar calling for her captivating performance as 1950s housewife Evelyn Ryan, who raised 10 kids on 25 words or less. That's the ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for DVD Talk (Preston Jones)DVD Talk (Preston Jones)
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is a handsomely mounted film about a woman undeterred by the complexities of life, whose indomitable spirit lights up writer/director Jane Anderson's tragically little-seen movie. Despite the seemingly thin extras, ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at DVD Talk (Preston Jones)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
"The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio," said to tell a true story, subtitles itself: "How my mother raised 10 kids on 25 words or less." And she does; in an era when companies gave valuable ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
Moore's radiant performance does for this movie what the real-life Ryan's "contest-ing" did for her family in the 1950's -- it holds it together with mesmerizing grace. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Now Playing Magazine (Brent Simon)Now Playing Magazine (Brent Simon)
The quality and sympathetic nature of Moore’s performance makes it a worthy tug at the heartstrings. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Now Playing Magazine (Brent Simon)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
Easily one of the film year's great saving graces, "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" nips along for 90 minutes and then moves you so suddenly, you want to step into the picture and participate in the reunion of the real Ryan family. A lot ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Boston GlobeBoston Globe
Julianne Moore has never looked as relaxed as she does in ''The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio." This is a major accomplishment, since she's playing mother to 10 children and wife to one very childish man.Evelyn Ryan lives in the movie's titular burg ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Boston Globe
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for MovieWeb (J.P. Mangalindan)MovieWeb (J.P. Mangalindan)
Once, the traditional patriarchal idea of family was black and white: men were once expected to be breadwinners; women should serve as stay-at-home mothers and that was that. So, it’s even more remarkable that Evelyn Ryan (Julianne Moore) stood out: ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at MovieWeb (J.P. Mangalindan)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for MovieWeb (Pete Croatto)MovieWeb (Pete Croatto)
Someone should tell Julianne Moore that this isn't how box office careers are made. If you want to play the same character over and over, have it be a model the multiplex masses can warm up to. Vince Vaughn has taken the smartass route; Ben Stiller the ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at MovieWeb (Pete Croatto)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for filmcritic.com (Pete Croatto)filmcritic.com (Pete Croatto)
Someone should tell Julianne Moore that this isn’t how box office careers are made. If you want to play the same character over and over, have it be a model the multiplex masses can warm up to. Vince Vaughn has taken the smartass route; Ben ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at filmcritic.com (Pete Croatto)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Julianne Moore (The Forgotten, Laws of Attraction) returns to a familiar role, practically the antithesis of the morose character she portrayed in Far From Heaven, in The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, where the woman of the 1950s she plays is similarly ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for New York Times (Stephen Holden)New York Times (Stephen Holden)
Jane Andersons bittersweet, satirically savvy film tells the true story of a 1950s housewife (Julianne Moore) who helps feed her family by writing jingles. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at New York Times (Stephen Holden)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
You know the sort of harried, harangued and yet utterly unflappable housewife who is often referred to as a saint? This movie canonizes one. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
Smiling through adversity, Moore is the heart and soul of Prizewinner and worthy of prize consideration come Oscar time. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Toronto Star (Susan Walker)Toronto Star (Susan Walker)
For once, a true story gets no romanticizing or needless embellishment to become a captivating movie. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Toronto Star (Susan Walker)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for USA Today (Claudia Puig)USA Today (Claudia Puig)
A poignant look at a family overcoming adversity, the film also provides a glimpse of past popular culture many of us know little about. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at USA Today (Claudia Puig)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)
A genuinely touching story about how a woman can use her intelligence to overcome tough situations. Take your mom, or your daughter. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Miami Herald (Peter Debruge)Miami Herald (Peter Debruge)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Julianne Moore is sure to hear Oscar calling for her captivating performance as 1950s housewife Evelyn Ryan, who raised ten kids on twenty-five words or less. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Zap2it.com (Dan Fienberg)Zap2it.com (Dan Fienberg)
It wavers -- like life -- between drama and comedy and frequently pushes too hard, Prize Winner is a confidently delivered story that resists sap until the final act. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Zap2it.com (Dan Fienberg)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Thoughtful and energetic....Anderson has in Ryan’s story a bittersweet exemplar for the unsung toil and love of prefeminist desperate housewives... ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Christianity Today (Lisa Ann Cockrel)Christianity Today (Lisa Ann Cockrel)
This Prize Winner is a winner for its smart portrayal of a resourceful woman who loved her family, loved words, and loved life. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Christianity Today (Lisa Ann Cockrel)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for TV Guide's Movie Guide (Angel Cohn)TV Guide's Movie Guide (Angel Cohn)
Evelyn's optimism in the face of ongoing adversity never feels schmaltzy or tacky. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Angel Cohn)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia InquirerPhiladelphia Inquirer
In 25 words or less: Julianne Moore glows as Our Mother of the Perpetual Shirtwaist in The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, the startlingly original film about homemaker Evelyn Ryan. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for The Movie ChicksThe Movie Chicks
This is based on the true story of "how a mother raised ten kids on twenty-five words or less". Evelyn Ryan (Julianne Moore) has an imaginative spark with language - she enters commercial jingle-writing contests, submits poems, jokes, stories, and ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at The Movie Chicks
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.76 out of 4 stars for Exclaim!Exclaim!
The 1950s-set true story deals with the trials of Evelyn Ryan, a mother of ten and the wife of a raging alcoholic named Kelly (Woody Harrelson). Desperate for extra cash, she endeavours to enter as many jingle-writing contests as she can possibly find, ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Exclaim!
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Bob Longino)Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Bob Longino)
It makes for a nice Mother's Day card. But not enough for a complete movie. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Bob Longino)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Philip Martin)Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Philip Martin)
... in another director's hands ... might have devolved into a truly terrifying Lifetime -style screed against the oppressiveness of the masculine ego ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Philip Martin)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Dallas Morning News (Philip Wuntch)Dallas Morning News (Philip Wuntch)
A mixed bag of goods. A bag of goods, it definitely is, but without a consistent point of view. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Dallas Morning News (Philip Wuntch)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Based on the memoir, " How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less." (written by the main character's daughter), "Prize Winner" captures the period (1950's-60's) with a clever TV-twist. Julianna Moore, plays the saintly Evelyn Ryan written to near ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for DVD Clinic ("Quigles")DVD Clinic ("Quigles")
Based on a true story, a mother of ten enters jingle-writing contests to help her family stay afloat. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at DVD Clinic ("Quigles")
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Reel.comReel.com
In both Far From Heaven and The Hours, Julianne Moore brilliantly evokes what Betty Friedan in The Feminine Mystique calls the "yearning" of Fifties-era suburban housewives for a life beyond domesticity. Now, with The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Reel.com
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie GuideTV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
Julianne Moore sparkles as a patient, saintly '50s housewife who uses her smarts to provide for her family of 12 in this sweet adaptation of a true story. Well-educated aspiring writer Evelyn Ryan (Moore) met her husband, Kelly (Woody Harrelson), when ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for filmcritic.com (Pete Croatto)filmcritic.com (Pete Croatto)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
This is basically a chick flick that isn't for guys. Gals take your friends, guys stay away. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Far worse films with far lesser credentials have been given much fairer shots. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Boxoffice Magazine (Bridget Byrne)Boxoffice Magazine (Bridget Byrne)
Like a thumbed-through flipbook, it merges humor and pain in fascinating overlap. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Boxoffice Magazine (Bridget Byrne)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
It's tough to imagine a guy who won't squirm through this tale of 1950s housewife Evelyn Ryan (Julianne Moore), whose knack for winning jingle contests comes in handy when her booze-hound husband, Kelly (Woody Harrelson), drinks away his machinist ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Newsday (Jan Stuart)Newsday (Jan Stuart)
The only thing that stands between this woman and canonization is death. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Newsday (Jan Stuart)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
The prize in this movie is Moore, a first-rate actress who finds layers in Evelyn that the script fails to investigate. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)
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 landscape of inspiration. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Los Angeles Daily News (Glenn Whipp)Los Angeles Daily News (Glenn Whipp)
Her philosophy of forgiveness in the name of love and happiness is put across by Moore with fierce, focused conviction. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Los Angeles Daily News (Glenn Whipp)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for eFilmCritic ReviewseFilmCritic Reviews
As everyone should know by now, seeing the words “Based on a True Story” at the start of a movie are hardly a guarantee that the events that we are about to see have any basis in reality; if you doubt me, go see “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” and ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at eFilmCritic Reviews
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
The movie can be looked on for its incidental evidence of everything wrong with American capitalist obsessed ideology. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Is Julianne Moore to the girdle born? In The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, Moore comports herself once again with Eisenhower-era placidity as an ideal and idealized housewife and mother — a sister in diminished expectations to the perfectly ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Entertainment Weekly
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
No knocks on its interesting true story; I just wish it had something more to give of itself on screen than just dolled-up domestic dramedy. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
Evelyn's behavior just seems surreal, and it doesn't help that the movie never settles on a consistent tone, looking back from an ironic distance at first, then moving in for a painfully close look at the Ryans' tribulations. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
An uneven but loving tribute to a remarkable woman -- who would, undoubtedly, have wished to rewrite it herself. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for Los Angeles Times (Carina Chocano)Los Angeles Times (Carina Chocano)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 1.00 out of 4 stars for New York Post (Lou Lumenick)New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
Depicts the Eisenhower years as a golden era when women had the good sense to ditch their careers and endure horrible marriages for the sake of having lots of kids. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 1.00 out of 4 stars for Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)
The basic, based-on-a-true-story plot -- plucky '50s homemaker provides for her family by entering jingle contests -- is pure Lifetime weepie. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) scores a combined 1.00 out of 4 stars for San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)
Not satire, but not serious, the movie chirps along with corny jingles and patronizingly 'feminist' winks at Evelyn's sugarcoated nightmare. ...read the complete Prize Winner of Defiance movie review at San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)
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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
2.7402
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) is ranked overall as  out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
2.6806
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, The (2005) is ranked overall as  out of 4 stars
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