Where the Crawdads Sing

Dean 8/10/2024 7:38:48PM 8.4

Such a great movie. First of all it doesn't contain woke propaganda which is surpisingly good sign nowadays. Secondly movie was interesting and well done. I enjoyed watching it very much. Well done!

[email protected] 7/26/2022 2:22:09PM 8.4

By January 2022, the book had sold 12 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books of all time. Almost everyone in the theatre, yesterday afternoon, had read the book and were wondering if the movie could be as good as the book, so in my exit poll, of a dozen, or so, viewers, I asked then specifically, “Did the movie do justice to the book?” Without exception they said it had. (Although one reader thought the movie had a more definitive ending than the book.) Their ratings were 8s, 8.5s and two 10s. When I said that anything I rated over 8 would be worthy of a rewatch, it was unanimous that all of them would rewatch it, some thinking they’d like to read the book, again. So, these people, who came to see the movie, had high standards that they felt were met. The story is simple but intriguing. There is a whole TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD vibe to it. And there is a wonderful contrast between a purity of soul living within a world of threat and danger. It was refreshing to have a film celebrate innocence. The nature shots of North Carolina are breathtaking. The casting is spot on and the performances are flawless. But the success of the film lies with the lead actor, Daisy Edgar-Jones (a very talented Brit, who earned respect for her talents in another best selling novel adaptation for television, NORMAL PEOPLE). There is a wide eyed innocence about Kya that she captures which, in turn, captivates the audience to invest in her story and her plight. (The only disconnect I had with her portrayal was not her fault but that of the production. For a swamp girl, living off the grid, her personal hygiene and wardrobe were spotless and fitted to perfection. A seemingly unlikely possibility considering her environment.) I would definitely see this film again and am tempted to buy the audible book. I give this film an enthusiastic 9 (beautiful and touching) out of 10. [Drama]

Wuchak 8/20/2023 6:27:24PM 8.4

**_The challenges of growing up (alone) in the shoreline swamps of the Carolinas_** In the 60s, a girl (Daisy Edgar-Jones) comes-of-age in coastal North Carolina, where she’s an outcast known as “the marsh girl.” When a local hotshot is found dead (Harris Dickinson), the community thinks she’s the culprit. Taylor John Smith plays a male friend and David Strathairn her lawyer. Based on the 2018 novel by Delia Owens, “Where the Crawdads Sing” (2022) is a meshing of “Cross Creek” (1983) with backwoods crime mystery, such as "Undertow" (2004), "Winter's Bone" (2010) and "Mud" (2012). It’s reminiscent of Steve Gerber’s Man-Thing comics of the 70s, just with the swamp monster being replaced by human monsters. The coastal swamp cinematography is awesome, but this wasn’t shot within 850 miles of the shores of North Carolina. It was filmed in Houma and New Orleans, Louisiana The movie runs 2 hours, 5 minutes. GRADE: B+/A-