The Ballad of Jack & Rose

Entertainment Weekly - 04/01/2005
"A hauntingly beautiful elegy for the loss of life and innocence..."

Chicago Sun-Times - 04/01/2005
"[A]n absorbing experience."

Sight and Sound - 04/01/2006
"Ellen Kuras' lush, nature-worshipping cinematography establishes a dreamy atmosphere at the film's start..."

Uncut - 09/01/2006
3 stars out of 4 -- "A real curiosity....Never predictable."

Ultimate DVD - 09/01/2006
3 stars out of 5 -- "Beautifully shot and acted with an aching vulnerability....[The film] reaches both a tragic and cathartic conclusion."

Writer-director Rebecca Miller's third film (following ANGELA and PERSONAL VELOCITY) is a powerful, poignant drama about a father and daughter living on their own on the outskirts of nowhere, just as developers are starting to move in. Daniel Day-Lewis (Miller's husband) stars as Jack Slavin, a 1960s holdover who is a man of the earth, working the land and defending his territory while eschewing such modernities as television. Jack is devoted to his daughter, Rose (Camilla Belle), a 16-year-old girl who is equally as devoted to him. But Jack is sick, so he asks his girlfriend, Kathleen (Catherine Keener), along with her two sons, Rodney (Ryan McDonald) and Thaddius (Paul Dano), to come from the mainland and move in with them, thinking they can be Rose's family once he dies. But Rose begins to act out in dangerous ways, threatening to severely damage the already fragile relationships that are developing. Day-Lewis gives a shattering, emotional performance as Jack, and he is matched well with Belle, who seems wise beyond her years. Filmed on location on Prince Edward Island, THE BALLAD OF JACK AND ROSE is a harrowing, intimate film set in a beautiful, lush land.

This film screened at the 2005 SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas.

1960s | Coming Of Age | Theatrical Release