Susan Granger’s review of “The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio” (DreamWorks)
Talk about desperate, long-suffering housewives! In this true story, perky, plucky, optimistic Evelyn Ryan (Julianne Moore) not only raises 10 kids, almost single-handedly, but also continues to love, support and enable her abusive husband Kelly (Woody Harrelson), continually excusing his alcoholism because a car accident prevented him from becoming a crooner.
In all fairness, this soggy domestic saga takes place back in the 1950s and ’60s, before the concept of feminism had dawned on American women. Like a lovely, lobotomized Stepford Wife, Evelyn accepts the drudgery of her life along with the deception of her husband. What keeps the family afloat is her ability to write jingles. Because she can create catchy, contest-winning advertising slogans in 25 words or less, Evelyn Ryan earns thousands of dollars and oodles of free merchandise, including a grocery shopping spree that feeds her family for months.
Adapting a memoir by Evelyn’s daughter Terry, writer-director Jane Anderson (“The Baby Dance”) ladles on the goodness, elevating her subservient Betty Crocker heroine almost to sainthood. Evelyn is so stalwart, so understanding, so uncomplaining, so cheerful, so sweet and so selfless that it’s difficult for a contemporary woman to identify with her unquestioning acceptance of adversity. Credit Julianne Moore for trotting through this treacle, delivering a multi-layered, cleverly nuanced performance, overcoming Woody Harrelson’s inability to make her insecure, envious husband at all likable. Edward McAvoy’s surreal, candy-colored production design is superb as is Jonathan Freeman’s photography. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio” is a poignant, syrupy 6 that borders on being infuriating.
