After a wonderful lunch at the Ocean Club in Columbus, the Mrs. and I went to see North Country, starring Charlize Theron and Sissy Spacek.

Based on a true story, North Country is about the women who worked in an iron mine in Minnesota and in particular one woman who decided not to handle the nasty things the men were doing to cause her to quit.

Spoilers follow…

I have my own ideas about how the real life drama should have played out, but that’s beside the point. The story is decent and the movie plays well enough until the end. For most of the movie the plot is about Theron’s character, the other women, and the behavior going on at the company. Towards the end, though, a character attack by the company’s lawyers in the end trial diverted the plot line into the main character’s rape as a teenager, and the movie didn’t come back and finish the trial. We’re told at the end that suddenly she’s rich; we can figure out why, but we miss some potential drama there.

Kudoi to Sissy Spacek, who turns in an outstanding supporting actress performance as the main character’s mother. Definitely an Oscar nomination, but what do I know. Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson are good in this one too.