Just when I had begun to grow tired of Julianne Moore playing depressed 1950s housewives comes The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, another film where she plays a 1950s housewife. However, as if Julianne Moore were also getting bored of playing mistreated women from yesteryear, her character of Evelyn Ryan is a surprisingly upbeat character. Based on the book by Terry Ryan, Defiance tells the true story of a woman with 10 children and an alcohol prone husband (played by Woody Harrelson), who was able to win countless jingle writing contests to support her family. This isn't the Moore we saw in The Hours where even baking a cake made her severely depressed or Safe, where she slowly suffocated in her suburban home. Instead, Moore plays a staple female figure of the Irish American experience: a strong confident woman married to a weaker man that tends to spend his earnings on booze for himself rather than milk for the kids. But Evelyn is strong and smart, and most of all positive. Moore is amazing as a woman who perseveres in all situations, sacrifices everything for her family, and deals with life with a smile and a quick wit. In fact, she is so optimistic that her drunken husband wisely asks, "Why do you have to be so goddamn happy all the time?" Evelyn's response? Uncontrollable laughter.

If there is one reason to see this film, it is Julianne Moore. Woody Harrelson does his best as Kelly Ryan, a man broken by life, addicted to failure, ultimately loving to his wife and kids but unable to help them because he cannot help himself. Harrelson gives a fine performance but next to Moore, he pales considerably, as does everything else. Eveyln's creative process is hardly examined. Laura Dern, playing a fellow jingle contest winner, is misused. And the eventual climax is predictable, albeit satisfying. But that is just fine because this film is really about one woman and her life long sacrifice for love. And with Julianne Moore starring as that woman, the film rides on her graceful freckled shoulders and she carries it effortlessly. When we finally get to meet the real life Ryan kids (all grown up) at the end of the movie, we can't help but respect this woman who raised them all on 25 words or less. All her skill, all her potential, all of it was utilized to raise a family. Not everyone will be touched by such sentiments but I was. After it ended, I gave my own mother a call and thanked her. And then told her to rent The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio.

-Nikita Burdein