Message 1138

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s message that I finished reading The Economist on Sunday. Last night I watched a Netflix DVD of the movie Winter’s Bone. It was a pretty grim story about Missouri hillbillies living hardscrabble lives. The main character is a 17-year- old girl who has dropped out of school to take care of her little brother and sister and her mother (who has become mentally incompetent) because her father has disappeared to cook meth. The sheriff comes to say that the father has jumped bail and can’t be found and that he signed over all their property as part of his bail. If he doesn’t appear in court next week the family will have to move out of their house. The daughter then spends the movie trying to find her father and in the process disturbs all the other hillbillies who think she will snitch to the cops about every ones’ involvement with meth. Despite its downer flavor, it has a somewhat happy ending. The photography and acting are very good, but because of the grim subject I give it only 3 stars. I feel good today.