'Winter's Bone,' made in part by Seattleites, hits it big on the art-house movie circuit

"Winter's Bone," a movie with strong Seattle ties, is fast becoming an art-house box-office success in New York and Los Angeles.

After rave reviews appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other publications last weekend, the whodunit/coming-of-age drama opened to an impressive $20,000 per theater.

Based on a popular novel by Daniel Woodrell, the script was written by director Debra Granik and her producing partner, Anne Rosellini, a Seattle native who once programmed for the Seattle International Film Festival. She also worked here for the 1 Reel Film Festival at Bumbershoot.

Much of the folk music in the film was mixed at Jack Straw Productions in Seattle. Doug Haire, Rick Fisher and Steve Peters worked on it.

Last weekend, "Winter's Bone" won the Seattle International Film Festival's Golden Space Needle awards for best actress (Jennifer Lawrence) and best director (Granik). Earlier this year, the Sundance Film Festival gave it a Grand Jury Prize and the Waldo Salt screenplay award.

The movie opens Friday, June 25, for a local run at the Uptown and Guild 45th theaters. No release date has been set for a soundtrack album.

John Hartl: johnhartl@yahoo.com.