Down to the Bone

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Down to the Bone

R

2004

1h 41m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Irene (Vera Farmiga) is an upstate New York mother of two, married, holds a job as a supermarket checker, and is a cocaine addict. Her husband (Clint Jordan) is also a drug user, but does not support Irene's decision to enter rehab and clean up her life after she realizes how her drug use affects the children. In rehab she meets Bob (Hugh Dillon), a nurse whose sobriety success story further inspires her. But Irene soon finds beating addiction holds greater consequences than addiction itself.

Critics Consensus

A vivid portrayal of the effects of drug abuse that avoids cinematic clichés, Down to the Bone is a winning effort that features Vera Farmiga's breakout performance.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

09/12/2017

A-

Though it runs slow at times, Down To The Bone showed more the emotional dehabilitation rather than the obvious physical ware drugs took on a small town mom...

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Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

01/06/2006

3/4

If there were an ounce of taste left in Hollywood, the magnificent Vera Farmiga would be a front-runner for the Best Actress Oscar.

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G. Allen Johnson

San Francisco Chronicle

12/16/2005

4/4

The film is so pitch perfect and realistic, it seems you are there with these people, watching their lives unfold before you as it happens.

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Eric D. Snider

EricDSnider.com

11/11/2006

B

The movie boasts a fantastic performance by Vera Farmiga and an exceedingly unhappy storyline. It's a movie you "appreciate" more than you "enjoy."

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

05/26/2006

3.5/4

The movie takes us down an unexpected path with riveting skill and a refreshing lack of easy answers.

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Chris Hewitt

St. Paul Pioneer Press

03/16/2006

3/4

The movie seems to be about drug addiction and recovery, but it gradually shifts, becoming a look from an unusual angle at what a big job it is to be a parent and the priorities it requires.

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Georgan G

@RT98616417 12/10/2023

Hated the topic. Loved the film. This is addiction inside, outside & turned around. The people are real, the situations are sad & watching the children was most difficult of all.

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07/14/2019

Brilliant I think Vera (Irene) played the part brilliantly and is an inspiration to those in need to never give up well done xx

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ari v

@RT59419633 11/17/2017

Very solid stuff. (Mild spoiler: Perhaps sometimes the kindest thing is indeed to leave for dead, the very person who helped save you.)

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11/25/2015

This can be viewed as a somewhat sympathetic portrayal of drug addicts and the difficulties faced when trying to kick the habit. It could also be viewed as a warning for those not taking drugs habitually. Either way it is a strong piece of cinema filmed on a lower-grade roll of film.

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06/09/2014

'Down to the Bone' follows in the tradition of classic addiction and rehab movies (such as "Clean and Sober"), but it doesn't stoop to any clichés--It wouldn't be so good if it didn't look so bad... Struggling with Almost Insurmountable Demons!!

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09/22/2013

It's not exactly enjoyable, but like those HBO specials about drug abuse, you can't turn away for a second.

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Debra Granik

Director

Vera Farmiga

Irene

Hugh Dillon

Bob

Clint Jordan

Steve

Taylor Foxhall

Jason

Debra Granik

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Synopsis

Irene (Vera Farmiga) is an upstate New York mother of two, married, holds a job as a supermarket checker, and is a cocaine addict. Her husband (Clint Jordan) is also a drug user, but does not support Irene's decision to enter rehab and clean up her life after she realizes how her drug use affects the children. In rehab she meets Bob (Hugh Dillon), a nurse whose sobriety success story further inspires her. But Irene soon finds beating addiction holds greater consequences than addiction itself.

Director: Debra Granik
Producer: Susan Leber, Anne Rosellini
Screenwriter: Debra Granik, Richard Lieske
Rating: R (Language|Some Sexuality|Pervasive Drug Content)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 15, 2004, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Nov 25, 2005
Release Date (DVD): Oct 31, 2006
Box Office (Gross USA): $29.1K
Runtime: 1h 41m