Indie Film 'Frozen River' Garners Surprising 2009 Oscar Nominations

At every Academy Award ceremony, there is at least one film nominated in major categories that people aren't very familiar with. Last year it was the French film, La Vie En Rose, whose star Marion Cotillard won for best actress. This year, the surprise nominations went to Frozen River, an independent film featuring "Homicide: Life on the Street" actress, Melissa Leo. The film has been nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay and Melissa Leo has been nominated for best actress.

Directed and written by newcomer Courtney Hunt, Frozen River debuted at Sundance Film Festival in 2008 and won the Grand Jury Prize. Since then, the film has been viewed at film festivals across the world and has won 11 awards, with its star Melissa Leo winning four awards.

Frozen River tells the story of Ray Eddy (Leo), an upstate New York trailer mom who finds herself broke when her husband leaves with the down payment for their new doublewide. Desperate for money, she is drawn into the world of illegal immigrant smuggling when she meets Lila, a Mohawk girl who lives on a reservation on the US-Canadian border.

The two women make runs across the frozen St. Lawrence River, transporting illegal immigrants in Ray's car. The money is good and the river stays frozen. Very soon, the money for Ray's doublewide is almost in her grasp.

During one last run across the river, things go bad and the Quebec police chase the women onto the ice. With the New York State troopers gathering on the other side of the river, the two women finally realize that they must face the consequences of their actions in order to survive.

Melissa Leo developed a love of theater as a teenager and followed her dream at the State University of New York. She left her junior year in search of acting work, eventually scoring a role on the ABC soap "All My Children." Her work in this show would garner her an Emmy nomination in 1985.

TV movies and guest spots dominated Leo's career before she landed the female lead opposite William Hurt and Timothy Hutton in A Time of Destiny (1988). More TV movies and an appearance in the anticipated television sequel to Gone With the Wind filled her resume until she secured the role she is most known for: Det. Sgt. Kay Howard in "Homicide: Life on the Street."

The harsh reality portrayed on the show earned it two Emmys and a Peabody award. But when the ratings didn't match up with the critical acclaim, producers wrote many of the veteran actors out of the show, including Leo.

A slew of indie movies brought Leo back into the spotlight, especially in 2003, when she played the wife of an addict in 21 Grams. Needless to say, Frozen River has brought Leo back into the spotlight and has given her the priceless opportunity to reinvent herself and her career.

Frozen RiverSynopsis

Melissa Leo Biography, Film.com