"The Ballad of Jack and Rose" is a 2005 drama film written and directed by Rebecca Miller. Her husband, Daniel Day-Lewis, stars in the film, along with Camilla Belle, Catherine Keener, Paul Dano, Ryan McDonald, Jason Lee, Jena Malone, Susanna Thompson, and Beau Bridges. The story follows an environmentalist and his teenage daughter who live on a quiet island community. The film was shot in Rock Barra, Prince Edward Island, and in New Milford, Connecticut. It had its first showing at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and was released in the United States on March 25, 2005.

Plot

In 1986, Jack Slavin, a Scottish farmer with a heart condition, lives on an island that was once a hippie commune many years ago. He is trying to stop landowners from building on a wetland area. His teenage daughter, Rose, is a quiet girl who loves gardening. After Rose’s mother left the family, Jack taught Rose at home and kept her away from life outside their island home.

Jack believes that both he and Rose need a woman in their lives. He goes to the mainland to ask his girlfriend, Kathleen, to move in with them. Jack tells Rose about Kathleen, keeping his relationship a secret from her. Rose is upset when Kathleen and her two teenage sons, Thaddius and Rodney, arrive. Kathleen finds it hard to adjust to the Slavins’ rural lifestyle. Thaddius is rude and causes trouble, while Rodney is shy and often ignored.

Although Rose and Kathleen have a difficult relationship, Rose forms unusual connections with Thaddius and Rodney. Thaddius seems interested in Rose, but she does not like him. One night, Rose secretly watches Jack and Kathleen in bed and feels jealous of Kathleen. Rose decides to lose her virginity and surprises Rodney by being topless and asking him for sex. Rodney refuses and instead gives her a dramatic haircut.

Later, Rose takes her father’s shotgun and accidentally fires it into Jack and Kathleen’s bedroom while they are sleeping. Jack is shocked but quickly forgets the incident. Kathleen asks Jack if Rose might have mental health issues, but Jack denies it. Meanwhile, Rose and Rodney become close friends.

Rodney is often criticized by his mother for being overweight, but Rose sees his kindness and intelligence. Rose still wants to lose her virginity and begins thinking about Thaddius. While trapping a copperhead snake to scare Kathleen, Rose sees Thaddius and a girl named Red Berry having sex in the woods. Later that night, Thaddius enters Rose’s room, and even though she dislikes him, Rose allows him to have sex with her. During their encounter, the copperhead escapes from its cage under Rose’s bed and runs into the house.

To upset her father, Rose hangs a bloodstained bedsheet in the front yard. Jack is angry and tells Thaddius he must leave within one day. Kathleen is bitten by the copperhead, causing chaos in the household. That night, Rose shows a homemade movie about the island’s past in her treehouse.

As the film plays, Thaddius approaches Rose, but Jack stops him. After a struggle, Thaddius falls from the treehouse and is taken to the hospital. Rose runs away and hides for days. Jack finds her in a housing development but leaves to handle a business matter. Later, Jack offers Kathleen money to move out, and she agrees when he offers $20,000.

When Jack returns, Rose is happy Kathleen is gone. That night, Rose kisses Jack, which shocks him. He feels upset and cries. The next morning, he is haunted by the memory of the kiss. He and Rose visit a housing developer, Marty Rance, but Jack gives up and agrees to sell his land, upsetting Rose.

They return home, and Jack dies in his sleep that night. Rose had planned to kill herself after his death but changed her mind after setting the house on fire and lying next to Jack’s body. Two years later, Rose is shown living in Vermont and working in a greenhouse where Gray, a friend of Jack’s, also works.

Cast

• Daniel Day-Lewis plays the role of Jack Slavin
• Camilla Belle plays the role of Rose Slavin
• Catherine Keener plays the role of Kathleen
• Ryan McDonald plays the role of Rodney
• Paul Dano plays the role of Thaddius
• Jason Lee plays the role of Gray
• Jena Malone plays the role of Red Berry
• Beau Bridges plays the role of Marty Rance
• Susanna Thompson plays the role of Miriam Rance

Production

During the movie, Day-Lewis' personal assistant was American actor Jeremy Strong, who was working at an independent film studio and trying to find acting jobs. After the filming ended, Day-Lewis wrote a note to Strong that included what Strong described as "many of the beliefs and ideas about acting that have become [his] most important ones." He chose not to share the details to show respect for Day-Lewis.

Reception

The movie The Ballad of Jack and Rose first showed at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2005. It later had a limited release in theaters on March 23, 2005. During its first weekend, the film earned $59,459 in four theaters. Its highest earnings were during its second week, when it made $135,100. Its lowest earnings were in its final week, when it made $406. The film was shown in as many as 74 theaters at its widest release. In total, it earned $712,275 in the United States and $916,051 worldwide.

Critics had mixed opinions about the film. On the website Rotten Tomatoes, 47% of 113 critics gave positive reviews. The website’s summary said the film was "heavy on symbolism" and "overly contrived." Some critics did not like the film. For example, Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote that the movie "gets caught up in incidental distractions that lead the drama astray." Other critics praised it. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called it a "model of artistic, provocative American filmmaking."

The strong differences in opinions were also shown by critics Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper, who reviewed the film on their television program. Ebert mostly praised the film, calling it "an absorbing experience." Roeper, however, although he liked the cinematography, criticized the film. He said the portrayal of the character Jack was poor and called the story "a sour song punctuated by ugly behavior from characters who are supposed to be sympathetic."

Home media

The film shot on 16mm film was released on VHS and DVD on August 16, 2005, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and MGM Home Entertainment. The DVD included commentary with director and writer Rebecca Miller and a making-of feature about The Ballad of Jack and Rose.