By January 2022, the book had sold 12 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books of all time. Almost everyone in the theatre, yesterday afternoon, had read the book and were wondering if the movie could be as good as the book, so in my exit poll, of a dozen, or so, viewers, I asked then specifically, “Did the movie do justice to the book?” Without exception they said it had. (Although one reader thought the movie had a more definitive ending than the book.) Their ratings were 8s, 8.5s and two 10s. When I said that anything I rated over 8 would be worthy of a rewatch, it was unanimo... read the rest.

Daisy Edgar-Jones is really quite good in this adaptation of the Delia Owens story of a young girl left to her own devices in 1950s America. One by one her mother, siblings and finally her father abandon her to bring herself up. She takes to fishing for mussels in order to try to make ends meet, and is generally shunned by her community. Except, that is for her childhood friend "Tate" (a good effort too from Taylor John Smith) but when he leaves to go to college, she is exposed to the local Lothario "Chase" (Harris Dickinson). Turns out he is a bit of a wrong 'un for her, and when he is found d... read the rest.

Split opinion on this. Overall, though, I think my thoughts regarding it are, just narrowly, positive.

'Where the Crawdads Sing' is a tad overlong and I'm not sold on the ending, though even so I think I like this enough. The acting is the big reason for that, with Daisy Edgar-Jones standing out alongside David Strathairn. Taylor John Smith and Garret Dillahunt are solid elsewhere. Away from the actors, most other elements are forgettable.

The conclusion is iffy to me. It was clear the film was holding something back in regards to the story, though the way it eventually goes isn'... read the rest.

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING is a movie adaptation of the novel of the same name by Delia Owens. The movie is set in the early 1950s in the fictional town of Barkley Cove, North Carolina. Kya Clark (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a young girl who lives in isolation after she is abandoned by her family. She becomes friends with Tate Walker (played by Taylor John Smith), a local boy who helps her learn how to read and write. When Tate also abandons her, Kya becomes involved with Chase Andrews (played by Harris Dickinson), the town's golden boy. When Chase is found dead, Kya becomes the prime suspect.... read the rest.

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"Where the Crawdads Sing is one of the biggest surprises of the year - may the extraordinary box office result serve as proof.

A survival story - on many levels - that tackles heavy trauma, the power of nature, prejudice, hypocrisy, and many other topics in a thematically rich screenplay. Daisy Edgar-Jones ends her breakthrough year with yet another complex performance that convinces viewers to invest in the equally intricate, fully-developed protagonist over a runtime slightly affected by a short period during the second act where i... read the rest.

While well done and well told, it is not a movie I would return to.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a lingering sorrowful tale of an abandoned young woman finding her purpose and strength in the isolation of nature. The story mourns the abuses and judgments the protagonist faces as nearly every relationship in her life betrays her. Yet, she remains hopeful, kind, and gentle after all that. The movie is a mixture of biography, courtroom drama, and murder mystery, and while that might sound full and active, Where the Crawdads Sing is an unhurried creeping story. Typically, slow-moving films bor... read the rest.

The challenges of growing up (alone) in the shoreline swamps of the Carolinas

In the 60s, a girl (Daisy Edgar-Jones) comes-of-age in coastal North Carolina, where she’s an outcast known as “the marsh girl.” When a local hotshot is found dead (Harris Dickinson), the community thinks she’s the culprit. Taylor John Smith plays a male friend and David Strathairn her lawyer.

Based on the 2018 novel by Delia Owens, “Where the Crawdads Sing” (2022) is a meshing of “Cross Creek” (1983) with backwoods crime mystery, such as "Undertow" (2004), "Winter's Bone" (2010) and "Mud" (2012). It’s re... read the rest.