Where the Crawdads Sing

Several of my friends recommended that I read the book this movie is based on, but I just never got around to it.  Now that I have seen the movie, I wish I would have taken them up on it because I highly enjoyed this movie.  The plot concerns Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) who lives with her family in the marshlands of North Carolina.  However, all is not well, as her abusive father drives her mother and siblings to leave one by one until Kya is alone with her father.  Eventually, he, too, abandons her, and she is left to raise herself.  Rumors started to circulate in the small town about the “Marsh Girl” who runs barefoot in the woods and wouldn’t even go to school (and why should she? She speedily learns how cruel kids can be).  This isolates Kya and she grows into a self sufficient and capable teenager, still shunned by those around her who can’t be bothered to learn anything about her except for a couple who run a little store who try to help and support her.  However, she becomes an expert in the denizens of the marsh; and is able to draw realistic pictures of everything from owls to mussels.  Eventually, the mysterious and naïve Kya is attracted to two men from town, both of whom let her down.  Complications ensue when one of her suitors is found dead in the marsh and Kya is put on trial for murder.  One of my favorite actors, David Strathairn, plays her attorney.  No spoilers, but the resolution of her difficulties is uplifting and positive.  I thought this was going to be kind of dumb, but since I hadn’t read the book, I was surprised and intrigued by the mystery of who the killer might be. I also found the variety of her experiences and life so very interesting. This might be a little movie, but the setting is breathtaking and the acting is better than I thought it would be.  I definitely think this movie is worth a look, especially if you are tired of the summer block busters.