The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

It was a time when a woman’s place was in the home, while a man’s was at work being the sole breadwinner. However, Evelyn Ryan had to alter these gender roles since her alcoholic husband was bringing home the booze instead of the bacon. This real-life inspirational woman relied on her wits with words to create catchy product slogans in exchange for everything from cash to a freezer and galoshes. Year after year, while drunken dad (Woody Harrelson) downed a six-pack and a pint of whiskey each night, the undervalued wife supported her 10 kids with relentless cheer, despite being trapped in a dead-end life. Writer/Director Jane Anderson based this touching biopic on Terry “Tuff” Ryan’s depiction of growing up in a town aptly named perhaps for the women that lived there.