Besides Charlize's Best Actress-nominated delivery in the leading role, the supporting cast in this film is amazingly strong. Frances McDormand is being nominated for her performance, and you have Spacek, Harrelson, Jenkins and a fellow female miner played by Michelle Monaghan (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) all delivering great character performances.

The Extras
North Country's features, like the region itself, are sparse. I was surprised to not see a commentary by the director or cast. However, what I was really excited to see was the featurette on the making of the film which includes brief interviews and insights from the real women at the mine, allowing audiences to put real faces to the characters in the film. The features also include nine additional scenes and a trailer for the film. Playing at the beginning of the disc is previews for Must Love Dogs and Mother in Law, not sure of the connection, though.

The Delivery
The DVD is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format, which captures the film's isolating landscape shots very nicely within the frame. The sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The DVD is mainly dialogue-driven, with classical music and nature sounds playing sharply in the background. The DVD also includes a French language track and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

The Final Cut
I'm surprised this film was not nominated for Best Picture actually, because not only is it well-acted but also well-presented, powerful and an overall great film from 2005 and surely will resonate in the future. North Country showcases the struggle for sexual harassment laws as the film Norma Rae did for the struggle for union representation. And despite a few tears, I did not walk away from this film feeling depressed, but rather empowered.

The Upside:
It's this decade's Norma Rae, reminding viewers just how far the battle of the sexes has come with great acting and a slice of our history.
The Downside:
At times the film can be formulaic, frustrating and a bit melodramatic, like the true story itself.
On the Side:
The lawsuit which inspired this film was settled in 1998, ten years after it was first filed and over twenty years after the harassment began.

Making the Grade:
The Film: A
The Delivery: B+
The Extras: B-
Overall: A-

Tara Settembre is a Staff Writer for Film School Rejects