Frozen River

Ray Eddy, a clerk at a discount store in North Country, faces financial difficulty after her husband disappears with her savings. This leaves her to care for her two sons while trying to find a way to buy a mobile home.

During her search for her husband, Ray encounters Lila Littlewolf, who is found driving Ray's husband's abandoned car. The two women bond over their shared struggles and their search for a way out of their dire situations.

Ray and Lila form an unlikely partnership as they decide to smuggle illegal immigrants across the frigid St. Lawrence River. They charge $1200 per crossing, driven by their desperate financial circumstances.

Ray's son, T.J., struggles with the choice of staying in school or dropping out to work. The pressure to help his family and care for his younger brother leads to a heated argument with Ray about their future.

T.J. inadvertently sets their trailer ablaze while attempting to thaw a frozen water pipe. This disaster adds to the already overwhelming stress that Ray and her family are facing.

Amidst their scheming, Lila reveals her longing to reclaim her son, taken from her after birth. This personal backstory deepens the emotional connection between Lila and Ray as they navigate their illegal dealings.

Ray and Lila encounter new trouble when asked to smuggle a Pakistani couple across the border. Upon discovering a worrying duffel bag potentially containing explosives, Ray makes the tough decision to leave it behind, only to realize it held the couple's infant.

After Ray leaves the infant behind in the cold, Lila miraculously revives the baby, intensifying their dangerous situation. Despite this life-threatening incident, Ray persuades Lila to continue for one last crossing.

While picking up two Asian women from a strip club, tensions escalate with the club's owner, who tries to cheat them. Ray, in an act of desperation, threatens him with a gun but is shot in the ear during her hurried escape.

The shooting forces Ray and the women to flee from the state police, culminating in a harrowing moment where their car breaks through the ice of the river. They seek refuge at an Indian reservation, hoping to find safety.

The tribal leader decides to exile Lila for five years due to her past smuggling activities. This heart-wrenching decision weighs heavily on both women as Lila considers the impact on her children.

Despite the risk and guilt, Ray decides to give Lila her share of the smuggling money, trusting her with her sons' care as well as their plans for the new trailer home. In an emotional farewell, Ray surrenders to the police.

In a twist of fate, Lila confronts her mother-in-law and manages to retrieve her long-lost infant son. This moment of reunion is both a triumph and a painful reminder of the past she must navigate.

T.J. constructs a bicycle-powered carousel at the trailer, symbolizing hope amidst their troubled lives. As Lila watches, the scene captures a moment of joy, especially with her newborn back in her arms.

As T.J. pedals the carousel for his younger brother and Lila's baby, a truck carrying their new mobile home approaches. This signifies both a new chapter for Ray's family and finality in the struggles they faced.