The Poker House

(241)IMDb 6.41 h 33 min201018+

A dramatization of Lori Petty's teenage years spent in small town Iowa.

Directors: Lori Petty

Starring: Selma Blair Bokeem Woodbine David Alan Grier

Genres: Special Interest Drama

Subtitles: English [CC]

Audio languages: English

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Supporting actors: Jennifer Lawrence

Producers: Stephen J. Cannell

Studio: Phase 4 Films (USA), LLC

Purchase rights: Stream instantly Details

Format: Prime Video (streaming online video)

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DVD
$19.99

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from $44.44

Customer reviews

5 star		46%
4 star		31%
3 star		12%
2 star		2%
1 star		8%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Zoe Leon

Excellent film, highly sensitive subjects

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2018

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Amazing acting. The story is autobiographical so it is what it is. Painful and horrific upbringing of three abused and neglected children. I have never seen Selma Blair act this well. The scene in the bathroom between JLaw and Blair was mesmerizing. JLaw told her whole existence in her facial expressions. And I actually HATED Selma Blair for being entirely oblivious and self absorbed. Lori Petty is an amazing director and story teller. I think the rape scene halted any possibility of theatrical release. I had to keep reminding myself that JLaw was actually 18 when it was filmed and that there were several other people in the room while filming. She was just so vulnerable. Ugh.
Great cast-Clarke Peters (The Wire/Person of Interest/etc,etc,etc), Bokeem Woodbine (3000 Miles from Graceland/Fargo/Spiderman), Chloe Grace Moretz (The Equalizer/If I Stay/Hugo), and some hysterical scenes with David Allen Grier (who co-wrote the screenplay)

7 people found this helpful

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Extremely well done autobiographical film

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2019

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Shows both tragedy and triumph and the rise above oppression in just one single day of what must have been a tumultuous, hellish "every day" existence during Lori Petty's entire childhood and teen years. The 3 main actresses are excellent - Jennifer Lawrence is outstanding. I love this quote from the movie (which I feel sums up the movie very well): Agnes: " I race the sun home in the morning, and the moon up at night. Anything can happen, and anything does. There's just today - and then there's tonight. Anything happens, and anything does. You get through".

4 people found this helpful

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Author/Photographer

Better than 99.9 Percent of The Movies On Amazon

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2020

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All by himself David Allen Grier is more than enough reason to watch this brilliant piece of moviemaking.
Every role played by a master of the acting craft, a heartbreaking story, cinematographer and director working at the apex of their powers—this is a movie to sit down and really watch.
The plot is unimportant, the story doesn't matter—you can read about those in the captions, this is one of those films that sweep you up into a world as weird and perfect as that of "Little Dorrit" or "Fitzcarraldo."
By the way this movie is full of Black and caucasian actors who mix without any of the awkwardness we usually have to suffer through when Hollywood ever-so-reluctantly dips its toe into the diversity pool. They're all just there.

One person found this helpful

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SamBay98232

THE MONSTERS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2016

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"THE POKER HOUSE" ALSO KNOWN AS "BEHIND CLOSED DOORS" IS A VERY WELL WRITTEN AND WELL ACTED REALISTIC STORY ABOUT THE LIFE THAT CHILDREN SO OFTEN FACE WHEN ONE OR BOTH PARENTS DRINKS TOO MUCH ALCOHOL OR COMSUMES OTHER DRUGS. ALSO IT TOUCHES ON THE SAD REALITY THAT SOME CHURCH LEADERS ARE VERY DIFFERENT AT HOME THAN WHAT THEY PORTRAY AT CHURCH. OUR STORY FOCUSES ON 3 WONDERFUL LITTLE GIRLS AGES 10-14 THAT LIVE WITH THEIR USUALLY DRUNK MOTHER IN A ROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD. AN OLD FAMILY FILM SHOWS HOW THE DRUNK FATHER BEAT HIS WIFE AND THE GIRLS, AND HOW HE OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T CARE ENOUGH TO BE ANY PART OF THEIR LIFE. HE BASICALLY ABANDONED THEM AFTER THE SEPARATION. THE MOM'S DRUNKENNESS IS DESTRUCTIVE TO HER DAUGHTERS SELF ESTEEM BECAUSE OF FREQUENT VERBAL CRITICISM, THE TYPE THAT ACCENTUATES THE NEGATIVE AND ELIMINATES THE POSITIVE. THE MOM DIDN'T GIVE THE LOVE THAT DAUGHTERS NEED. RATHER THAN BEING ANY SUPPORT TO HER DAUGHTER, WHO WAS THE BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER ON HER SCHOOLS TEAM, SHE WAS READY TO TEACH HER 14 YEAR OLD, AGNES, HOW TO HAVE SEX WITH ANY OF THE MANY MEN THAT PARTIED REGULARLY AT THE GIRLS HOME. AGNES, PLAYED TO GIRLISH PERFECTION BY A GORGEOUS 19 YEAR OLD NAMED JENNIFER LAWRENCE, WAS SEDUCED AND RAPED BY AN INTOXICATED BOYFRIEND OF HER MOTHER'S. AGNES RUSHED INTO THE BATHROOM TO CLEAN OUT HER BLEEDING VAGINA BECAUSE HER VIRGINITY HAD JUST BEEN PAINFULLY RIPPED AWAY. WHEN HER MOM CAME IN, AGNES, TRIED TO GET HELP AND LOVE, CRYING AND REACHING FOR A HUG, BUT THE MOM DIDN'T SHOW ANY LOVE AND STARTED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ALL OF THE TIME THAT SHE WASTED READING TO AGNES WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER. THE YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, PLAYED BY BEAUTIFUL CHLOE GRACE MORETZ, APPARENTLY ESCAPED BY SPENDING AS MUCH TIME AS SHE COULD AT FRIENDS HOUSES. THE MIDDLE GIRL DELIVERED NEWSPAPERS, BEFRIENDED SOME HOMELESS PERSONS, TELLING THEM HOW SHE MAY GET ADOPTED, AND APPARENTLY FANTASIZED ABOUT NEW IDEAL PEOPLE IN HER LIFE. ALL 3 GIRLS DEVELOPED OUTSIDE INTERESTS AND FRIENDS, THAT ALTHOUGH WERE FAR FROM IDEAL, NEVERTHELESS WERE HELPFUL BECAUSE OF THE HORRID SITUATION AT THEIR HOME. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE LORD PUTS A GREATER HEDGE OF PROTECTION AROUND YOUTHS, BUT SOMETIMES HE REMOVES PEOPLE FROM THIS WORLD YOUNG. PLEASE READ WISDOM OF SOLOMON 4:7-19.
WHO HASN'T SEEN OR HEARD OF THE HORRID VERBAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE THAT COMES FROM DRUGS OR TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? A PERSON THAT DOESN'T ENCOUNTER THESE TYPES OF ABUSES IS VERY BLESSED. THE FOLLOWING FORMS OF VERBAL ABUSE ARE FAR TO COMMON: MACHINE GUN (MGVA), MACHINE GUN VERBAL CRITICISM (MGVC), AND GUN CRITISM (GC). MGVA IS RAPID FIRE ABUSE WITH LITTLE CHANCE TO RESPOND. MGVC IS RAPID FIRE DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS WITH LITTLE CHANCE TO RESPOND, AND GC IS ONE OR MORE CRITISMS SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT YOUR TIME WITH A PERSON OR PERSONS. THE MOM IN THIS MOVIE USED GC AND MGVC, WHICH I HAVE FOUND TO BE INSIDIOUS, BECAUSE THOSE THAT DO THIS, IGNORE THE 95% OR MORE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT YOU DO, ACCENTUATING THE NEGATIVE AND ELIMINATING THE POSITIVE. WORSE YET, THEY ALMOST NEVER REMEMBER THE HORRID WAY THAT THEY BEHAVED, SO APOLOGY IS UNHEARD OF FROM THESE ABUSERS. IN MY LIFE, I BELIEVE THAT ABUSIVE PEOPLE THAT DON'T REMEMBER IT ARE TEMPORARILY POSSESSED, THAT A DEMON AND WITCH COMBINATION HAS BEEN RUINING OUR FAMILY IN THIS WAY FOR ALL OF THE NEARLY 100 YEARS THAT WE HAVE BEEN PILLARS OF THE BEAUTIFUL SAMISH ISLAND COMMMUNITY. VERBAL ABUSE/CRITICISM HAS LEAD MANY TO BE DEPRESSED OR EVEN COMMIT SUICIDE, BUT MY LOVE FOR GOD AND MAN IS UNENDING, NO MATTER WHAT EVIL IS DONE TO ME. HAVING NEVER CHOSEN TO HURT ANYONE IN MY ADULT LIFE, TO ALMOST ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE LIKE I WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED (LUKE 6:31), TO OBSERVE EVERYONES RIGHTS AND PRESUME EVERYONES INNOCENCE, HAS ALLOWED ME TO REMAIN JOYFUL IN THE LORD DURING THE OPPRESSION CAUSED BY MY FAMILY'S PHANTOM MENACE. I HAVE NEVER CHOSEN TO BUY ALCOHOL OR NONPRESCRIPTION DRUGS FOR MYSELF, OR TO ACCEPT THEM AS GIFTS MY ENTIRE LIFE! UNFORTUNATLY, MY WITCH HAS "SPIKED MY APPLES" AND DONE WHAT HE/SHE CAN TO DESTROY MY FRIENDSHIPS ALL THROUGH MY "YELLOW BRICK ROAD" OF LIFE. MY RESPONSE TO THE EVILS OF THIS WORLD IS TO DO GOOD AND GOOD ALONE!
THE END OF THE MOVIE SHOWS THAT THE GIRLS FINEST DEFENSE IS THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER COUPLED WITH THEIR HEALTHY RESPONSE TO SEPARATE FROM THEIR DRUNK MOM AND HER FRIENDS. SEPARATING ONESELF FROM ABUSERS IS A NECESSARY TOUGH LOVE RESPONSE. THE MOVIE ENDS IN AN UPBEAT WAY AND THERE IS REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THESE GIRLS WILL SUCCEED IN SAVING THEMSELVES FROM THE HORRORS OF REMAINING THERE. TRAGICALLY, ONE OF EVERY FOUR GIRLS WILL BE SERIOUSLY SEXUALLY MOLESTED OR RAPED BEFORE THEY GROW UP. GIRLS IN A HOME LIKE THE POKER HOUSE ARE EXTREMELY LIKELY TO BE RAPED MULTIPLE TIMES. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE HELP CHILDREN AND THE PARENT IN SUCH HORRID SITUATIONS. PERHAPS YOU CAN TAKE THE DRINKER TO A TREATMENT PROGRAM AND AA MEETINGS, AND THE KIDS TO YOUR LOVING HOME, CHURCH YOUTH GROUPS, AND ALANON FOR TEENS. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT ABUSE THE DRINKER OR DRUGGER IN ANY WAY. WHEN YOU DO THIS, YOU BECOME AS BAD OR WORSE THAN THE ABUSER THEMSELVES. DON'T FORGET FROM 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 6, THAT IT IS BETTER TO BE WRONGED THAN TO DO WRONG.
DRINKING TOO MUCH WINE LEADS TO BITTERNESS, RESENTMENT, AND CONFLICT. BEING DRUNK MAKES A FOOL LOSE HIS TEMPER. THIS IS TO HIS DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE HE BECOMES WEAKER AND GETS INJURED MORE OFTEN.
I LOVE THREE THINGS, AND THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL IN THE SIGHT OF GOD AND MORTALS; BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT LIVE IN HARMONY, NEIGHBORS WHO ARE FRIENDS, AND A HUSBAND AND WIFE WHO LOVE EACH OTHER.
GOD ALMIGHTY (SIRACH 31:29-30, 25:1)

5 people found this helpful

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Yiannis P

Actor-Director Lori Petty Recalls Growing Up in Council Bluffs, Iowa

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2016

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Relationships and living arrangements are so chaotic in this autobiopic about Lori Petty's early teenage years, sometimes it's hard to figure out who is who or what they're up to. Still, things are clear enough to grasp the abysmal extent of prevailing dysfunction, particularly between Lori Petty and her hooker mom. It is Lori's basketball skills and high intelligence that stand as guards to her later development. (The movie ends before Lori's trip to New York and the beginnings of an acting career that has raised her net worth to the low millions.) Great acting by Jennifer Laurence and Selma Blair and good support from the remaining cast makes The Poker House a 4+ star movie.

6 people found this helpful

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P. Perkins

Combines the horrifying and the sweet

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2019

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If this story had been only about the pain and the dysfunction, I probably could not have watched it. But that stuff exists right alongside the innocent joys of childhood in this film. Even in this dismal and dangerous situation, there is still human warmth and connection, and chances to play sometimes. The narrative can be a little confusing at times, just because it does not always follow the patterns of sentimentality and melodrama we might expect, but hang in there, it will be worth the effort.

2 people found this helpful

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KATIE woodburn

Fantastic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 23, 2014

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Fantastic film. Took a while to arrive to uk but that's expected. Was still delivered in between the 2 estimated delivery dates. Great service all round and was a great film to watch.

6 people found this helpful

Ardo

Kein Actionfilm, sondern ein Indie-Drama.

Reviewed in Germany on July 6, 2020

Verified Purchase

Mir hat dieser Indie-Film sehr gut gefallen. Würde dem Film gerne fünf Sterne geben, aber es gibt aber sehr wenig Action-Szenen; und was vielen Leuten so gar nicht gefallen wird: es gibt hin und wieder 'ne Portion Sozialistenkitsch.
Der Film dreht sich um drei liebe Pfarrerstöchter, und wer von diesem Menschenschlag die Nase voll hat, also für den ist der Film hier nun wirklich total ungeeignet.

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