I would agree that North Country adheres to conventions of narrative cinema typical of American studio pictures and that the film doesn't break any new ground. I found the film overly emphatic the way most mainstream "prestige" films tend to be, but that doesn't make it less effective. North Country perhaps overstresses the character's victimhood, but not her saintliness, in my opinion. Caro's attention to milieu and community, and Ms. Theron's performance make the film worth seeing.