The indie drama “Winter’s Bone” could induce chills in 100 degree heat.

In an Oscar-worthy performance, newcomer Jennifer Lawrence stars as Ree, a desperate, hardworking teen living in the back-country and struggling to take care of her young siblings and mentally-disturbed mother. One day a police officer knocks on the door inquiring about her absent father, who has a history of drug trafficking in the area.

Turns out dear Dad put the house up as collateral for his bail, and the powers-that-be are now threatening to take the home if he doesn’t show up for his court date. Relatives and neighbors all believe Daddy to be dead, but Ree needs proof to keep her family from losing the house.

Directed by Debra Granik, “Winter’s Bone” is a gripping mystery told from a unique perspective in Ree, a brave, mature-beyond-her-age young woman who refuses to accept her circumstances, even when violence escalates around her. So willful and driven, her intelligence serves as her only real risk of failure. In this drug-riddled community, being too smart is good enough reason to get killed.

The final minutes offer some truly disturbing revelations, and Lawrence’s performance keeps the dreary story emotionally accessible. Airtight in its scripting and atmosphere, “Winter’s Bone” caps an excellent summer of independent film offerings.

Grade: A-