This year’s Academy Awards Best Picture nominees already have a huge contender in “North Country.” Directed by Niki Caro, the film is a fictional account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States in which a woman who endured abuse while working as a miner filed and won a 1984 lawsuit.

Charlize Theron, 2004’s Best Actress for her performance in “Monster,” stars as Josey Aimes, a single mother who retreats to her hometown to live with her parents in order to escape an abusive boyfriend. After getting a job at the local mine, where men outnumber women 30-to-1, Josey moves in with her fellow miner and friend Glory (Frances McDormand, “Fargo,” “Almost Famous”) and her husband, Kyle (Sean Bean, “Lord of the Rings”).

Josey’s father, Hank (Richard Jenkins, HBO’s “Six Feet Under”), is little more than ashamed of his daughter, while her mother (Sissy Spacek, “In the Bedroom”) makes attempts to ameliorate the situation. When conditions at the mine become unbearable and no one seems to be speaking up, Josey enlists the aid of lawyer Bill White (Woody Harrelson, “The People vs. Larry Flynt”).

The beautifully-shot film alternates, through flashbacks, between Josey’s courtroom experiences and her often-horrifying ordeals while working at the mines. The attacks range from graffiti to physical abuse, making many of the scenes extremely difficult to watch. Audience members are exposed to grisly illustrations of the abuse of the female miners, almost shocking them into rooting for Josey.

The film is chock full of standout performances, particularly from Theron, McDormand and Jenkins. Look for their names on the ballots come Oscar time.

Overall, “North Country” is compelling and enlightening, while steering clear of the cliches that often plague the “girl power” genre. It is, without a doubt, one of the best films this year.