Cross Creek (1983)

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writers:

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (book)
Dalene Young (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 March 1984 (Australia)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

The portrait of a woman who, at the edge of survival, found a world of meaning.

Plot Keywords:

Orange Grove | Dam | Rural | Florida | Deer

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Mary Steenburgen	...	Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Rip Torn	...	Marsh Turner
Peter Coyote	...	Norton Baskin
Dana Hill	...	Ellie Turner
Alfre Woodard	...	Geechee
Joanna Miles	...	Mrs. Turner
Ike Eisenmann	...	Paul
Cary Guffey	...	Floyd Turner
Toni Hudson	...	Tim's Wife
Bo Rucker	...	Leroy
Jay O. Sanders	...	Charles Rawlings
John Hammond	...	Tim
Tommy Alford	...	Postal Clerk
Norton Baskin	...	Man in the Rocking Chair
Terrence Gehr	...	Store Keeper

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Alachua County, Florida, USA

Company:

Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment

Trivia:

Cameo: [Norton Baskin]giving directions to Rawlings.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings: [voiceover] My journey to maturity began in New York, in 1928. I was married to Charles Rawlings, the newspaper man and yachting enthusiast. I had been trying to write stories that I thought would be most likely to sell - gothic romances were extremely popular - and I had written dozens. I was desperate to express myself. Even as a child I'd been consumed with the desire to be a writer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial' (1996) (V)

This is North, Central Florida

This is a gentle movie that reflects the pace of life for old Florida in a way that settles in my soul and brings back my childhood. Cross Creek looks deeply into a different lifestyle that actually still existed less than 50 years ago. In my childhood, Florida was a slow paced, slice of something that had ceased to exist else-country. Though the extremes may have seemed harsh, this movie captures the sweet taste of pre-Disney Florida, and the best part of the movie for me (even though I agree with the accolades for the acting, photography, etc.) is that Cross Creek is still there. You can go to Orange Lake and take a step backwards in time. This is my Florida, and I will always love it.