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Bitter Harvest

  • TV Movie
  • 1981
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
297
YOUR RATING
Bitter Harvest (1981)
Drama

A farmer's herd sickens and dies, then his family and neighbors fall ill, so he bucks the state agricultural establishment as he pursues the politically explosive investigation of how his fa... Read allA farmer's herd sickens and dies, then his family and neighbors fall ill, so he bucks the state agricultural establishment as he pursues the politically explosive investigation of how his farm, family, and friends came to be poisoned.A farmer's herd sickens and dies, then his family and neighbors fall ill, so he bucks the state agricultural establishment as he pursues the politically explosive investigation of how his farm, family, and friends came to be poisoned.

  • Director
    • Roger Young
  • Writers
    • Frederic Halbert
    • Sandra Halbert
    • Richard Friedenberg
  • Stars
    • Ron Howard
    • Art Carney
    • Tarah Nutter
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    297
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Roger Young
    • Writers
      • Frederic Halbert
      • Sandra Halbert
      • Richard Friedenberg
    • Stars
      • Ron Howard
      • Art Carney
      • Tarah Nutter
    • 13User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys
      • 5 nominations total

    Photos

    Bitter Harvest (1981)
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    Top cast

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    Ron Howard
    Ron Howard
    • Ned De Vries
    Art Carney
    Art Carney
    • Walter Peary
    Tarah Nutter
    • Kate De Vries
    David Knell
    David Knell
    • Brandon
    Barry Corbin
    Barry Corbin
    • Dr. Agajanian
    Richard Dysart
    Richard Dysart
    • Dr. Morton Freeman
    Michael Bond
    • DeJong
    Jim Haynie
    • Doc
    Robert Hirschfeld
    • Harold
    G.W. Bailey
    G.W. Bailey
    • Lazlo
    Robert Behling
    • Art
    Ken Hixon
    • Williams
    Dwight Schultz
    Dwight Schultz
    • Schlatter
    Joe Miksak
    • Al
    J.E. Freeman
    J.E. Freeman
    • Farmer #2
    Will Marchetti
    • Farmer #3
    Matthew Locricchio
    • Worker
    • (as Matt Locrichio)
    Ross McKerras
    • Man #1
    • (as Ron Meszaros)
    • Director
      • Roger Young
    • Writers
      • Frederic Halbert
      • Sandra Halbert
      • Richard Friedenberg
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      This true story happened in rural Michigan, and was in court before the citizens were aware that they had been poisoned by Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB), a fire retardant that got inadvertently mixed into cattle feed by the local Farm Bureau. It took two years before the citizens were aware that the beef and milk were toxic.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 33rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1981)

    User reviews13

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    While still an actor, Ron Howard brought great passion in his role as a farmer in "Bitter Harvest"
    This was one of Ron Howard's last acting jobs before devoting himself full-time to directing. Based on a true story, he plays a farmer who discovers that his herd of cows had been contaminated somewhat and that his baby had been quite sickly. So he decides to find out why but he keeps running into obstacles until he meets someone (Richard Dysart) who tells him what's been going on. Mr. Howard brings passion in his role as a farmer who feels at his wits end of not being told of why his farm as well as those of his neighbors like his friend played by Art Carney are being affected. Had he continued acting, he probably could have broached quite a list of accomplishments in the profession he had started at since his toddler days from before his big break in "The Andy Griffith Show". But he had accomplished quite well at the job he really wanted to this very day...
    helpful•0
    0
    • tavm
    • Jun 15, 2023

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • May 4, 1981 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Cosecha amarga
    • Filming locations
      • Healdsburg, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Charles Fries Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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