Heartland (1979)

A widow with a young daughter travels to a ranch in Wyoming to manage the household of a rancher. After a while the man and woman develop a relationship that leads to a marriage. But life in the harsh place takes its toll.

Director:

Richard Pearce

Writers:

Beth Ferris (screenplay), William Kittredge (additional scenes and dialogue) (as Bill Kittredge)

Stars:

Rip Torn, Conchata Ferrell, Barry Primus

4 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rip Torn	...	Clyde Stewart
Conchata Ferrell	...	Elinore Randall Stewart
Barry Primus	...	Jack
Megan Folsom	...	Jerrine
Lilia Skala	...	Mrs. Landauer
Amy Wright	...	Clara Jane
Jerry Hardin	...	Cattlebuyer
Mary Boylan	...	Ma Gillis
Jeff Boschee	...	Land Office Agent #1
Robert Overholzer	...	Land Office Agent #2
Bob Sirucek	...	Dan Byrd
Marvin Berg	...	Justice of the Peace
Gary Voldseth	...	Cowboy
Mike Robertson	...	Cowboy
Doug Johnson	...	Cowboy

Storyline

Widowed Elinor Randall and her young daughter Jerrine arrive in a barren stretch of Wyoming in 1910 after Elinor's application for work as a housekeeper is accepted by Clyde Stewart, a rancher. The work is back-breaking and the isolation is brutal, particularly as winter arrives. Elinor begins to think about homesteading her own property near Stewart's ranch, but Stewart tries to dissuade her with explanations about the killing conditions and poor rewards, especially for a woman with no man to help her ranch. Although their temperaments are different and little affection exists, Elinor and Stewart agree to marry and combine homesteads. What lies ahead is the severest test of all.

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Plot Keywords:

rural setting | cattle | homestead | 1910s | based on fact | 

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Taglines:

Heartland is about roots and origins. Heartland is about love and survival.

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Genres:

Western | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Letters written by Elinore Pruitt Stewart provided the basis for the film. These letters dated from April 1909 to November 1913 and were first printed in "The Atlantic Monthly."

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Goofs

The logs are clearly cut by late C20th machinery.

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Connections

Featured in Sneak Previews: Independent Films (1981)

User Reviews

Women surviving in the American west

This is a first-rate film, based on the letters of its heroine, Elinore Pruitt Stewart (and published in the book Letters of a Woman Homesteader, in print 2003), supplemented with material gathered from other frontier families. The film follows the life of a widow with a young daughter who arrives in Wyoming (in actual life, Colorado) in 1910 to serve as housekeeper for a rancher. The film is inconclusive, as it should be: this isn't a story so much as a slice of life. And what a life! Regardless of whether the character represents Elinore's true nature, this is a wonderful woman: strong, self-determining, and courageous. She's not your usual impossibly slender, pretty young thing--Hollywood seems to think mere wisps could survive these hardships and keep their Mary Kay contact visiting regularly--but a sturdy and practical woman who never flinches at what life throws at her. One scene to watch for (among many): taking down clothes from the clothesline. I won't give the game away, but Elinore Stewart was one hell of a human being. I'd have felt honored to know her.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Força da Terra

Filming Locations:

Wheatland County, Montana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmhaus, The National Endowment for the Humanities, Wilderness Women

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color