Places in the Heart (1984)

In central Texas in the 1930s, a widow, with two small children, tries to run her small 40-acre farm with the help of two disparate people.

Director:

Robert Benton

Writer:

Robert Benton

Stars:

Sally Field, Lindsay Crouse, Ed Harris

Won 2 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sally Field	...	Edna Spalding
Lindsay Crouse	...	Margaret Lomax
Ed Harris	...	Wayne Lomax
Amy Madigan	...	Viola Kelsey
John Malkovich	...	Mr. Will
Danny Glover	...	Moze
Yankton Hatten	...	Frank
Gennie James	...	Possum
Lane Smith	...	Albert Denby
Terry O'Quinn	...	Buddy Kelsey
Bert Remsen	...	Tee Tot Hightower
Ray Baker	...	Royce Spalding
Jay Patterson	...	W.E. Simmons
Toni Hudson	...	Ermine
De'voreaux White	...	Wylie (as Devoreaux White)

Storyline

Edna Spalding finds herself alone and broke on a small farm in the midst of the Great Depression when her husband the Sheriff is killed in an accident. A wandering black man, Moses, helps her to plant cotton to try and keep her farm and her kids together. She also takes on a blind boarder, Mr. Will, who lost his sight in the first World War. She must endure storms and harsh labor to try and make her mortgage payment on time.

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Plot Keywords:

cotton | farm | storm | depression | sheriff | 

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Taglines:

The story of a woman fighting for her children, for her land, for the greatest dream there is...the future.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Texas Project

Filming Locations:

Ellis County Courthouse, Waxahachie, Texas, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$274,279, 23 September 1984

Gross USA:

$34,901,614

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$34,901,614

Company Credits

Production Co:

Delphi II Productions, TriStar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only film that year to be nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress Oscars.

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Goofs

A scene in the kitchen shows iron skillets and other cookware. It's all gray. Only new iron cookware is gray. After it's been used, if only for a month or two, it turns black.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Edna Spalding: [seeing her daughter's doll at the dinner table] Possum, put that up now.
Royce Spalding: Our Heavenly Father, bless this meal and all those who are about to receive it. Make us thankful for Your generous bounty, and Your unceasing love. Please remind us, in these hard times, to be grateful for what we have been given, and not to ask for what we can not have. And make us mindful of those less fortunate among us, as we sit at this table with all of Thy bounty. Amen.

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Alternate Versions

NBC edited 2 minutes from this film for its 1987 network television premiere.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Back to the Beach/Nadine/Dirty Dancing/Rita, Sue and Bob Too! (1987)

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Soundtracks

Blessed Assurance
Music by Phoebe P. Knapp
Lyrics by Fanny Crosby (as Fanny J. Crosby)

User Reviews

Deeply moving story.

I was transfixed by this gem of a movie. All the players were without a doubt most outstanding and very professional. I am always happy to see Danny Glover in any movie. Sally Field was beyond perfect. The love scene in this movie was superflous and not really needed and seemed to me a bit off-center to the plot of the movie itself. The last scene in this movie got me right where I live. My heart constricted at the ending and, I am not ashamed to say, tears fell from my eyes. Right now as I talk about it my eyes tear up. I am happy that Sally Field won an Oscar for her portrayal of a depression-era wife and mother for she earned it ten times over. In the last scene a bible verse was quoted and I would love to know,again, what it was and where it is located in the bible. It had to do with glass and cymbals. Could anyone help out? Thanks.