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

Gross USA:

$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

One of numerous filmed collaborations of husband and wife Ed Harris and Amy Madigan.

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Goofs

In the final credits, the real name of Otis the fiddle player in the band is wrongly spelled as Cliff Brunner. It should be spelled Bruner. He was a well-known fiddle player with Milton Brown's Musical Brownies.

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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 Jersey Girl (2004)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Depression-Era Drama That Never Gets Old

"Places in the Heart" is one of the more under-rated films of the 1980s. Somewhat based on director Robert Benton's experiences as a youth in Waxahachie, Texas, the film deals with one woman's (Sally Field in her second Oscar-winning performance) struggle to keep her land, house, and children after her husband is killed in a freak accident. She decides that the only way to keep her life is to grow and harvest cotton (not the easiest thing in the world to do, especially during the Depression). Drifter Danny Glover is the catalyst who can bring everything together and the blind John Malkovich (Oscar-nominated) also proves to be an asset. However, racists threaten to stop Field by eliminating Glover. On the other side of town Field's sister (Lindsay Crouse, in her Oscar-nominated role) is having troubles with her husband (Ed Harris). He is having an affair with a local school-teacher (Amy Madigan) and this development could ruin her life just as quickly as Field's life has changed. "Places in the Heart" benefits from great performances, but the direction and screenplay are also second-to-none. An excellent film that was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar in 1984. 5 stars out of 5.