Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Desert Hearts

  • 19851985
  • RR
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
6.6K
YOUR RATING
Desert Hearts (1985)
A woman leaves behind her life in New York to find herself in Reno in this trailer
Play trailer2:03
1 Video
56 Photos
DramaRomance
While waiting for her divorce papers, a repressed professor of literature is unexpectedly seduced by a carefree, spirited young lesbian.While waiting for her divorce papers, a repressed professor of literature is unexpectedly seduced by a carefree, spirited young lesbian.While waiting for her divorce papers, a repressed professor of literature is unexpectedly seduced by a carefree, spirited young lesbian.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
6.6K
YOUR RATING
    • Donna Deitch
    • Jane Rule(based on the novel "Desert of the Heart" by)
    • Natalie Cooper(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Helen Shaver
    • Patricia Charbonneau
    • Audra Lindley
    • Donna Deitch
    • Jane Rule(based on the novel "Desert of the Heart" by)
    • Natalie Cooper(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Helen Shaver
    • Patricia Charbonneau
    • Audra Lindley
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 59User reviews
    • 24Critic reviews
    • 67Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Desert Hearts
    Trailer 2:03
    Watch Desert Hearts

    Photos56

    Desert Hearts (1985)
    Helen Shaver, Patricia Charbonneau, Dean Butler, and Gwen Welles in Desert Hearts (1985)
    Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau in Desert Hearts (1985)
    Desert Hearts (1985)
    Desert Hearts (1985)
    Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau in Desert Hearts (1985)
    Desert Hearts (1985)
    Desert Hearts (1985)
    Helen Shaver in Desert Hearts (1985)
    Desert Hearts (1985)
    Desert Hearts (1985)
    Desert Hearts (1985)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Helen Shaver
    Helen Shaver
    • Vivian Bell
    Patricia Charbonneau
    Patricia Charbonneau
    • Cay Rivvers
    Audra Lindley
    Audra Lindley
    • Frances Parker
    Andra Akers
    • Silver
    Gwen Welles
    Gwen Welles
    • Gwen
    Dean Butler
    Dean Butler
    • Darrell
    James Staley
    James Staley
    • Art Warner
    Katie La Bourdette
    • Lucille
    • (as Katie LaBourdette)
    Alex McArthur
    • Walter
    Tyler Tyhurst
    • Buck
    Denise Crosby
    Denise Crosby
    • Pat
    Antony Ponzini
    Antony Ponzini
    • Joe
    Brenda Beck
    • Joyce
    Sam Minsky
    • Best Man
    Patricia Frazier
    • Change Girl
    Sheila Balter
    • Roadside Waitress
    Tom Martin
    • Red Cap
    Joan Mankin
    • Casino Waitress
      • Donna Deitch
      • Jane Rule(based on the novel "Desert of the Heart" by)
      • Natalie Cooper(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Saving Face
    7.4
    Saving Face
    High Art
    6.6
    High Art
    When Night Is Falling
    6.5
    When Night Is Falling
    I Can't Think Straight
    6.5
    I Can't Think Straight
    Kiss Me
    6.8
    Kiss Me
    Elena Undone
    6.1
    Elena Undone
    Lost and Delirious
    6.8
    Lost and Delirious
    Better Than Chocolate
    6.1
    Better Than Chocolate
    Imagine Me & You
    6.7
    Imagine Me & You
    The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love
    6.6
    The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love
    Summertime
    6.7
    Summertime
    Aimee & Jaguar
    7.2
    Aimee & Jaguar

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Patricia Charbonneau filmed the entire movie while pregnant.
    • Goofs
      Toward the end of the movie, when Vivian and her divorce lawyer are walking down the steps of the courthouse, you can see an older woman with a straw hat walk up the stairs by them. When Vivian & the lawyer reach the door to walk outside, you can see the same woman walking in.
    • Quotes

      Vivian: I wouldn't know what to do.

      Cay: You can start by putting the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door.

    • Alternate versions
      The US DVD release is 5 minutes shorter than the theatrical version (91 as opposed to 96 minutes). The most noticeable cut is in the sex scene which is slightly briefer than the original.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Desert Hearts/Mona Lisa/Letter to Brezhnev (1986)
    • Soundtracks
      Leavin' on Your Mind
      Written by Wayne Walker and Webb Pierce

      Performed by Patsy Cline

      Courtesy of MCA Records

    User reviews59

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    A good movie and a breakthrough classic
    I'm a straight male and I feel the movie was done very tastefully (not a pun) and had a nice story. It wasn't supposed to be an action flick, but it does have a good story though I would have preferred to see it go a little deeper emotionally, but you have to understand that this was a "period" film and given the era the movie was set in, the emotions of the characters make perfect sense. In the 50's and especially in the rural areas, people were very conservative and though a character like Cay would've wanted to be open about her lifestyle, she certainly would've felt restrained to do so, even as free-spirited as she was. And Vivian would certainly have initially felt like a leper as the tug of societal demands and the mores of the era weighed on her. I think it was filmed and written in exactly the same light as it needed to be, no more, no less. A very realistic portrait of the era and a great job, no doubt about it, and highly recommended for viewing, but I would rate it "R" for about 5-10 minutes of sex scenes, maybe "PG-13" for content.

    As for the sex scenes, I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it, whatever your orientation. I did, and I'm straight as an arrow (no pun intended there either!)

    See how much this out-of-print video sells for on the Net and you'll see the demand this movie still creates, which is more of a barometer of its success than anything else. I can't believe that it ever went out-of-print given the demand for it. You don't see that with just any video, and as a minor collector of rare videos I can say that for a fact.
    helpful•15
    5
    • marvelous-marv
    • Jul 28, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 7, 1986 (United States)
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Criterion Collection
      • HBOMAX (United States)
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Reno, Nevada, USA
    • Production companies
      • Desert Hearts Productions
      • The Samuel Goldwyn Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 31 minutes
      • Color
      • Mono

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Desert Hearts (1985)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Desert Hearts (1985) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.