Desert Hearts (1985)

A woman on the precipice of divorce becomes drawn to a ranchowner's daughter.

Director:

Donna Deitch

Writers:

Jane Rule (novel), Natalie Cooper

Stars:

Helen Shaver, Patricia Charbonneau, Audra Lindley

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Helen Shaver	...	Vivian Bell
Patricia Charbonneau	...	Cay Rivvers
Audra Lindley	...	Frances Parker
Andra Akers	...	Silver
Gwen Welles	...	Gwen
Dean Butler	...	Darrell
James Staley	...	Art Warner
Katie La Bourdette	...	Lucille
Alex McArthur	...	Walter
Tyler Tyhurst	...	Buck
Denise Crosby	...	Pat
Antony Ponzini	...	Joe
Brenda Beck	...	Joyce
Sam Minsky	...	Best Man
Patricia Frazier	...	Change Girl

Storyline

It is 1950s Nevada, and Professor Vivian Bell arrives to get a divorce. She's unsatisfied with her marriage, and feels out of place at the ranch she stays on, she finds herself increasingly drawn to Cay Rivers, an open and self-assured lesbian, and the ranchowner's daughter. The emotions released by their developing intimacy, and Vivian's insecurities about her feelings towards Cay, are played out against a backdrop of rocky landscapes and country and western songs.

---

Plot Keywords:

1950s | divorce | desert | based on novel | two women in bathtub | 

---

Taglines:

The all-time favorite lesbian film classic!

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Criterion Collection Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 March 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Media hora más contigo

Filming Locations:

Reno, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,250,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,492,088

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,492,088

Company Credits

Production Co:

Desert Hearts Productions, The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Patricia Charbonneau was married at the time of filming and Helen Shaver would meet her future husband Steve Smith, a key grip on the film, while making it.

---

Goofs

In the hotel room when Vivian recounts to Cay the confrontation earlier between herself and Francis, she says she (Vivian) was standing in the rain when in reality the confrontation took place when the weather was sunny and dry.

---

Quotes

Cay: [after Vivian breaks away from a passionate kiss] We don't have to stop.
Vivian: I do.
Cay: Where did you learn to kiss like that?
Vivian: I don't know where that came from. It's back where it belongs, and I don't want to talk about it anymore. Take me back.
Cay: [tries to look through the rain on the windshield] I can't see a thing!
Vivian: I'll take my chances. Just drive.

---

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

Referenced in It's in the Water (1997)

---

Soundtracks

Cry
Written by Churchill Kohlman
Performed by Johnnie Ray
Courtesy of CBS Records

User Reviews

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.