Crimes of the Heart (1986)

Three southern sisters try to come to grips with the meaning of their mother's suicide.

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writers:

Beth Henley (screenplay), Beth Henley (play)

Stars:

Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diane Keaton	...	Lenny Magrath
Jessica Lange	...	Meg Magrath
Sissy Spacek	...	Babe Magrath
Sam Shepard	...	Doc Porter
Tess Harper	...	Chick Boyle
David Carpenter	...	Barnette Lloyd
Hurd Hatfield	...	Old Granddaddy
Beeson Carroll	...	Zackery Botrelle
Jean Willard	...	Lucille Botrelle
Tom Mason	...	Uncle Watson
Gregory Eugene Travis	...	Willie Jay (as Gregory Travis)
Annie McKnight	...	Annie May Jenkins
Eleanor Eagle	...	Little Lenny
Jessica Ezzell	...	Little Meg
Natalie Anderson	...	Little Babe

Storyline

Three sisters with quite different personalities and lives reunite when Babe, the youngest, has just shot her husband. Oldest sister Lenny takes care of their grandfather and is turning into an old maid. Meg, who aspires to make it in Hollywood as a singer and actress, has had a wild, man-filled life. Their reunion is joyful but also stirs up much tension.

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Plot Keywords:

woman puts on pantyhose | pantyhose | friendship between women | usa | united states | 

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Taglines:

Meg just left one. Lenny never had one. Babe just shot one. The MaGrath sisters sure have a way with men!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's source Beth Henley stage-play "Crimes of the Heart" won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1981.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lucille Botrelle: The damage to the spinal column's not yet been determined. But his breathing's stabilized and his liver's been saved.
Lenny Magrath: Oh, well, that's good news.
Lucille Botrelle: None of this is good news, Lenny Magrath! It's all a grueling nightmare and you mark my word those responsible will pay dearly!

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: The Golden Child/Crimes of the Heart/¡Three Amigos!/Modern Girls (1986)

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Soundtracks

Fallen Angel Flying High
Performed by Dann Rogers
Written by Jack Keller, Dann Rogers, Don Huber
Published by Screen Gems-EMI Music, Inc.
Colgems-EMI Music, Inc.

User Reviews

Love this film.

Crimes of the Heart We all have crimes of the heart.....sad, true, and blissful....at times...this film covers all the territory. Based on the successful play this film gathered an ensemble of some of the most talented actors and actresses of our time, which includes Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, Tess Harper, Diane Keaton, and Jessica Lange. Taking place in the south, we follow the story of a family's relationship and how they are dealing with their sister shooting her husband. With the strong female cast we can't help but to feel their pain through their emotions, relationship with each other, and how they deal with life. Great strong character choices, yet sisters with something even greater in common....love of family, and loyalty. There are many lessons to learn in this film and one of the most important is you can't turn your back on your family, even when you run away they will be there for you. The acting is superb, the honesty is great and in all a wonderful film to see. A true classic!! When family gathers....everything comes out.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 January 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crimes of the Heart

Filming Locations:

Caswell Beach, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,402,921, 14 December 1986

Gross USA:

$22,905,522

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,905,522

Company Credits

Production Co:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1