Customer Reviews

Heartland

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A brilliant and absolutely authentic story about the stark realities of pioneer life in late 1800's Wyoming. "Heartland" is based on a series of letters ("Letters of a Woman Homesteader" by Elinore Pruitt Stewart). The actors are very real, and the story unfolds almost like a documentary. Rip Torn and Conchita Ferrell are superb in mostly just living their everyday lives. However, they perform tasks and "everyday pleasures" considered quite extraordinary by modern standards, especially considering the harsh winter conditions. Excellent photography, and DVD bonus commentary explaining each scene.

One of the most moving experiences in cinema I'd had for years. Superb understated acting. There are elements that are completely lost by several of the other reviewers regarding "Heartland". Victorian Pioneers were a stoic type of people, look up stoicism if need be. They did not wear their emotions on their sleeves as we do today, and whining was nearly unknown. Self reliance was a code of conduct lived each day. One reviewer commented on the lack of "chemistry" between Clyde and Elinor. That is almost a laughable remark- marriages among ranchers even to recent days is often based upon economics and not compatability and romance as such. Clyde and Elinor actually loved one another with a depth that would frighten most moderns, dealing with death, birth, and life- good, bad and indifferent.

One of my favorite lines from the entire film is when Elinor confesses to her female rancher neighbor played by Lila Skala, that she just cannot talk with Clyde. The neighbor replies with all sincerity, "You better learn to before winter sets in."

If you're hooked on the romanticized, idealistic frontier stories that are so common, this ain't for you. But if you want to practically feel the bone-chilling cold, the aching muscles and uncertainty of life on the frontier in the early 1900's, I highly recommend this one. The writing, acting, scenery, direction, even the music, are all fantastic. Of course, I didn't live out West in the early 1900's, but I can't imagine a more realistic, dead-on portrayal of what life was really like for those trying to make a life for themselves in a mostly unsettled territory. One of my all-time favorites.

My grandmother and grandfather homesteaded in Wyoming in 1910, and luckily for me, my grandmother was a wonderful storyteller. We learned about the obligation to feed a cowboy passing through (for next to nothing, no matter how poor your were), about the fact that eating prairie dog was a sign that you were nearly starving. Their nearest neighbors were 7 miles away, so any emergency had to be dealt with on their own.

When this first came to theatres, I went with my family (our grandparents had died by then), and we literally staggered out afterwards. Our grandparents' story had become so real that it was overwhelming.

All this reality, and the fact that the film was partially funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, could give the idea that it was one of those "stuffy, documentary-type" films that tries so hard to re-create history that it lacks drama. There is drama aplenty in "Heartland," and marvelouos acting. The dialogue is sparse: the actors' faces and movements,their actions, the images speak eloquently of hardship, cooperation, trust and beauty.

I did not read the book but I totally disagree with the viewer from Alamo, NV. I thought is was a wonderful movie. From the start to the end. It shows you how hard life was back then.

this is a good movie.And Conchata Ferrell was wonderfun in it. She makes the movie as good as it is and it is a good movie.

I have been waiting for a long time for this to be re-released. Since hiring it almost accidentally from a video shop years ago and loving it, I have been trying to get hold of it. I have never met anyone who has seen it and can't wait to get hold of a copy so that I can lend it to friends. What has stayed in my mind is the opening shot of the train travelling across a vast expanse of land to the accompaniment of a hymn played on what sounds like a musical saw - absolutely gripping. I remember excellent photography, the clear stark colours and the beauty of harsh scenery, the honesty and integrity of the script and the restrained acting. I had no preconceptions about this film when I first saw it and it took hold of me and wouldn't let go. The relationship between the Torn character and the housekeeper is an unlikely one but totally credible and very moving. I do not think I will be disappointed when I see this film again.

Low key and undramatic in it's presentation, this is nevertheless riveting. It is a slice of life, in the finest sense of the term. The scene is one year in the life of a small group of people, set in turn of the century Wyoming. The story has, at it's center, two strong-willed individuals - a widow with a young daughter to provide for, and her new employer, a brusk ranch owner in need of a housekeeper.

The harsh realities of this time and place are neither side-stepped, romanticized nor over dramatized, but instead are simply dealt with honestly and matter-of-factly, as do the characters themselves. It is not a comedy, though there are moments of hilarity. It is not a tragedy, despite desperately tragic moments. It is as if a window opened and we are graced with a glimpse of the past.

This honesty is the true heart of the story and is the result of the fact that it is a true story, that of the daughter, whose understated presence in the movie is dealt with as straight-forwardly as all the rest.

I am now on my third copy - 2 worn out VCR tapes later, I now own it on DVD and highly recommend it to anyone with the heart to bear it.

This is a brilliant story of the power of a woman's heart. All elements--acting, photography, direction, writing, location--work together to tell this story of harsh but beautiful early twentieth-century pioneer life. It has been an overlooked treasure since its original release. I celebrate this re-release!

This movie shows a good example of a healthy relationship between two independent adults. This model should be shown to all adolescents, so that they can have a good basis for comparison as to what a relationship should be; not the drivel that hollywood and the television feed them. It is powerful and moving, but most of all it is a textbook case of morality, hard work, survival, and how love can grow anywhere.

I saw this movie when it first appeared on cable and never forgot it. I watch each time I find it showing. My Grandmother was born in 1880 and I remember the stories she told me. This movie is absolutely true to life and incredibly well done. I am researching my ancestry and this movie will be a permanent addition to my Library of events as a very 'real' part of family life in the 1800's. Don't miss it! Rip Torn and Conchata Ferrell are wonderful.