Places in the Heart

Starring: Sally Field, Lindsay Crouse, Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, John Malkovich, Danny Glover
Directed by: Robert Benton
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
1984

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A widow (Sally Field) fights to save her family's farm.


Review:

Tim: The only thing I knew about Places in the Heart was that Sally Field won the Academy Award for Best Actress (I later learned it also won Best Original Screenplay). In my experience, movies like this can tend to go one of two ways- either it's deserving of its accolades and is a strong movie, or critics got swept up in the idea of the movie more than the execution, and it's disappointing. Fortunately, this movie is of the former variety. This is a competently made, dramatic, tension-filled, heartwarming story. I got caught up in the characters and their story. While the movie drops in right below the greatness line, Places in the Heart is an effective, worthwhile film.

I really liked the film's story. There is an early, unexpectedly shocking moment that jars you from the idyllic life set up in the earliest scenes. This event propels the plot forward, but it also draws you into the characters. You quickly become invested in them and their plight. This is essential. because the movie isn't short at 1 hour, 51 minutes. By establishing a strong connection with the characters early, we're willing to invest the time and energy in the rest of the film. The story did a good job of establishing the stakes for the characters and giving them challenging obstacles to overcome. I cared about them and enjoyed watching their story unfold.

Sally Field is incredibly strong in the lead role. She might not have as flashy a role as she did in her Academy Award winning turn in Norma Rae, but she still delivers an Oscar-worthy performance. She's strong even when she's frightened. She's forgiving, kind, and yet there's this emotional underbelly to her performance. This isn't a performance that sets the world on fire, but it represents exceptional acting on her part. I'm glad she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. It was fun seeing John Malkovich in a supporting role. He's a really talented actor and he added greatly to the film. It was fun seeing him disappear into this character and ensure he would be an essential part of the overall story. He deserved his Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Danny Glover was exceptional- sometimes I forget what a strong, talented actor Glover is. I actually thought he was better than Malkovich. He interacted with Field extremely well. It was good seeing Ed Harris here, although his subplot felt a bit too disconnected from the main plot. It served more as a distraction than amplifying the overall story. That's one of the bigger flaws of the film- that subplot felt tacked on and strangely disjointed. It never gelled as effectively as it needed to.

I really enjoyed that Places in the Heart told a story about an incredibly strong woman who was faced with a dire situation and worked to get herself out of it. This isn't a story about heroes or legends, it's about a widow working to rebuild her life and provide for her family. The movie also paints a vivid portrait of what life was like in the South during the 1930s. It's oftentimes hard to watch because of the blatant racism and violence. It's also hard to watch because of the sickening parallels to the United States of the 2010s. You'd think we would have made more progress than we have. Racism may not be as visible, but it's just as alive today as it was during this time period. I appreciated this movie holding that mirror up to remind us of the awful truth. The film does a great job of portraying this time period on screen.

Places in the Heart tells a powerful, memorable story. It features an especially strong cast operating at the peak of their game. It was an expertly crafted film that held my attention from start to finish. A few flaws poke through, but overall, this is a very strong movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Norma Rae, Driving Miss Daisy