Places in the Heart (1984)

Outcasts unite as a family of sorts in the Lone Star State during the Depression

After a tragedy, a desperate mother (Sally Field) in rural east Texas takes in a blind boarder (John Malkovich) and enlists the help of a questionable black drifter (Danny Glover) in order to make ends meet, with the possibility of a cotton crop.

"Places in the Heart" (1984) belongs to the troubled farmer dramas that flooded the market in 1984. The others include “The River,” “Country” and “The Dollmaker.” I prefer this one over “The River” (which are the only two I’ve seen). It’s based on writer/director Robert Benton’s experiences growing up in the Waxahachie area, which is 30 minutes south of Dallas. The flick works up some quality human interest and would influence the soon-to-come “Mississippi Burning.”

Being a slice-of-life picture based on someone’s experiences in real-life, I appreciated the subplot featuring Lindsay Crouse, Ed Harris and Amy Madigan, which some people complain was superfluous. There’s an effective table scene & aftermath that was done even better in the later “Little Children.”

Anyway, it comes in the tradition of great American dramas like “Of Mice and Men” and “The Great Santini.”

The movie runs 1 hour, 51 minutes, and was shot in Ellis County, which is just south of Dallas in northeast Texas. Waxahachie is the town and Five Points is where the cotton gin is located.

GRADE: B