''Heartland'' is a 1979 American film, directed by Richard Pearce, starring Rip Torn and

Conchata Ferrell Conchata Galen Ferrell (March 28, 1943October 12, 2020) was an American actress. Although she was a regular cast member of five TV sitcoms, she was best known for playing Berta the housekeeper for all 12 seasons of ''Two and a Half Men''. For her ...

. The film is a stark depiction of early

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept t ...

life in the American West. It is based on a memoir by Elinore Pruitt Stewart, titled ''Letters of a Woman Homesteader'' (1914).

Plot

In 1910 Wyoming, a widow and her seven-year old daughter travel by train to two great unknowns-a strange land and life in a remote frontier with a man they never met.

Production

Set in southwestern

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

, where Stewart homesteaded, the movie was filmed in central

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

. The soundtrack features New Orleans clarinetist George Lewis playing the hymn " What a Friend We Have in Jesus."

Reception

In 1980, the film was featured as a "Buried Treasure" (a film that received little attention during its initial run) by film critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel on an episode of the TV show, '' Sneak Previews,'' (the latter put the film as one of the best films of 1981).

Cast

* Rip Torn as Clyde Stewart *

as Elinore Randall Stewart *

Barry Primus Barry Primus (born February 16, 1938) is an American television and film actor, director, and writer. Career While Primus is primarily an actor, he has also worked as a writer and director in films in which he has acted. For the first decade ...

as Jack * Megan Folsom as Jerrine *

Lilia Skala Lilia Skala (née Sofer; 28 November 1896 – 18 December 1994) was an Austrian-American architect and actress known for her role in the film '' Lilies of the Field'' (1963), for which she received critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination ...

as Mrs. Landauer *

Amy Wright Amy Wright is an American actress and former model. She has appeared in such films as ''The Deer Hunter'', '' Breaking Away'', '' The Accidental Tourist'', '' Hard Promises'', ''Crossing Delancey'', and ''Miss Firecracker''. She is the widow o ...

as Clara Jane *

Jerry Hardin Jerry Hardin (born November 20, 1929) is an American actor. Hardin has appeared in film and television roles, including the character nicknamed Deep Throat in ''The X-Files''. Hardin was born in Texas and studied acting at London's Royal Academ ...

as Cattlebuyer * Mary Boylan as Ma Gillis * Jeff Boschee as Land Office Agent #1 * Robert Overholzer as Land Office Agent #2 * Bob Sirucek as Dan Byrd * Marvin Berg as Justice of the Peace * Gary Voldseth as Cowboy * Mike Robertson as Cowboy * Doug Johnson as Cowboy

Awards

In 1980, the film shared the

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The win ...

award for Best Film at the

30th Berlin International Film Festival The 30th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 18–29 February 1980. The Golden Bear was awarded to the American film ''Heartland'' directed by Richard Pearce and West German film '' Palermo oder Wolfsburg'' directed by Werne ...

, and one year later on the Top Ten Films from

National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...

alongside cinematic heavyweights like Academy Award for Best Picture winner ''

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell ...

'' and the Steven Spielberg

blockbuster Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to: *Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived. Corporations * Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain ** Bl ...

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ron ...

''.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Heartland (Film) 1979 films Films set in the 1910s Films set in Wyoming Films shot in Montana Golden Bear winners 1979 drama films Films directed by Richard Pearce American drama films American Playhouse 1970s English-language films 1970s American films