''Winter People'' is a 1989 American romantic-drama film directed by

Ted Kotcheff William Theodore Kotcheff (born April 7, 1931) is a Bulgarian-Canadian film and television director, writer and producer, known primarily for his work on British and American television productions such as ''Armchair Theatre'' and '' Law & Order ...

, and starring

Kurt Russell Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the Westerns on television, western series ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV series), The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (19 ...

and

Kelly McGillis Kelly Ann McGillis (born July 9, 1957) is an American stage actress. She is known for her film roles such as Rachel Lapp in ''Witness'' (1985), for which she received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations; Charlie in ''Top Gun'' (1986); ''Made in ...

. It is based on the novel by

John Ehle John Marsden Ehle, Jr. (December 13, 1925 – March 24, 2018) was an American writer known best for his fiction set in the Appalachian Mountains of the American South. He has been described as "the father of Appalachian literature". Life and c ...

. Wayland Jackson, a widower with a young daughter, moves to a small, impoverished mountain village in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, circa 1934. They are taken in by Collie Wright, a single mother, and she and Wayland soon fall in love.

Plot

Young widowed clockmaker Wayland Jackson and his 12-year-old daughter, Paula, enter a small Depression-era community in the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

literally by accident. Wayland becomes acquainted with Collie Wright (a single mother with a newborn child, Jonathan) who gives them shelter from the cold. As he becomes more familiar to the villagers, Wayland tries to persuade them that he could build a beautiful clock for the public square. His proposal is met with considerable skepticism, and then he is given the town's consent. He is attracted to Collie, but their lives are threatened by family members from the Wright family's rival clan, the Campbells, led by patriarch Drury. The youngest son, Cole, is the father of Collie's baby. Cole wanted to run away with Collie but ultimately left her, fearing Drury's wrath. One night, Cole Campbell arrives in Collie's cabin, and goes into a violent rage once he learns of Collie and Wayland's relationship. Wayland and Cole get into a fistfight in the frozen pond near the cabin. Cole is found dead the next morning, whereupon his relatives demand that the Wrights now owe them a life. To save the lives of her brothers and Jackson, Collie gives them Cole's child. Wayland and Collie soon are engaged. Wayland confronts the Campbells and attempts to persuade Drury and his clan to end their feud with the Wrights, but they chase him away. The following spring, Drury appears at the pair's wedding and returns Jonathan to his mother.

Cast

as Wayland Jackson *

as Collie Wright *

Lloyd Bridges Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. (January 15, 1913 – March 10, 1998) was an American film, stage and television actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. He was the father of four children, includi ...

as William Wright *

Mitchell Ryan Mitchell Ryan (January 11, 1934 – March 4, 2022) was an American film, television, and stage actor, who in his six decades of television is known for playing Burke Devlin in the 1960s gothic soap opera ''Dark Shadows'', and later for his co- ...

as Drury Campbell *

Jeffrey Meek Jeffrey William Meek (born February 11, 1959) is an American actor. Meek and his family moved often; as a child, Meek lived in Zweibrücken (Germany), Michigan, and San Francisco. Meek graduated from Arlington High School in Riverside, Califor ...

as Cole Campbell *

Don Michael Paul Donald Michael Paul (born April 17, 1963) is an actor, director, writer, and producer. Biography He starred in the films '' Heart of Dixie'' and '' Rich Girl'' with Jill Schoelen and appeared in ''Aloha Summer''. He wrote the screenplay for ' ...

as Young Wright *

Lanny Flaherty Lanny Flaherty (born July 27, 1942) is an American actor. Career He has given his most memorable performances in ''Lonesome Dove'', ''Natural Born Killers'', '' Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2'' and '' Signs''. Flaherty attended University of S ...

as Gudger Wright *

Eileen Ryan Eileen Ryan (; October 16, 1927 – October 9, 2022) was an American actress. The wife of actor and director Leo Penn, she was the mother of actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn, and of singer Michael Penn. Life and career Ryan was born in the Br ...

as Annie Wright * Amelia Burnette as Paula Jackson * David Dwyer as Milton Wright

Reception

Critical response

''Winter People'' was poorly received by critics and has an overall approval rating of 20% on Rotten Tomatoes.

References

;Notes

External links

* * * * * 1989 films Castle Rock Entertainment films Columbia Pictures films Films set in the 1930s 1989 romantic drama films American independent films Films directed by Ted Kotcheff Films shot in North Carolina Films set in North Carolina American romantic drama films Films based on American novels Films scored by John Scott (composer) 1989 independent films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films {{romantic-drama-film-stub