Places In The Heart Details

A beautifully paced and sumptuously shot heart-twanger that won Sally Field a richly deserved best actress Oscar, even if her acceptance speech will go down in the annals of excessive luvviedom. Field is wonderfully moving as the feisty, sorely tried small-town farmer battling the Depression as well as her emotions, and there's a fine supporting cast that includes John Malkovich, Danny Glover and Amy Madigan. Written and directed by Robert Benton, who won an Oscar for his screenplay, this is a lovingly crafted homage to the community values of his Texas home town. At the time, some cynics sneered at the sucrose level, but it's a hard heart that doesn't melt.

All-American saga with asides including the Ku Klux Klan; though based on the author's recollections of childhood, it all seems predictable.