Places in the Heart Reviews

Set in Texas in 1930, this film stars Sally Field as Edna Spalding, a mother of two whose lawman-husband has just been killed by a drunk. Near penniless, she is stunned to learn that the bank is about to foreclose on her property, which includes a 40-acre cotton field. Determined to keep her home, she decides to plant and harvest the cotton, though she's ill equipped to do so. She hires wandering laborer Moze (Danny Glover) to help and takes in blind boarder Mr. Will (John Malkovich) to generate some cash, and the little group struggles to make a go of it. Director Robert Benton (KRAMER VS. KRAMER) effectively re-creates depression-era Texas in this moving tale that landed the second Oscar for Field (her first came for NORMA RAE). Malkovich's terrific performance generated an Oscar nomination, while Benton was nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay, winning the latter. The film was also nominated as Best Picture but lost to AMADEUS.