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Desert Hearts

Play trailer Poster for Desert Hearts R 1985 1h 36m Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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77% Tomatometer 92 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
A New York professor (Helen Shaver) divorces her husband and has an affair with another woman (Patricia Charbonneau) in 1959 Reno.
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Desert Hearts

Critics Reviews

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Sight & Sound Staff Sight & Sound The film deftly explores tensions in the traditional family, and in heterosexual relationships: life, it suggests, is full of positive alternatives, platonic, romantic and sexual. Oct 13, 2025 Full Review Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times The movie is all for risk, in the name of attraction; for all its love of risk, it is a remarkably old-fashioned, cliché-ridden work. Oct 13, 2025 Full Review Mike Clark USA Today A monotonous comedy-drama, though the setting is a plus. Rated: 2/4 Oct 13, 2025 Full Review Steve Warren Bay Area Reporter If you’ve been thirsting for a good lesbian love story, Desert Hearts is a real oasis. It may just reach in and put a string of lights around (your) heart. Oct 13, 2025 Full Review David-Elijah Nahmod Bay Area Reporter [Deitch] has made a simple coming-out-of-the closet story, and has laced it with wit, humor, and intelligence. Oct 13, 2025 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Donna Deitch's Desert Hearts was a rare thing in 1985 and, sadly, still a rare thing in 2017; it's a grown-up drama about two flawed, intelligent women who fall in love, and maybe get to be happy in the end. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 13, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 36 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $2,500,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/04/25 Full Review Sarah G Really wanted to like this one, but boy did it ever drag. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/25 Full Review Audience Member Stumbled across this movie when I was fifteen, fell deeply in love with it and craved a romance depicted in it. Years and Years later; still in deep love with it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/27/24 Full Review Daniele R One of my favorite movies of all time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/15/24 Full Review Debra B Loved it. Haven't seen this movie since the 80s and it really holds up. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/29/23 Full Review PridePosterStudios Let’s clear something up: calling Desert Hearts the lesbian Brokeback Mountain is an INSULT to this beautiful film. Thank you. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/26/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Desert Hearts

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis A New York professor (Helen Shaver) divorces her husband and has an affair with another woman (Patricia Charbonneau) in 1959 Reno.
Director
Donna Deitch
Producer
Donna Deitch
Screenwriter
Natalie Cooper
Production Co
The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Rating
R
Genre
Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 16, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.5M
Runtime
1h 36m
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