Heartland

PG

Released Sep 22, 1979

1h 36m

Western

List

100%

5 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Plucky widow Elinore Randall (Conchata Ferrell) and her young daughter, Jerrine (Megan Folson), travel to Montana at the dawn of the 20th century so that Elinore can take a job running the household of gruff, undemonstrative rancher Clyde Stewart (Rip Torn). Though the Wild West days have faded into the recent past, life in the mountainous area remains difficult. Still, Elinore and Clyde form a quiet but loving bond in the face of backbreaking labor and unexpected adversity.

Read More

Read Less

Peacock

Audience Member

One of the warmest Westerns I've found. In saying that it also has two extremely brutal scenes of animal cruelty, so proceed with caution – however these are both in the context of rancher/farming life. If you can stomach this it's well worth checking out. A solid 5/5.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the best movies I've ever seen. The characters were real and believable, the storyline was moving, the actors lived their roles. Nothing sappy here, nor depressing. Just life as it was in a hard land at a difficult time. A mailorder bride and her daughter arrive and work side by side with her new husband through all the challenges of life. The ending could have been depressing, but was instead upbeat and hopeful. I highly recommend it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

My wife and I loved this movie. Its a sleeper. Take a shot, you won't regret it

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Quietly moving story of life in Wyoming and the hardship of life there, the rough kindness and the need for human companionship. It's hard to explain--but would be very good for a story showing life out in the west before the turn of the century.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Rip Torn and Conchata Ferrell give very realistic, unsentimental performances. Beautiful Montana stands in for Wyoming in one of the hardest winters I've ever lived through. A beautiful film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Delicate and beautiful. I remember seeing it with my mother at the little Garberville movie theater in Humbolt County on a Wednesday night, a school night. It's a lovely little film, simple story, with terrific performances by Conchata Farrell and Rip Torn. It brings back fond memories of my own heartland.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Richard Pearce

Director

Rip Torn

Clyde Stewart

Conchata Ferrell

Elinore Randall Stewart

Barry Primus

Jack

Lilia Skala

Mrs. Landauer

Megan Folson

Jerrine

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

67%

54%

Comes a Horseman

100%

77%

The Grey Fox

TRAILER

for The Grey Fox

17%

51%

The White Buffalo

81%

88%

The Shootist

100%

71%

Barbarosa

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Now Streaming: The Walking Dead, Grimm, Empire, HTGAWM, And More

View more photos

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Rated: 4/4

Oct 23, 2004

Full Review

Phil Hall

Examiner.com

An intelligent and invigorating production, blessed by an extraordinary performance from Conchata Ferrell.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 24, 2015

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A robust and authentic look at the everyday mundane struggles on the frontier.

Rated: B

Sep 24, 2008

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Unlike other films of the "farming" cycle (Country, Places in the Heart) casting the lead with a newcomer (Conchata Ferrell), who didn't look like an actress, added to the film's authenticity.

Rated: B

Dec 4, 2006

Full Review

Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

Rated: 4/5

Oct 26, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Plucky widow Elinore Randall (Conchata Ferrell) and her young daughter, Jerrine (Megan Folson), travel to Montana at the dawn of the 20th century so that Elinore can take a job running the household of gruff, undemonstrative rancher Clyde Stewart (Rip Torn). Though the Wild West days have faded into the recent past, life in the mountainous area remains difficult. Still, Elinore and Clyde form a quiet but loving bond in the face of backbreaking labor and unexpected adversity.

Director: Richard Pearce
Rating: PG
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 22, 1979, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 14, 2017
Runtime: 1h 36m

Most Popular at Home Now