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Hearts of the West

Play trailer Poster for Hearts of the West PG 1975 1h 42m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 45% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
During the 1930s, endearingly naïve Lewis Tater (Jeff Bridges) aspires to be the next great American Western writer. But when he travels to California, he's recruited by Bert Kessler (Alan Arkin), a Hollywood unit manager, to star in a series of low-rent Westerns. While on set, Lewis learns about the less glamorous aspects of the movie business while befriending an old stuntman, Howard Pike (Andy Griffith), and falling in love with a spirited young secretary, Miss Trout (Blythe Danner).
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Hearts of the West

Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker 10/11/2023
Hearts of the West doesn't sell anybody short. Go to Full Review
Richard Combs Sight & Sound 03/17/2020
For all that Zieff assembles these solid ingredients with a minimum of fuss, he does have a way of turning the simplest device to quietly expressive use. Go to Full Review
Geoff Andrew Time Out 06/24/2006
The jokes may not make you guffaw, but are carried out with a subtle, understated sense of timing and characterisation that will surely leave you with a quietly satisfied smile stretching from ear to ear. Go to Full Review
R.H. Gardner Baltimore Sun Nov 22
Jeff Bridges is, as always, engaging. Go to Full Review
Steve Warren The Barb (Atlanta) 05/09/2023
The film's really outstanding performance is that of Andy Griffith. Go to Full Review
Jacoba Atlas Los Angeles Free Press 11/22/2019
Like the best of Frank Capra's films... Hearts of the West unabashedly sides with the angels and makes no apologies for its lack of sophistication or cynicism. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Stephen C @bob25009 Jun 30 Funny in 1 hour and 42 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more CodyZamboni Z 07/07/2024 Nice time capsule of Western poverty row movie making, When the film sticks with this nostalgic era, it's solid entertainment. But there's the annoying subbplot of the criminal chasing Jeff Bridges, That was unnecessary, and shouldve been edited out. See more KB B @Okbullard 04/22/2024 It was pretty good. Watch it if you're in the mood for something light and there's nothing else on. It's so odd seeing Andy Griffith cast as a bad guy and using foul language. See more Frances H 10/21/2020 Light, warm-hearted comedy about a naive young man straight off an Iowa farm trying to break into writing and filling in as a movie extra to make ends meet. A very enjoyable film. See more 10/08/2020 there's no such thing as wasted time for a writer in Hollywood and thats what Lewis Tater is all about Jeff Bridges, Andy Griffith, and Alan Arkin are in the 1930's, Lewis wants to be a great writer for the industry but when he gets to California it's not what he expected he gets to work in a less glamorous way appearing in short Westerns Bert Kesslar, a unit manager hires him but expects more from his talent Lewis also falls for a young secretary meanwhile Lewis is also running from two hostile bandits he encountered at a hotel and it turns into a wacky chase I appreciate this being a tribute to b-western pictures of old. The movie is pretty derivative but there's a funny chase going throughout the whole thing. But it also opens up hidden corruption in the filmmaking business and how straining it is to just make it. See more 02/21/2018 For all its flaws, this is still a very entertaining film. See more Read all reviews
Hearts of the West

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Movie Info

Synopsis During the 1930s, endearingly naïve Lewis Tater (Jeff Bridges) aspires to be the next great American Western writer. But when he travels to California, he's recruited by Bert Kessler (Alan Arkin), a Hollywood unit manager, to star in a series of low-rent Westerns. While on set, Lewis learns about the less glamorous aspects of the movie business while befriending an old stuntman, Howard Pike (Andy Griffith), and falling in love with a spirited young secretary, Miss Trout (Blythe Danner).
Director
Howard Zieff
Producer
Tony Bill
Screenwriter
Robert C. Thompson
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 42m
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