Places in the Heart

Of the three "mortgage on the farm" films of 1984 (Country and The River were the other two), Places in the Heart is the only one set during the Depression. After her husband is killed, Sally Field is forced to take over the debt-ridden Texas family farm herself. Though slightly embittered by the ...more

Places in the Heart is an intensely personal family drama from writer-director Robert Benton, set and shot in his hometown of Waxahachie, Texas. The film avoids overt sentimentality, thanks in large part to the outstanding central performance of Sally Field, who would receive her second Best Actress Oscar in the Captain Ahab-ish role of a Depression-era widow determined to save her family's farm. Field is surrounded by a wealth of talented supporting players, including married Ed Harris and Amy ...more