A Thousand Acres (1997)

Director:

Jocelyn Moorhouse

Writers (WGA):

Jane Smiley (novel)
Laura Jones (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Best friends. Bitter rivals. Sisters.

Plot:

"King Lear" set on a farm in Iowa.

Plot Keywords:

Seduction | Disinheritance | Narration | Child Abandonment | Lawyer

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Rose Cook Lewis
Jessica Lange	...	Ginny Cook Smith
Jason Robards	...	Larry Cook
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Caroline Cook
Colin Firth	...	Jess Clark
Keith Carradine	...	Ty Smith
Kevin Anderson	...	Peter Lewis
Pat Hingle	...	Harold Clark
John Carroll Lynch	...	Ken LaSalle
Anne Pitoniak	...	Mary Livingstone
Vyto Ruginis	...	Charles Carter
Michelle Williams	...	Pammy
Elisabeth Moss	...	Linda
Ray Toler	...	Marv Carson
Kenneth Tigar	...	Doctor

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexual language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Denmark:7 | USA:R (certificate #35105) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:R(A) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Illinois, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Based loosely on William Shakespeare's "King Lear".

Quotes:

Larry Cook: You can't have children, but you, Rose, your children will laugh when you die.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Harleys & Horses

Surprisingly good

I didn't actually have high hopes for this film because I had read some critics reviews when it first came out. I have not read the novel either. I thought the film was very well done and was moved by it. I agree that many of the supporting characters are underdeveloped but I could overlook that because I knew what was motivating the main characters. The two lead actresses are brilliant, especially Jessica Lange, who deserved an Oscar nomination for this. I loved the way her character slowly changed through the movie and Lange can evoke so much emotion in the viewer with something as small as a hand gesture. Pfieffer is strong as well although the story mainly revolves around Ginny and I don't really see why Pfieffer gets first billing here. I strongly recommend the film, espeically on dvd.