Places in the Heart

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Places in the Heart

PG,

1984,

1h 51m,

Drama

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Watchlist

90%

41 Reviews

Tomatometer

83%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In 1935 rural Texas, recently widowed Edna Spalding struggles to survive with two small children, a farm to run and very little money in the bank -- not to mention a deadly tornado and the unwelcome presence of the Ku Klux Klan. Edna is aided by her beautician sister, Margaret; a blind boarder, Mr. Will; and a would-be thief, Moze, who decides to stick around to teach Edna how to plant and harvest cotton.

Critics Consensus

Places in the Heart is a quiet character piece with grand ambitions that it more than fulfills, thanks to absorbing work from writer-director Robert Benton and a tremendous cast.

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Judy Stone

San Francisco Chronicle

Dec 8, 2025

4/4

Director Robert Benton weaves the strands of his characters' lives in a memorable and moving fashion. It's extraordinary in its grace, beauty and suggestion of reconciliation and forgiveness.

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Catharine Rambeau

Detroit Free Press

Dec 8, 2025

9/10

John Malkovich gives an Academy Award-caliber performance, and a fine cast make this an extraordinary film experience.

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Megan Rosenfeld

Washington Post

Mar 23, 2020

You must simply accept the flood of emotion and let it wash over you, because the tears are jerked by performances that are informed by intelligence and taste as well as emotional honesty.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Feb 9, 2026

3.5/4

...a slow-moving yet increasingly absorbing drama that benefits from Field’s often mesmerizing turn as the sympathetic protagonist...

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 14, 2025

4/4

Even in a year that included the formidable likes of Amadeus, Stop Making Sense, and The Terminator, this earns my vote as the best picture of 1984.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Jan 17, 2025

9/10

The performances all around are tremendous.

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Feb 2, 2019

The best inspiring movie ever made!

Abraham S

May 2, 2018

Not without some effective moments but Benton could have excised the tedious subplots and lost nothing. In fact he could have used that extra time to flesh out all three of his main characters.

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Theodore P

Apr 14, 2018

One of the best (not overtly) Christian films ever made. I saw it first run in Munich, Germany, and the last scene in church (viewers, pay attention) left me so emotionally overwrought that I didn't leave the theatre until 45 minutes later.

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Luke P

Feb 27, 2018

Malkovitch's performance is very moving here; Quite stunning presence & character.

Han L

Jun 29, 2017

A sad yet moving film. The love sub plot distracts from the whole. A great song in "cotton eye joe" was on there.

Albus L

Jun 20, 2017

Robert Benton's inspiringly uplifting eulogy to the resilience and compassion of the impoverished Texans of his hometown in the midst of the Great Depression and racial segregation.

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Robert Benton

Director

Sally Field

Edna Spalding

Lindsay Crouse

Margaret Lomax

John Malkovich

Mr. Will

Ed Harris

Wayne Lomax

Amy Madigan

Viola Kelsey

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Synopsis

In 1935 rural Texas, recently widowed Edna Spalding struggles to survive with two small children, a farm to run and very little money in the bank -- not to mention a deadly tornado and the unwelcome presence of the Ku Klux Klan. Edna is aided by her beautician sister, Margaret; a blind boarder, Mr. Will; and a would-be thief, Moze, who decides to stick around to teach Edna how to plant and harvest cotton.

Director: Robert Benton
Producer: Arlene Donovan
Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Production Co: Delphi II, TriStar Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 21, 1984, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2014
Runtime: 1h 51m

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