Review of Places in the Heart (1984) by Brody M — 16 Apr 2011

Robert Benton directed this nice, slice-of-life film about the citizens in Waxahachie, Texas, during the Great Depression. Sally Field won her second Oscar playing Edna Spalding, a widow who must support her farm singlehandedly, until she recruits the help from a wandering black man named Moses (Danny Glover) and the blind brother-in-law to the local banker (John Malkovich).

The three, plus Edna's two young children, must support the farm, to prevent it from being taken away. This portion of the film is far and away the best part, but there is another subplot concerning Edna's sister Margaret (Lindsay Crouse) and her poisoned relationship with her cheating husband (Ed Harris).

Crouse and Harris play their parts wonderfully, but their storyline distracts from the far more interested and more emotionally invested one concerning Edna and her farm. Sally Field is terrific here, breathing life into a part that could have been incredibly stale in the hands of a lesser actress, and the rest of the cast is very good as well, especially Malkovich, whose sensitive portrayal of a blind man won him a deserved Oscar nomination.

Overall, Benton has crafted a sufficiently moving, unimposing film which has some nice things to say about community, even if it's a bit uneven and is plagued with a terrible title.