Review of The Homesman (2014) by Randall M — 14 Dec 2014

(Note, some spoilers within) Very good, realistic, entertaining film. Great photography and no doubt realistic to the era. Women, married and taken away from fairly modern civilized east into the harsh midwestern farm lands. That no doubt drove many women into breakdowns. With no birth control, for many women their disposal of newborns were the only option after giving birth and knowing well they could not properly raise a child in such harsh conditions just to later watch it suffer. Termination of unwanted birth and newborns was looked on as mercy killing. Not wanting to watch the child starve, grow ill, suffer, and eventually die in the harsh farmlands of the midwest. Treating an unwanted birth like an unwanted kitten, to put it to death, was no doubt done quite often and with no legal ramifications. This type of conduct should not be that shocking, rather, the true harsh reality with surviving during that era in such a harsh environment. Not only an very entertaining film, but more factual than people of today can or will accept or admit to.

And as for Meryl Streep, sure her role was brief in this film, but the character played very essential to the story line. Her character was on spot and just enough to do what was intended. This was not meant to be a Meryl Streep film. Meryl Streep was not meant to be a main character. Sorry Strep fans for the letdown. Swank and Jones were the main characters.

Even in todays world, a husband forcing his new bride, removing any well adjusted woman from her base within any major metropolis like N.Y. then forced into a small backwards midwestern town environment, that might easily drive any woman nuts. Remember, during that era a woman had little to say about her husbands wishes. Women were submissive to the man back in those days and that was the hard cold reality of marriage.

No doubt a lot of marriages back then and of today have ended because of undue pressures with making such a drastic change. Nothing new in that. Things aren't really so different today.

And today, modern birth control would provide the same results compared to women surviving during that harsh era. Women had their reasons then, and their reasons today, for so called birth control or the controlling of when to have a family. And with such harsh dismal living conditions, the man of that era wanted and insisted on a male child. The male child was desired as an asset. Taking on that burden of raising a child, where the parents are simply not able to, and the survival of a child would be grim indeed, made for some hard decisions. Something few can imagine in todays world.

A very well done film with great cast and acting. Entertaining plot throughout. Sometimes reality is hard to accept. People lived from day to day and faced death a every turn. Why do you think it was called the "wild west" ??? Those midwestern families were very isolated, faced an extremely harsh environment, nearly starvation, and barely survived. The future was always an unknown. One failed crop or dry well for water could mean loss of livestock, loss of a child, and loss of the entire family. One never knew if they or their family or their livestock could or would survive another harsh Winter. And then, to bring a child into that environment was a very hard decision. And women had little options with an unwanted pregnancy. There was no birth control. Only the option to address an unwanted birth after the fact of both. Shocking, but true.

And it should be obvious why Swank took her own life. She wanted a marriage but realized she simply could not have that wish. And to go on living in such a harsh environment, alone and not as strong as others thought she was, Swank concluded facing her future was acceptable. Few women survived in that era and in such harsh environments as a single woman. Marriage was not romance, marriage was survival. Marriage was an necessity, and not an option.

An incredible realistic entertaining film with a great cast and great acting from all. Certainly not boring. If you want rainbows and fake happy endings, stick with Disney. How those midwestern families survived such unknowns and harsh times is absolutely amazing.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MUST SEE.