Three women who have been driven mad by pioneer life are to be transported across the country by covered wagon by the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy, who in turn employs low-life d... Read allThree women who have been driven mad by pioneer life are to be transported across the country by covered wagon by the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy, who in turn employs low-life drifter George Briggs to assist her.Three women who have been driven mad by pioneer life are to be transported across the country by covered wagon by the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy, who in turn employs low-life drifter George Briggs to assist her.
- Awards
- 5 wins & 14 nominations
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaGlendon Swarthout's novel was published in 1988. Paul Newman owned the rights, and wanted to direct the film himself. After several failed scripts, he gave up.
- GoofsDuring the Indian attack, every shot of the carriage has mountains in the background. The road from Nebraska to Iowa is nowhere near any mountains.
- Quotes
Tabitha Hutchinson: Who is Mary Bee Cuddy?
George Briggs: Mary Bee Cuddy was as fine a woman as ever walked. You'll never know her.
Tabitha Hutchinson: Well then, so what?
George Briggs: Oh. You are the living breathing reason she will never be lost. That's what I'm talkin'.
Tabitha Hutchinson: You're a strange man.
George Briggs: I expect I am. Why don't we marry?
Tabitha Hutchinson: Maybe.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Film '72: Episode dated 19 November 2014 (2014)
- SoundtracksRosalie The Prairie Flower
Music & Lyrics by George Frederick Root (as George Fredrick Root)
Performed by Hilary Swank
There have been hundreds of relatively good westerns produced in the past half century where the hero and heroine remain strong and stoic whilst riding through the barren lands their suits and dresses remain pressed and in pristine condition while their hair is coiffed perfectly, and miraculously the heroine's makeup never dries, cracks or runs. Well such is not the case in the Homesman.
Hilary Swank has never been afraid to shed the glamor of Hollywood and for her role as the stubborn, single, and capable farmer Mary Bee Cuddy the potential suitors that she asks to marry her turn her down and explain that she is far too plain looking, sexless, and too controlling in nature. So Mary Bee Cuddy agrees to make the arduous journey across the western plains maybe in the hope of finding a suitor in Idaho as she has run out of potential suitors in Nebraska and seems to be losing hope in raising a family on her own farm in Nebraska.
As Mary Bee Cuddy commences her journey she comes across someone even more homely and desperate than herself in the name of aging drifter George Briggs who is within minutes of losing his life at the end of a rope for illegally claiming mining rights to another persons staked property. The terms set forth by Mary Bee Cuddy before she will agree to free George Briggs from his futile situation and imminent death by hanging are simple. He must first agree to travel across the western plains of Nebraska to assist Mary Bee Cuddy in the transportation of three insane women to a church in Idaho where they will receive the care and attention they will require to survive.
And so the two hardened caretakers and their three insane passengers set out on their journey which I found to be not like any other western I had previously seen. This is not a humorous and light hearted western but a tough, grueling, and sad journey with what I was surprised provided unexpected results. Some people may not be happy with the last 30 minutes of this feature film, but this is actually where writer/actor/director Tommy Lee Jones hooked me with what I felt was a good feature film that ended strongly.
There are numerous cameos throughout the film including standout performances by Tim Blake Nelson as a lonesome cowboy, John Lithgow as Reverend Dowd, and Jesse Plemons as a derelict husband to one of the insane women. Look for mother Meryl Streep in Idaho as the Reverends wife Altha Carter who enjoys sharing the screen with her real life daughter Grace Gummer who plays one of the three insane women Arabella Sours.
I give the film a good 7 out of 10 rating.
- Ed-Shullivan
- May 10, 2015
- How long is The Homesman?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $16,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,429,989
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $45,433
- Nov 16, 2014
- Gross worldwide
- $3,819,421
- Runtime2 hours 2 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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