Desert Hearts [VHS] Overview
When college professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives in Reno in 1959 to get a quickie divorce, the last thing on her mind is romance. A prim intellectual, crippled by a sterile marriage ("We're a professional couple") and hiding behind her education, she moves into a ranch belonging to Frances Parker (Audra Lindley) and tries to keep to herself. But Parker's beautiful, sassy tomboy of a stepdaughter proves to be quite a distraction, and a love affair slowly blossoms. Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) refuses to be bound by convention or by expectations of how a nice girl should behave, and her devil-may-care attitude both attracts and terrifies the nervous professor.
Shaver is terrific as Vivian, and the slow thawing of her character is beautifully paced--you can feel the tension break when she finally lets down her guard. Another strong performance comes from Audra Lindley as Frances. She's a tough old bird with a drinking problem, but Lindley keeps the character from descending into stereotype, and she gives full rein to the tragic side of this lonely woman, especially as she struggles with her reaction to the developing relationship between Cay and Vivian.
There are scenes in Desert Hearts that would be painfully clichéd if they appeared in a heterosexual romance, and even here they only just escape that fate--relying a little too much on significant glances and lines that just don't sound like real conversation. Nevertheless, first-time director Deitch breathes new life into a standard straight-arrow-meets-free-spirit plot, and steadfastly refuses to turn this love story into an "issues movie." Add to that a strong feel for the period and a soundtrack filled with the likes of Patsy Cline and Gene Vincent, and the result is a warm, well-acted film that packs a real emotional punch. --Simon Leake
Customer Reviews
The love of a woman is an Enlightenment without money, without a doubt superior to others for its durability, strength and wisdom. Most of the film shows the loving relationship between men ends in tragedy, sad, and often death by suicide in prison or creditors, or even execution. I firmly believe that it is really unfair, the attraction between women labeled as forbidden love story. What is the damage it can cause to mankind? Virtually none to be known throughout human historyHistory. The men threatened again and again women freedom for the people of their own problems with love selfish women who want to have. I predict the end of human civilization come first, if not corrected our attitude. In fact, there were more women than men on earth. Something women should have greater ownership of this planet. There are 103 women per 100 men, always. We give impartial assistance 3 women of camaraderie. If they want to choose another woman. Let pursuingtheir freedom to do. It 'been a great relief to me that there was cruelty, such as intimidation or violence to silence Cay and Vivian, and the film with a certain hope that it will meet again finished in the future. free spirit personality Cay played by Patricia Charbonneau was impressive and refreshing. All this makes the film very interesting and worthy praise.Every girl dreams of being dragged into a great adventure, the beautiful daughter. Unfortunately, ifThe women grow, they are often overwhelmed in a life full of claims, obligations and responsibilities. Many women are tired, struggling under the absurd pressure of being a faithful servant, or a caregiver for children, husband or father, and the like.
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