Swarthouts prose and plot flow like the swirling missouri river, deceptively smooth but with dangerous undercurrents. This is the first small thing the character must achieve to succeed in their overall, novellength goal. Spoilers a question about the ending of the homesman. The homesman by michael sragow on november, 2014 tommy lee jones, who reached a midcareer high in the coen brothers adaptation of cormac mccarthys no country for old men and later directed mccarthys novel in dramatic form, the sunset limited, for hbo, has made a movie that declares the nebraska territory in the. He directed it and stars in it along with hilary swank. With tommy lee jones, hilary swank, grace gummer, miranda otto. The homesman is a devastating, humane story of early pioneers to americas west in the 1850s. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the homesman. The frontier of the old west has rarely been evoked as a more miserable, barren land than it is in this melancholy novel by the author of the shootist. She could plow, she could shoot, and she wasnt afraid to take on duties that other men shied away from. The film stars jones and hilary swank and also features meryl streep, grace gummer, miranda otto, hailee steinfeld, john lithgow, and james spader. The westward expansion into the american frontier meant for harrowing condition. The homesman was first printed in 1988, and is highly worthy of its 2014 rerelease.
A homesman must be found to escort a handful of them back east to a sanitarium. The homesman is a remarkable western delving into numerous social issues all but ignored by other films of the genre such as the role of marriage, the churchs role in society, womens role in. The west, as seen in the homesman, is an unforgiving place, with flashes of stark and nightmarish beauty. Elmore leonard no reader should even attempt to guess what happens. The film stars jones and hilary swank and also features meryl streep, grace gummer, miranda otto, hailee steinfeld.
A story about resilience, forgiveness and redemption, the homesman is a wellcast, wellintentioned film that hopefully read better in its original novel form. Hilary swank, tommy lee jones shine in the homesman. They too were on a dangerous journey though good as it was the homesman is an infinitely superior piece of work. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by tommy lee jones, the homesman is a devastating story of early pioneers in 1850s american west. I think this was a labor of love for tommy lee jones, who produced. Dec 04, 2014 a story about resilience, forgiveness and redemption, the homesman is a wellcast, wellintentioned film that hopefully read better in its original novel form. Four women in the isolated frontier territory go mad, and it is up to the unlikely combination of homesteader mary bee cuddy and neerdowell briggs to escort them east to safety. The homesman is a 2014 historical period drama set in the 1850s midwest, directed by tommy lee jones. In pioneer nebraska, a woman leads where no man will go soon to be a major motion picture directed by tommy lee jones, the homesman is a devastating story of early pioneers in 1850s american west. Nov, 2014 in the homesman, a most unromantic american west hilary swank and tommy lee jones play two very different people taking a dangerous trip across the arid plains in a beautifully photographed film. The homesman book synopsis i feel that someone else should have played briggs.
The homesman stars hilary swank and tommy lee jones. In pioneer nebraska, a woman leads where no man will go soon to be a major motion picture directed by. Visually, this film is stunning, and not just on the plains. The homesman went off on a strange tangent and i found myself not really caring how it was going to end. Spoilers a question about the ending of the homesman 2014. Its an unusual story about four women who loose their minds after a hard winter in the nebraska territory in the 1850s. The homesman 2014 stream and watch online moviefone. I purchased the book on amazon cheaper and read it in about three sittings. I think this was a labor of love for tommy lee jones, whomore because of its limited distribution, i was lucky to catch this at our local art theatre. Adapted from a novel by glendon swarthout that i will soon be devouring, the homesman is an unflinching tale of madness and survival in the fruitless, foodless, and mostly heartless grasslands of. A spinster pioneer hilary swank and a brokendown claim jumper tommy lee jones journey east to bring three madwomen back to civilization. Three women who have been driven mad by pioneer life are to be transported across. It is a reverse trajectory of the typical western path, the wildness of the prairies and plains reverting, startlingly, to a tame village perched on the edge of the placid missouri river.
The homesman opens in the 1850s, when early pioneers are doing anything they can to survive dreadful conditions. Adapted from a novel by glendon swarthout that i will soon be devouring, the homesman is an unflinching tale of madness and survival in the fruitless, foodless, and. The homesman book austin public library bibliocommons. I tell friends what the homesman is about and their eyes open wide and they cant.
When three women living on the edge of the american frontier are driven to the brink, the task of saving them from their surroundings falls to independentminded mary bee cuddy swank. The homesman is a 2014 historical drama set in the 1850s midwest, directed by tommy lee jones. Glendon fred swarthout april 8, 1918, near pinckney, michigan september 23, 1992, scottsdale, arizona was an american writer and novelist several of his novels were made into films. I dont understand the ending of the movie and was wondering if anyone else can shed some light on the rest of the movie after tommy lee jones drops off the three women.
This book, the homesman, caught my eye at costco because of the cover. The homesman may be oldfashioned in its bones, but its not a film to be watched and then tidily packed away. Simon and schustersoon to be a major film directed by and starring tommy lee jones and costarring meryl streep, hilary. Nov, 2014 set on the great plains in the mid1800s, the homesman aims for a story thats poignant and told sparely, but comes across as mawkish, tedious and selfindulgent. Im not going to bother seeing the film now, theres simply no need.
John freeman because of its limited distribution, i was lucky to catch this at our local art theatre. In the homesman, why did mary bee hang herself screenprism. His characters are heartwrenchingly believable because they are drawn from truelife pioneer experiences. If you like the homesman you are looking for atmospheric, bleak and tense movies about with revenge, old west, human nature, native american, mental illness, partners and obsessive quest themes of drama and western genre shot in usa or france. In the homesman 2014, mary bee hilary swank was the antithesis of a regular woman in 1850. The journey in tommy lee jones the homesman, based on the 1988 novel by glendon swarthout, travels from west to east, from the unmarked nebraska territory to a town in iowa. I am a fan of tommy lee jones so this piqued my interest. But, the first and last times she speaks in the film, shes proposing to a man who turns her down. Nov 20, 2014 while the homesman looks as traditional as westerns come, with the spirit of john ford breathed through every frame, the films plot, about the brutal and desperate lot of women in frontier life. Three women have lost their minds in the homesman, but honestly, everyone you meet in the film is slightly crazy, the homesman most of all.
One nineteenyearold mother loses her three children to diphtheria in three days. In pioneer nebraska, a woman leads where no man will go soon to be a major motion picture. Nov 14, 2014 when three women living on the edge of the american frontier are driven to the brink, the task of saving them from their surroundings falls to independentminded mary bee cuddy swank. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Glendon fred swarthout april 8, 1918, near pinckney, michigan september 23, 1992, scottsdale, arizona was an american writer and novelist. Im reminded of the two characters in the african queen where a stiffbacked lady katherine hepburn finds herself in the company of a man of similar lowrepute humphrey bogart. It celebrates the ones we hear nothing of the brave women whose hearts and minds were broken by that. Mar 31, 2020 the homesman book synopsis i feel that someone else should have played briggs. In the homesman, hilary swank and tommy lee jones help three women driven to madness by the frontier get back east. It celebrates the ones we hear nothing ofthe brave women whose hearts and minds were broken by that life of bitter hardship. Tommy lee jones in competition western stars hilary swank, john lithgow, james spader, hailee steinfeld and meryl streep.
Mary bee cuddy is a 30ish spinster, tough as nails but yearning for a man, who has set up a nice homestead out near the town of loup, in oklahoma territory. Soon to be a major film directed by and starring tommy lee jones and costarring meryl streep, hilary swank, and john lithgow, this classic western novel captures the devastating realities of early frontier life through the eyes of one extraordinary woman. One of swarthouts skeletons, the old colts, the melodeon, etc. The rough lot handed to women in the old west remains a footnote in the. Women especially struggle with broken hearts and minds as they face bitter hardships. Movies like the homesman if you like the homesman you are looking for atmospheric, bleak and tense movies about with revenge, old west, human nature, native american, mental illness, partners and obsessive quest themes of drama and western genre shot in usa or france. The journey in tommy lee jones the homesman, based on the 1988 novel by glendon swarthout, travels from west to east, from the. Whats worrisome in the homesman is that he takes distressing twists, like briggss revenge on the realestate man, and makes them more brutal than they have to be. Three women who have been driven mad by pioneer life are to be transported across the country by covered wagon by the pious, independentminded mary bee cuddy, who in turn employs lowlife drifter george briggs to assist her. Set on the great plains in the mid1800s, the homesman aims for a story thats poignant and told sparely, but comes across as mawkish, tedious and selfindulgent. Needless to say, it goes horribly wrong and probably leaves them in a. The screenplay by jones, kieran fitzgerald and wesley oliver is based on the 1988 novel of the same name by glendon swarthout. Complete summary of glendon swarthouts the homesman.
Swank and jones are sensational tommy lee joness western about a womans lot on the wild frontier refuses to sugarcoat its subject, and is all the more satisfying for it. The basic plot concerns three women grace gummer, miranda otto and gro svendsen living in the nebraska territory who have taken ill and are now believe to be mentally unstable. Released november 14th, 2014, the homesman stars tommy lee jones, hilary swank, david dencik, william fichtner the r movie has a runtime of about 2. The homesman hilary swank and tommy lee jones go west with volatile cargo. Glendon fred swarthout the homesman is a devastating, humane story of early pioneers to americas west in the 1850s. Books go search best sellers gift ideas new releases deals store.
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