What does the homesman say about womens roles in frontier. All kinds of grit to be savoured here tommy lee jones and hilary swank spark off each other like flinty knives in this elegantly elegiac and magnificently mean western. Anyone who imagines that a homesteaders life on americas great plains was all little house on the prairie hasnt tried it. A period drama with a stellar cast, based on the glendon swarhout novel. Women are the center of the action, women drive the action forward, women are not only damsels in distress but heroic figures of grit and courage sometimes in the same. But if youve really honed in on the homesman, youll be shaken. I am a fan of tommy lee jones so this piqued my interest. Set in the unforgiving landscape of 1850 nebraska the movie follows the experiences of several people trying to cope with the isolation and brutality of nineteenth century frontier. Its a perfect ending to a movie that isnt perfect, but easily one of year. A strongwilled woman recruits a loathsome drifter to help transport three insane women across the unforgiving nebraska territories so that they may find sanctuary with a compassionate minister and his wife in this drama directed and cowritten by tommy lee jones. 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.
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. Its also possible that additionally an instrumental version of the music is used here. It was a what an odd and ultimately disappointing read this was. 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. Hailee steinfeld joins tommy lee jones frontier pic the. In the homesman 2014, mary bee hilary swank was the antithesis of a regular woman in 1850. 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. Complete summary of glendon swarthouts the homesman. Even this woman who goes against the portrait of an 1850s housewife was still being eaten away inside by her inability to find a husband, have children, and become a. Its an unusual story about four women who loose their minds after a hard winter in the nebraska territory in the 1850s. While the homesman breaks away from western tropes and stereotypes to follow a powerful, strongwilled woman, it maintains its honesty when mary bee finally takes her own life. Depression, madness and sympathy in 19thcentury nebraska make for a confident, insightful film.
Spend six months trapped inside a dark sodhouse with sickly children, your food and firewood running low, and your nearest neighbor many. The homesman is a dark, complex story of gender issues and changing conventions on the frontier, and in an era that sees this genre fading, jones has made a western winner. 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. Its really difficult for authors to come up with a twist in a storyline whichmore the fact that this story made a hard left turn is what set it apart. Why hilary swank breaks your heart in the homesman. With tommy lee jones, hilary swank, grace gummer, miranda otto. However, mary bee is overcome eventually by the harsh environment and cruel society in which she struggles to survive. Playing a single, selfsufficient farmer, hilary swank takes on the responsibility of escorting three women driven mad by the brutalities of. Alternating between tragedy and dark comedy, the homesman cowritten and directed by tommy lee jones is a beautifully made film, showcasing the harsh struggles and difficult times faced by women in the wild west. Spoilers a question about the ending of the homesman 2014. Its really difficult for authors to come up with a twist in a storyline which isnt predictable and somewhat expected. But, the first and last times she speaks in the film, shes proposing to a man who turns her down. The screenplay by jones, kieran fitzgerald and wesley oliver is based on the 1988 novel of the same name by glendon swarthout. The homesman stars hilary swank and tommy lee jones the.
Now shes set to return to the frontier in the homesman, opposite tommy lee. One of swarthouts skeletons, the old colts, the melodeon, etc. 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. A homesman must be found to escort a handful of them back east to a sanitarium. Awards hopefuls foxcatcher and the homesman begin their theatrical runs. The film stars jones and hilary swank and also features meryl streep, grace gummer, miranda otto, hailee steinfeld, john lithgow, and james spader.
Heres how to solve this problem without ruining the books spine. Nov 14, 2014 the point of the homesman, directed by tommy lee jones and based on glendon swarthouts novel of the same name, is not that these adjectives are inappropriate. Directed and cowritten by jones, the homesman is emotionally brutal, unapologetically cynical and utterly thrilling. Spend six months trapped inside a dark sodhouse with sickly children, your food and firewood running low, and your nearest neighbor many miles away so you are forced to deliver your baby.
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. Jul 25, 2018 book breaking and book mending most academic books arent written to be readtheyre written to be broken. This book, the homesman, caught my eye at costco because of the cover. This was an honor also given to the three burials of melquiades estrada back in 2006.
Tommy lee jones rustles up fine feminist western, 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. 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. The regarding teasers trailers tvspots may use an modified enhanced remastered version of the mentioned music. The homesman is a 2014 historical drama set in the 1850s midwest, directed by tommy lee jones.
May 18, 2014 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. I purchased the book on amazon cheaper and read it in about three sittings. A rare 21stcentury western without shootouts or explosions, the welldirected the homesman based on a novel by the author of. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The homesman examines the human condition at a much more primal, and pure, level than can be constrained by modern political labels and ideologies. The homesman by glendon swarthout overdrive rakuten. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the homesman.
All kinds of grit to be savoured here tommy lee jones and hilary swank spark off each other like flinty knives in. 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. If you have a chance to see the homesman, do check it out. Then, when the ending starts to turn things around, a couple final scenes pull the rug out from the viewer again. This weekends onslaught of smaller new films will have awards contenders and big names to jostle with at the box office. Originally slated to have its world premiere at the sxsw film festival before it was canceled due to the coronavirus, the crime thriller the silencing starring nikolaj costerwaldau and annabelle wallis has been acquired by saban films for u. The homesman is a 2014 historical period drama set in the 1850s midwest, directed by tommy lee jones. Book breaking and book mending most academic books arent written to be readtheyre written to be broken. Why hilary swank breaks your heart in the homesman indiewire. The homesman jordan hoffman 05182014 you are a man of low character. Nov 12, 2014 a rare 21stcentury western without shootouts or explosions, the welldirected the homesman based on a novel by the author of the shootist paints a striking portrait of two. Break in a hardcover book without ruining the spine. The homesman went off on a strange tangent and i found myself not really caring how it was going to end. 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 pioneers in the american west through the eyes of one extraordinary woman.
In the homesman, why did mary bee hang herself screenprism. The homesman stars hilary swank and tommy lee jones. 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. Jones is also wise enough to step into the supporting role, giving swank room to do her best stuff as mary bee, an extraordinary woman whos as strong as a man yet full of yearning and forever. John freeman because of its limited distribution, i was lucky to catch this at our local art theatre. Nov 14, 2014 the west, as seen in the homesman, is an unforgiving place, with flashes of stark and nightmarish beauty. What does the homesman say about womens roles in frontier america related. 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.
Joness the homesman the best western since unforgiven. Mockingjay part 1, the homesman, winter sleep and get on up. The point of the homesman, directed by tommy lee jones and based on glendon swarthouts novel of the same name, is not that these adjectives are inappropriate. Mar 06, 1988 the homesman went off on a strange tangent and i found myself not really caring how it was going to end. 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.
Hailee steinfeld held her own among a cast of grizzled veterans in true grit and earned an oscar nod for it. Thats just about the worst thing mary bee cuddy could ever say to a person. The film stars jones and hilary swank and also features meryl streep, grace gummer, miranda otto, hailee steinfeld. She employs a feisty lowlife drifter, george biggs jones, to join her. Robert belew the fact that this story made a hard left turn is what set it apart. Maybe this cast alone will be all the reason you need to give the film a go. Spoilers a question about the ending of the homesman. Mentioned teasers trailers tvspots below can contain additional music. The homesman by hilary swank, meryl streep, grace gummer. 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.
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