Directed and cowritten by jones, the homesman is emotionally brutal, unapologetically cynical and utterly thrilling. In the homesman, why did mary bee hang herself screenprism. 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. Nov 14, 2014 the west, as seen in the homesman, is an unforgiving place, with flashes of stark and nightmarish beauty. 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. Heres how to solve this problem without ruining the books spine. The homesman is too slow and also contains disturbing, lurid scenes of murder, lewdness and insanity. 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. Its really difficult for authors to come up with a twist in a storyline which isnt predictable and somewhat expected. 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. However, mary bee is overcome eventually by the harsh environment and cruel society in which she struggles to survive. 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. It also boasts one of 2014s most notable ensemble casts. The homesman stars hilary swank and tommy lee jones.
This book, the homesman, caught my eye at costco because of the cover. Joness the homesman the best western since unforgiven. The homesman by hilary swank, meryl streep, grace gummer. Its an unusual story about four women who loose their minds after a hard winter in the nebraska territory in the 1850s. Jul 25, 2018 book breaking and book mending most academic books arent written to be readtheyre written to be broken. Now shes set to return to the frontier in the homesman, opposite tommy lee. Maybe this cast alone will be all the reason you need to give the film a go. Then, when the ending starts to turn things around, a couple final scenes pull the rug out from the viewer again. 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. 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. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Its also possible that additionally an instrumental version of the music is used here. Spoilers a question about the ending of the homesman. 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.
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. Hailee steinfeld held her own among a cast of grizzled veterans in true grit and earned an oscar nod for it. He gave me one book, and the book was an essay, really, of photographs of crazy people that is beautiful. The film stars jones and hilary swank and also features meryl streep, grace gummer, miranda otto, hailee steinfeld. 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. Spend six months trapped inside a dark sodhouse with sickly children, your food and firewood running low, and your nearest neighbor many. 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. 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. 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. 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. Some hardcover books need a little breaking inespecially if you experience creep text getting lost in the gutter of the pages.
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. The regarding teasers trailers tvspots may use an modified enhanced remastered version of the mentioned music. I purchased the book on amazon cheaper and read it in about three sittings. Why hilary swank breaks your heart in the homesman indiewire. Robert belew the fact that this story made a hard left turn is what set it apart. 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. The homesman went off on a strange tangent and i found myself not really caring how it was going to end. He gave me one book, and the book was an essay, really, of photographs of crazy people that is. 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.
Complete summary of glendon swarthouts the homesman. A rare 21stcentury western without shootouts or explosions, the welldirected the homesman based on a novel by the author of. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the homesman. She could plow, she could shoot, and she wasnt afraid to take on duties that other men shied away from.
It was a what an odd and ultimately disappointing read this was. 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. Nov 12, 2014 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.
Anyone who imagines that a homesteaders life on americas great plains was all little house on the prairie hasnt tried it. If you have a chance to see the homesman, do check it out. Why hilary swank breaks your heart in the homesman. The homesman jordan hoffman 05182014 you are a man of low character. What does the homesman say about womens roles in frontier america related.
A period drama with a stellar cast, based on the glendon swarhout novel. Book breaking and book mending most academic books arent written to be readtheyre written to be broken. With tommy lee jones, hilary swank, grace gummer, miranda otto. 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. Tommy lee jones in competition western stars hilary swank, john lithgow, james spader, hailee steinfeld and meryl streep. 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. Break in a hardcover book without ruining the spine.
Playing a single, selfsufficient farmer, hilary swank takes on the responsibility of escorting three women driven mad by the brutalities of. 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. I am a fan of tommy lee jones so this piqued my interest. May 18, 2014 tommy lee jones in competition western stars hilary swank, john lithgow, james spader, hailee steinfeld and meryl streep. 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. One of swarthouts skeletons, the old colts, the melodeon, etc. 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. 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. Mockingjay part 1, the homesman, winter sleep and get on up. John freeman because of its limited distribution, i was lucky to catch this at our local art theatre. Mar 06, 1988 the homesman went off on a strange tangent and i found myself not really caring how it was going to end. The homesman is a 2014 historical period drama set in the 1850s midwest, directed by tommy lee jones. 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. All kinds of grit to be savoured here tommy lee jones and hilary swank spark off each other like flinty knives in.
A homesman must be found to escort a handful of them back east to a sanitarium. But, the first and last times she speaks in the film, shes proposing to a man who turns her down. The homesman is a 2014 historical drama set in the 1850s midwest, directed by tommy lee jones. Playing a single, selfsufficient farmer, hilary swank takes on the responsibility of escorting three women driven mad by the. Its a perfect ending to a movie that isnt perfect, but easily one of year. 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.
The homesman stars hilary swank and tommy lee jones the. 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. 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. What does the homesman say about womens roles in frontier. 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. Thats just about the worst thing mary bee cuddy could ever say to a person. 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. Tommy lee jones rustles up fine feminist western, homesman. But if youve really honed in on the homesman, youll be shaken. Spoilers a question about the ending of the homesman 2014.
This was an honor also given to the three burials of melquiades estrada back in 2006. 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 homesman examines the human condition at a much more primal, and pure, level than can be constrained by modern political labels and ideologies. 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. She employs a feisty lowlife drifter, george biggs jones, to join her. Depression, madness and sympathy in 19thcentury nebraska make for a confident, insightful film. 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. 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.
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