Jan 23, 2015 the homesman is a devastating story of early pioneers in 1850s nebraska. He was raised and educated in michigan, taking his a. She could plow, she could shoot, and she wasnt afraid to take on duties that other men shied away from. The homesman is produced, directed by and stars tommy lee jones who brings us a visually beautiful and brutally honest visit to the midwest of the 1850s. This book, the homesman, caught my eye at costco because of the cover. Homesman thoroughbred horse profile next race, form.
The homesman is a devastating story of early pioneers in 1850s nebraska. Glendon swarthout was born in pinckney, michigan, on april 8, 1918, the son of fred h. What a pleasure to come across a site where people want to give thoughtful analysis and interpretation. Bless the beasts and children novel by glendon swarthout l. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant access. Bless the beasts and children novel by glendon swarthout. 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. A new afterword by the authors son miles swarthout tells of his parents glendon and kathryns discovery of and research into the lives of the oftforgotten frontier women who make the homesman as moving and believable as it is unforgettable. I think this was a labor of love for tommy lee jones, who produced. Thus, that key visual motif in the movie that comes from that final scene. His characters are heartwrenchingly believable because they are drawn from truelife pioneer experiences. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app.
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. Tommy lee jones rustles up fine feminist western, homesman. The screenplay by jones, kieran fitzgerald and wesley oliver is based on the 1988 novel of the same name by glendon swarthout. 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. Thats just about the worst thing mary bee cuddy could ever say to a person. The homesman is a 2014 historical period drama set in the 1850s midwest, directed by tommy lee jones. 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. Click on a label to prioritize search results according to that topic. A homesman must be found to escort a handful of them back east to a sanitarium. Based on a novel by glendon swarthout who also wrote the shootist the homesman can be plausibly identified as a feminist western.
Spend six months trapped inside a dark sodhouse with sickly children, your food and firewood running low, and your nearest neighbor many. Every novelist must create a world out of his own imagination. Online dictionaries and encyclopedias with entries for the homesman. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. The film stars jones and hilary swank and also features meryl streep, grace gummer, miranda otto. The west, as seen in the homesman, is an unforgiving place, with flashes of stark and nightmarish beauty. It was a what an odd and ultimately disappointing read this was. 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. 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 1850s no country for women of any age. It also boasts one of 2014s most notable ensemble casts. Few will regret having seen the homesman, and yet its not exactly a pleasurable experience. Dec 31, 2015 the homesman is a 2014 frenchamerican period drama film produced and directed by tommy lee jones, based on the 1988 novel of the same name by glendon swarthout.
The homesman by glendon swarthout overdrive rakuten. The homesman is a 2014 historical drama set in the 1850s midwest, directed by tommy lee jones. Tommy lee jones and hilary swank star in the homesman, which. If you have a chance to see the homesman, do check it out. Thats just about the worst thing mary bee cuddy could ever say. In swarthouts novel, cuddy realizes that she courts nervous collapse. Homesman thoroughbred horse profile next race, form, stats. She employs a feisty lowlife drifter, george biggs jones, to join her. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
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 by. 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. 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. Twitter tommy lee jones in competition western stars hilary swank, john lithgow, james spader, hailee. Oliver and kieran fitzgerald never gets to the bottom of these characters. Swarthout generally did well in school, especially in english.
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 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. The homesman is a musical album of marco beltrami, soundtrack. 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.
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. I came to this film as i was given the book for christmas, and im. One of swarthouts skeletons, the old colts, the melodeon, etc. Swarthouts prose and plot flow like the swirling missouri river, deceptively smooth but with dangerous undercurrents. One throws a baby away in an outhouse, and other dead babies are also shown. Ebook a study guide for glendon swarthout s bless the. Anyone who imagines that a homesteaders life on americas great plains was all little house on the prairie hasnt tried it. 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 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. Arts critic joan baum says you may want to read the book before you see the movie. Race horse homesman is by war front usa out of my annette usa, trained by anthony freedman.
Title and director notwithstanding, tommy lee jones the homesman is very much a feminist western one painting a vivid picture of how difficult it was for even a strong and. Mar 06, 1988 the homesman went off on a strange tangent and i found myself not really caring how it was going to end. Where the boys are, and the shootist which was john waynes last work, are probably the best known. We must dance the dance of life, however upset we may be.
The homesman is a 2014 frenchamerican period drama film produced and directed by tommy lee jones, based on the 1988 novel of the same. 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. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the homesman. May 18, 2014 actordirector tommy lee jones said that his new film, the homesman, set during the mid19th century western expansion of the united states, was about american imperialism across the continent. Tommy lee jones the homesman is a fantastic film that feels sadly destined to disappear. With tommy lee jones, hilary swank, grace gummer, miranda otto. By default, mary bee cuddy is chosen as the homesman, the person who will accompany the women back east. The homesman went off on a strange tangent and i found myself not really caring how it was going to end. 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. The homesman, glendon swarthouts award winning novel called the best western novel of the year back in 1988, is a deeply moving tale, a riveting thriller and an american west adventure in the style reminiscent of larry mcmurtry. Directed and cowritten by jones, the homesman is emotionally brutal, unapologetically cynical and utterly thrilling. The homesman an absorbing, melancholy look at the hard lot of women in the old west.
The film stars jones and hilary swank and also features meryl streep, grace gummer, miranda otto, hailee steinfeld. The homesman feels like stumbling upon an old photograph. Homesman is a thoroughbred horse born in united states of america in 2014. 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. Glendon swarthout was the only child of fred and lila chubb swarthout, a banker and a homemaker. Financial analysis of the homesman 2014 including budget, domestic and international box office gross, dvd and bluray sales reports, total earnings and profitability.
The desolate and unforgiving nebraska territory is the stage and the characters are the disarmingly normal settlers whose shoulders we stand on. 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. The homesman stars hilary swank and tommy lee jones the. The homesman was first printed in 1988, and is highly worthy of its 2014 rerelease. Complete summary of glendon swarthouts the homesman. I am a fan of tommy lee jones so this piqued my interest. 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. 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. In the homesman, why did mary bee hang herself screenprism. In the homesman 2014, mary bee hilary swank was the antithesis of a regular woman in 1850. 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.
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. They scream, thrash, and moan, and one cuts herself with a needle. 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. Actordirector tommy lee jones said that his new film, the homesman, set during the mid19th century western expansion of the united states, was. Unfortunately, the author declined to flesh out the characters of these sorry women other than give a brief synopsis regarding their breakdowns. The film stars jones and hilary swank and also features meryl streep. Its an unusual story about four women who loose their minds after a hard winter in the nebraska territory in the 1850s. Once a teacher but now a lone and lonely homesteader in her early thirties, mary bee is at the beginning of her journey when she happens upon george briggs, an ornery claimjumper strung up with rope around his neck.
The audio book was a highly enjoyable combination of finely crafted writing with the perfect narrator. This is a wonderful book that immediately draws the reader into the story and delivers an unforgettable story at a fast pace. Despite being in competition for the cannes films festivals coveted palme dor last may, the homesman suffered a pisspoor theatrical distribution, and will likely soon fade out of theaters, thereby slipping past audiences. The homesman jordan hoffman 05182014 you are a man of low character. May 18, 2014 the homesman an absorbing, melancholy look at the hard lot of women in the old west. But, the first and last times she speaks in the film, shes proposing to a man who turns her down. Set on the great plains in the mid1800s, the homesman aims for a story thats poignant and told sparely. However, the homesman does kind of answer lifes problems with the value of sheer vitality and gutsiness. Twitter tommy lee jones in competition western stars hilary swank, john. John freeman because of its limited distribution, i was lucky to catch this at our local art theatre. In the homesman, jones plays a claimjumping saddle tramp and hilary swank. Maybe this cast alone will be all the reason you need to give the film a go. The homesman stars hilary swank and tommy lee jones. Parents need to know that the homesman is a western based on a novel by glendon swarthout with disturbing material, mostly related to three frontier women who go insane.
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