Last night I saw this film again on TV, the second time since its first release 32 years ago. A lot of the scenes I still remember, the most dramatic of all to me is the hurricane. I sighed a few times during the whole film as in the case of Frank's (Balding's son) narrow escape from death running home from school. On the way, he was offered to enter into the car shelter where the homeless woman acted purely out of a kind heart to try to save a little boy. In the end, she was killed by the over-turned car battered by the storm. So contrasting of human nature was depicted in this film, for that I would reserve the top rating for the vile character to the guy called Mr. Simmons, the crooked cotton gin owner, who takes advantage of a poor widow with little or no knowledge of the trade, when she first came to buy seeds from him for her start-up. Fortunately, Mose foiled Simmons' deceit he had hatched up to give Mrs. Balding the wrong seeds deliberately. Mose's alert got Simmons to tender the correct seeds later. The rascal began to bear grudges with Mose from this point onward. Mr. Simmons haggles with Mrs. Balding again when she becomes the cotton grower first to return and sell the produce to the gin. He browbeats her in the cotton price with plenty of excuses, like the big depression, her greed to exact above market price, etc. In the end, Balding wins by striking a touching note at him that Simmons' father was not like him, that his father had a heart to treat kindly and reward the first seller of the crop, when she was about to end the negotiation and leave the room. In the end, the rascal trader backs down and let her have the right price she deserves. The director of the film got Simmons stick to his bad guy character. Approaching the end of the film, Simmons gangs up a group of triple-K clan members to inflict grave bodily harm on Mose, who realized he can no longer stay on helping Mrs. Balding in the next growing season. So, he departed, with yet another touching scene of affections he shows to Mrs. Balding and her children. Mrs. Balding bids him well and let him have the credit for achieving as the first grower to sell the crop in that season. I enjoy this good film as ever.

We have enjoyed this movie a couple of times. My father in law has always maintained you don't need to watch a movie more than once. I say bunkum to that. As a projectionist for one of our Universities in Sydney, Australia, back in the mid to late seventies - I always learned something or saw something I had not noticed before as I ran many movies over and over. Each time seeing something I missed before. Places in The Heart is one such movie. So many of the reviewers have widely covered the many aspects of Places. Each review I have read (and as at 26th October, 2012, I have read them all) - in a lot of cases bring up another aspect not covered before by others. I just wanted to maybe round them all up and add a comment on my part as well. I agree with one reviewer that kind of alluded to how close Sally Field's role in "Places" reflected her LIVE struggle for recognition on the screen. I also agree with some reviewers note of the out right hypocrisy being portrayed by all these "nice" people in the daytime to be members of the hateful, violent "Klan" at night.I loved the young man who portrayed Frank and what a good son being willing to take his "licking" as he would have done when his dad was to punish him. I would like to look for more roles the young actor plays. The one who played Possum was good also. Regarding the insertion of the "extra-marital" goings on..i wonder if this was done to reach a bigger audience with a more Mature kind of Rating..PG here in Australia. But as another reviewer stated 'it might have given the audience more time to finish their pop corn and soda.' Hmm. I am glad someone brought up the answer another looked for about the passage of Scripture towards the end. I will add it at the end of this Review. I must say I thought, as a musician that likes bright, rousing hymn singing - the hymns were more like a dirge...harmonious but SO slllllow it's a wonder people didn't go to sleep. These days I am familiar with most American rendition of hymns being the opposite in always done very fast and breath-takingly. I enjoyed all the actors in the movie Sally Field, Danny Glover, John Malkovich being one of his earlier movies on reflection as I have seen him much later in Man In The Iron Mask and most recently in "Empire of the Sun" I thoroughly recommend the movie to everyone. The passage of Scripture to be preached in the last scene -one of the reviewers was asking about follows. It is from the King James Version of the Bible.1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.1 Corinthians 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. What an appropriate scripture for this type of movie and all it portrays.

The first time through, you think you've seen Places In The Heart before, this meager drama of pathos set in a simpler time. Sure, it's acted by a prestigious ensemble. And yes, the story it tells is nothing if not respectable. But even the title is generic and sentimental, like any number of Hallmark TV movies. Sally Field's acceptance speech for her (deserved) Oscar win is better remembered today than the movie itself.At its most powerful, film juxtaposes images to create ideas in the mind of the audience. By this measure, the last shot of Places In The Heart is among the most transformative in all of movies. Taken out of context, it has no significance, and yet is so startling and unexpected —while at the same time so gentle and so much in keeping with all that's come before it— that it might first be confusing. It's one of the greatest shots in movies, because it re-contextualizes all that comes before it.What writer-director Robert Benton aims at and finally accomplishes in Places In The Heart is so beautiful that the movie transcends its origins as a period piece to become a picture of nothing less than the kingdom of heaven.

This is an exquisite mood piece about the turbulent life of a widow set against mid-Western cotton farm at the turn of the great Depression 1930s , in which Sally Field won well-deserved Oscar for her magnificent acting and equally Robert Benton for his original script . It deals with a mother named Edna Spalding (Sally Field) of two sons is suddenly widowed to a sheriff (Ray Baker). Edna is persisted to survey facing the pressure by the bank to sell her farm . She fights her fateful fate along with an African-American (Danny Glover) and a blind (John Malkovich).It's a sensitive and intimate look at hometown childhood , an affectionate film celebrating the spiritual force of the human will ; being based on records and memories well written by Robert Benton about his little town , Waxahachid , Texas . It takes part of a mini-cycle of farming movies that all debuted in 1984 . The films include Country (1984 ), The river (1984) and this one (1984). All three pictures were nominated that year for the Best Actress Academy Award with Sally Field winning the Oscar in that category for the latter beating out Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek from the first two films respectively . Extraordinary performances from film stars , as this flick gave actress Sally Field her second and final to date , Academy Award and both in the Best Actress in a Leading Role category ; Field's first had been around five years earlier for Norma Rae (1979) in 1980 . Supporting cast is frankly magnificent , such as : Amy Madigan , Linsay Crouse , Terry O'Quinn but special mention for Danny Glover , Ed Harris and John Malkovich . Being one of numerous filmed collaborations of married actors Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. Originally shown in lively colors by cameraman Nestor Almendros , Robert Benton's usual photographer , who previously won Oscar for ¨Days of heaven¨, though its visual beauty will be decreased on TV . The motion picture was very well directed by writer-director Robert Benton . This filmmaker and screenwriter, Robert Benton , set the film in his birthplace of Waxahachie , Texas in 1935, three years after he was born there . He's a films-dramas expert such as proved in ¨Human stain¨ , ¨Twilight¨ , ¨Still of the night¨ , ¨Billy Bathgate¨ and his greatest hit : ¨Kramer vs Kramer¨. Rating : Better than average, it's a great movie so well realized that is hard not to like .