CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

bandw This story takes place in 1910 on a ranch near Burntfork, Wyoming, a small town in southwestern Wyoming. Elinore Pruitt (Conchata Ferrell), a strong, adventurous young woman traveled from Colorado with her daughter to Burntfork to be the housekeeper of one Clyde Stewart. Clyde was a tough, taciturn rancher who was not without personal appeal. He is played here by Rip Torn in a role that he inhabits--an outstanding performance. There are also strong performances by minor characters: a hired hand, Jack (Barry Primus); a hardened old German homesteader, Mrs. Landauer (Lilia Skala); Pruitt's daughter, Jerrine (Megan Folsom). The movie details the events from Pruitt's arrival in the spring to the following spring. The events are so realistically presented that I came away feeling that I knew these people and what it was like to live in that place at that time. It was not a place for the weak willed or those averse to hard work. A large part of the movie concentrates on what a triumph it was to just survive a harsh Wyoming winter. Any homesteader meeting the requirements for land ownership (completing five years of continuous residence, for example) deserved their land.I was impressed with the apparent authenticity of the story and later I was not surprised to find that this is based on Elinore's book (still in print), "Letters of a Woman Homesteader." The open landscapes (this was filmed in Montana) played a significant role. I had to wonder what, beyond the will to live, fueled these people to persist in spite of hardship and I think an appreciation of the land had to be a part of it. The reserved filming and score are an appropriate match for the material. The final freeze-frame in the barn provided a particularly satisfying ending to the story of Elinore and Clyde. The background scenes under the end credits should not be missed. The people who made this movie were fully engaged and functioning at the peak of their talents.I came away from this movie with admiration for the characters portrayed-- for their mental and physical toughness and their ability to meet life head on.

cjorgensen-3 I saw this 25 years ago on PBS. It was very difficult to watch. So real. To watch this small family struggle in the winter was heart rending. No time for courting: fate has thrown us together and we put our shoulders to the grindstone and make it work. This was based on the woman's actual diary, which I read many years later. She said in her diary that her parents died when she was little and all their bothers and sisters had to work the farm to feed themselves. She learned to mow, which was not lady-like. She was afraid that no prince charming would want a woman with sun-browned, calloused hands, but this husband was so happy that his new wife knew how to mow, and she was happy to do it. Both were widowed and together they worked to build a new home. It was so, so sad when the baby died. Of course, if they had it today, I am sure it would have been fine. That only makes the tragedy extra sad. I was crying so hard. But then they went out and successfully pulled out a new calf. Spring is on its way, and life goes on. In her diary, she did have two more boys and they lived.

richardbentz Excellent. Gritty and true portrayal of pioneer ranch life on the Western plains with an emphasis on the woman's role and place. A moving film, lovingly made, and based on real people and their actual experiences. Low budget, independent film; never made any money. Definitely not the romanticized, unrealistic Hollywood version of pioneer life.

Chazzzzz This western is done in a different manner than most others. Realism is the key here. Conchata Farrell comes to Wyoming to work for Rip Torn on his ranch. How this is presented makes for a most interesting slice of Americana. I would have preferred to see this on the big screen rather than on tape, but it's worth a look to see just how life was back in the real west. Cinematography is excellent. Solid 9. Torn & Farrell excel in this movie.