Winter People

1989 "A passion so strong it kills."
6.2| 1h50m| PG-13| en
Details

Wayland Jackson (Russell), a widower with a young daughter, moves to a small, impoverished mountain village in North Carolina, circa 1934. They are taken in by Collie Wright (McGillis), a single mother with an illegitimate baby, and she and Wayland soon fall in love. Trouble starts when the identity of her baby's father is revealed.

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Reviews

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped
Pluskylang Great Film overall
Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
tieman64 Ted Kotcheff directs "Winter People". Set during the Great Depression, it stars Kurt Russell as Wayland Jackson, a clockmaker who enters a small, Appalachian community. Here Jackson falls in love with Collie Wright (Kelly McGillis), a single mother whose child was fathered by a violent clansman."Winter People's" first act is interesting, well shot and boasts impressive location photography. By its third act, however, the film has morphed into a pretentious Shakespearean drama. Derivative of "Broken Lance" and "The Big Country", it sees stubborn, warring clans reconciling over the birth of a child. By the time a needlessly long last-act home invasion takes place, Kotcheff's script has both degenerated into clichés and entirely lost its shape. Lloyd Bridges co-stars.7/10 - Worth one viewing.
merklekranz Kurt Russell and Kelly McGillis give believable performances in this rural drama. Tremendous North Carolina atmosphere and a fine score add immensely to the film. Some may find it a bit slow, but those willing to watch and listen, will be rewarded. "Winter People" does not follow any typical feuding families formula, but carves new ground, with sacrifice instead of shoot outs. Anyone expecting a "Deliverance" clone would be advised to seek out "Hunter's Blood" and leave "Winter People" to those who appreciate a quieter, more thought provoking movie. Definitely recommended for couples viewing as there is enough depth to maintain interest for everyone. - MERK
soblessed I just watched this movie and what a well-spent evening!Thoroughly enjoyable.I can think of no flaws whatever with this film. The scenery is beautiful as well. Another plus.I can't imagine anyone not being pleased with their experience in seeing this film. It has drama,romance and wonderful relationship studies,and development.I don't know what else to say without rambling! I can't believe IMDb insists that you must meet a minimum required amount of sentences to post a comment,SHEEZ! Just be sure not to pass this one up if you get a chance to see it. Fotunately my library had it. I don't remember ever hearing of it before.
rpulsifer While I won't go to the hyperbole of this being the best film ever, it is certainly one of the more satisfying. The fact that you can tell a compelling human story without overwhelming the audience with action (and I like action flicks as well as anyone) is noteworthy. It is not your typical story - it's got real conflict, real relationships (both good and bad), and a sense of authenticity that is lacking in many films. The setting is not one that is common, although it would be contemporary with 'To Kill A Mockingbird'. It sheds some light on a part of the country that is not familiar to most of us. It reflects some thought in fleshing out real characters, instead of relying on portraying stereotypical backwoods people. While many of the actors have gone on to other roles, the movie retains the allure of watching real people. It should be considered a high mark in the careers of both Kurt Russell and Kelly McGillis. It is one of those rare movies that I appreciate watching each time.