A Thousand Acres (1997)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Jocelyn Moorhouse

Writers (WGA):

Jane Smiley (novel)
Laura Jones (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Best friends. Bitter rivals. Sisters.

Plot:

"King Lear" set on a farm in Iowa.

Plot Keywords:

Iowa | Farm | Party | Aging | Courtroom

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Rose Cook Lewis
Jessica Lange	...	Ginny Cook Smith
Jason Robards	...	Larry Cook
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Caroline Cook
Colin Firth	...	Jess Clark
Keith Carradine	...	Ty Smith
Kevin Anderson	...	Peter Lewis
Pat Hingle	...	Harold Clark
John Carroll Lynch	...	Ken LaSalle
Anne Pitoniak	...	Mary Livingstone
Vyto Ruginis	...	Charles Carter
Michelle Williams	...	Pammy
Elisabeth Moss	...	Linda
Ray Toler	...	Marv Carson
Kenneth Tigar	...	Doctor

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexual language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Denmark:7 | USA:R (certificate #35105) | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:R(A) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Illinois, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

According to an article in Premiere Magazine 1997, all extras in the film had to sign an agreement promising not to attempt to approach/speak to actresses Michelle Pfeiffer or Jessica Lange.

Quotes:

Rose: We're not going to be sad. We're going to be angry till we die.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Ring

An Underrated Adaptation

When I found out that Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jason Robards were teaming for a film based on a Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, I went out and read the book immediately. "A Thousand Acres" was one of the best reading experiences of my life, and while the film couldn't capture the book in its entirety (no film could, unless it were six hours long), I really enjoyed it. Michelle Pfeiffer should have received another Oscar nomination for her fearless portrayal of Rose Cook Lewis, the character modeled after Shakespeare's evil Regan from "King Lear." While all of the performances are solid, they seem somehow timid next to Pfeiffer, who once again proves that she is most definitely not just another pretty face.