Nov 26, 2014 in the homesman, directed and cowritten by tommy lee jones another of the scripts writers is sas own wesley oliver and based on an awardwinning novel of the same name, hilary swanks mary. Tommy lee jones writes, directs and stars in this turgid western. Why hilary swank breaks your heart in the homesman indiewire. Simon and schustersoon to be a major film directed by and starring tommy lee jones and costarring meryl streep, hilary swank, and john lithgow, this classic. The homesman is a 2014 american western drama film directed by tommy lee jones and cowritten with kieran fitzgerald and wesley oliver, based on a novel of same name by glendon swarthout. 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. 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. Most men would end their days in bed or take their own lives, but a gunfighter has a third option, one that books decides to exercise.
This book, the homesman, caught my eye at costco because of the cover. The cruel theology of the homesman american thinker. The journey in tommy lee jones the homesman, based on the 1988 novel by. Buy a cheap copy of the homesman book by glendon swarthout.
I am a fan of tommy lee jones so this piqued my interest. Glendon swarthouts novel the homesman 1988 is made into a. Februarys selected book club book, the homesman by glendon. Feb 05, 2015 when first published in 1988, the homesman won both major awards annually given to the best western novels of the year. In pioneer nebraska, a woman leads where no man will go soon to be a major motion picture directed by tommy lee jones, the homesman is a.
Nov, 2014 set on the great plains in the mid1800s, the homesman aims for a story thats poignant and told sparely, but comes across as mawkish, tedious and selfindulgent. There arent ghouls, gremlins or grossout gags in the latest drama from actorturneddirector tommy lee jones, but its laissezfaire approach to pummeling the. The homesman aims for a story thats poignant and told sparely, but comes across. Transporting the women by covered wagon to iowa, she soon realizes just how daunting the journey will be, and employs a feisty lowlife drifter, george biggs tommy lee jones, to join her. While tommy lee jones plays, hilary swank steals the. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by tommy lee jones. She is an active member of the small farming community of loup in the nebraska territory, and has significant financial prospects and sizable land ownership. A devastating story of the early pioneers in 1850s americas west. The film stars tommy lee jones, hilary swank, william fichtner and meryl streep. Unfortunately, once the novel goes wrong, which it does with a bizarre, alienating plot twist about threequarters of the way through, it never recovers. The homesman is a thoroughly depressing experience with little energy. May 18, 2014 tommy lee jones also stars in his second film as a director a fullbodied quasifeminist western in which he and swanks gutsy singleton escort three disturbed women across the midwest plains. Lee jones and based on glendon swarthouts novel of the same name, is not. She seems strong and independent, but suffers from depression and feels isolated.
The 2014 homesman film is closely based on the novel by glendon swarthout, first published 1988. 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 frontier life through the eyes of one extraordinary woman. Dec 22, 2014 tommy lee jones the homesman is a fantastic film that feels sadly destined to disappear. The homesman is a 2014 western historical drama film set in the 1850s midwest, directed by tommy lee jones. 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 sw.
Nov 21, 2014 why hilary swank breaks your heart in the homesman anne thompson. A significant plot development about three quarters of the way through has caused. Hilary swank, tommy lee jones shine in the homesman. The homesman, starring tommy lee jones and hilary swank, with john lithgow, hailee steinfeld and meryl streep, did most of its filming in new mexico, but some key scenes took place in historic. I tell friends what the homesman is about and their eyes open wide and they cant wait to read it. This movies switchback plotting ambles from crisis to comical, threatening to maintain a tone but not for long. 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. Many 1850s pioneers broke under the strain, and four women in glendon swarthouts awardwinning the homesman are in dire straits. Elmore leonard totally involving from its very first words. Four women in the isolated frontier territory go mad, and it is up to the unlikely combination of homesteader mary. Februarys selected book club book, the homesman by. Mar 06, 1988 the homesman is a devastating story of early pioneers in 1850s american west. The homesman book lawrence public library bibliocommons.
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. Three women who have been driven mad by pioneer life are to be transported across. 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 the pious, independentminded mary bee cuddy hilary swank. In the homesman, jones plays a claimjumping saddle tramp and hilary swank a pious pioneer woman who team up on a risky, arduous trek. The premise of a story is a combination of character and plot. A homesman is a male who prefers his day spent inside his domicile. The homesman by glendon swarthout fantastic fiction. He is also a screenwriter who adapted his fathers book for the movie the shootist. The homesman doesnt play things safe, and thats a welcome. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by tommy lee jones, the homesmanis a devastating story of early pioneers in 1850s american west. The screenplay by jones, kieran fitzgerald and wesley oliver is based on the 1988 novel of the same name by glendon swarthout. The premise as written on imdb doesnt seem selfaware that the film is really about tommy lee jones.
Based on a novel by glendon swarthout who also wrote the shootist the. Glendon swarthout died just four years after this novel was published hilary swank has a tendency to wind up starring. The homesman stars hilary swank and tommy lee jones the. Where the boys are, and the shootist, which was john waynes last work, are probably the best known. Titled the homesman and set in 1855, it refers to a man hired to escort women home back east who had failed. This unusual plotline is from a novel by glendon swarthout, the author of the shootist and they came to. So reader doesnt have to go through paragraphs of content to figure out by reading one sentence preferably stated in the beginning of plot section and then state the. A homesman must be found to escort a handful of them back east to a sanitarium. It celebrates the ones we hear nothing of, the brave women whose hearts and minds were. Hilary swank, tommy lee jones shine in the homesman the. The homesman ebook snoisle libraries bibliocommons. Storytelling tips from the homesman 2014 slap happy larry. 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. John freeman because of its limited distribution, i was lucky to catch this at our local art theatre.
Watch the homesman 2014 movie streaming online on your iphone. Its an unusual story about four women who loose their minds after a hard winter in the nebraska territory in the 1850s. But as i read i got into the swing of the writing it became difficult to pull myself. In pioneer nebraska, a woman leads where no man will go soon to be a major motion picture. 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. Watch now the homesman 2014 hd full movie bleed for this. In the homesman, hilary swank and tommy lee jones help three. With tommy lee jones, hilary swank, grace gummer, miranda otto. Miles swarthout is the author of the sergeants lady and the editor of glendon swarthouts short story collection, easterns and westerns. 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. I think this was a labor of love for tommy lee jones, who pmore because of its limited distribution, i was lucky to catch this at our local art theatre. Perennial star paul newman gets back in the directors saddle for the homesman, a western about a man and woman who accompany a group of.
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. Why hilary swank breaks your heart in the homesman. Four women in the isolated frontier territory go mad, and it is up to the unlikely combination of homesteader mary bee cuddy and neerdowell briggs to escort them east to safety. It was refreshing to read a book of the western frontier showing more of the female and family perspectives. The homesman isnt as confident with balancing madness and dark humor as jones only previous directing job, 2005s border odyssey the three burials of melquiades estrada. In pioneer nebraska, a woman leads where no man will go 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. A spinster pioneer hilary swank and a brokendown claim jumper tommy lee jones journey east to bring three madwomen back to civilization. In pioneer nebraska, a woman leads where no man will go soon to be a major motion. It is about four frontier wives in nebraska territory that lose their minds over a harsh winter, for varying reasons.
The shootist is john bernard books, a gunfighter at the turn of the twentieth century who must confront the greatest shootist of all. The homesman went off on a strange tangent and i found myself not really caring how it was going to end. I think this was a labor of love for tommy lee jones, who produced. Complete summary of glendon swarthouts the homesman. 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.
Nov 01, 2020 based on a firstrate comic western by elmer kelton, it boasts elating performers including sissy spacek, frances mcdormand, and matt damon and an atmosphere that wafts off the screen. Oct 06, 2014 whats most compelling about this book is its focus on the plight peculiar to frontier women and children in a way not depicted in other books set in this time period. With similarities to million dollar baby, the homesman is a film about an old man who has regrets but no character arc after meeting a young woman in desperate circumstances. A visit to historic westville, where tommy lee jones. The male protagonist was full of surprises with a character that continued to evolve until the end. 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. The homesman is a devastating story of early pioneers in 1850s american west. The grownup little house on the prairie off the shelf. 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.
In 1854, mary bee cuddy is a 31yearold spinster from new york, a former teacher who journeyed to the midwest for more opportunity. It has to have a double track line in order to work. The idea of throwing a feminist and a curmudgeon on a road trip is inspired. I purchased the book on amazon cheaper and read it in about three sittings. Without giving away too much of the plot, the homesman is swarthouts wellresearched portrayal of the aftermath of a devastatingly brutal winter on a small group of settlers. The homesman book by glendon swarthout official publisher.
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