A Thousand Acres

A Thousand Acres (1997)

  • 23% of critics liked it
    (48 reviews)

  • 39% of users liked it
    (3,919 ratings)

A feminist farm belt version of William Shakespeare's King Lear, this film is based on Jane Smiley's novel about an aging farmer and his three daughters. The Lear-like farmer, Larry Cook (Jason Robards), decides to divide up his thousand-acre farm among his three daughters, but he disinherits his… More

R, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By
Jocelyn Moorhouse
Written By
Laura Jones
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
Sep 19, 1997 Wide
On DVD
Apr 21, 1998

Critic Reviews

  • David Edelstein, Slate

    From the first frame, a silhouetted barn and windmill at dawn, the images feel prefab, and the all-purpose wistful tinkly piano and sighing strings pin them even more boringly down.

  • Paul Tatara, CNN.com

    Cry, cry, cry. Hug, hug, hug. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

  • Godfrey Cheshire, Variety

    Owing more to the spirit of Oprah than to the Bard, pic serves up an earnest but unconvincing stew of received notions about family dysfunction, awkwardly put across by a script wheezing with melodramatic contrivances.

  • Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader

    The story is just an empty, manipulative compilation of tragedies and misunderstandings.

  • Rita Kempley, Washington Post

    In many ways, it has less in common with Shakespeare's tragedy than with Stephen King's Iowa-set horror story, Children of the Corn.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

  • Leo L


    An amazing and courageous movie. Phenomenal story plot. Here is an endearing movie that will leave you a bit teary-eyed. Great cast- Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer, Colin Firth, Jason Robards, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Definitely worthy.

  • Audrey L


    A story of familial dysfunction,loyalty and betrayal.Reminded me of King Lear.Stellar casr and a very good adaptation of the book.

Cast

See full cast

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