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 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 youngest, Caroline (Jennifer Jason Leigh), an attorney, when she expresses hesitancy. The other sisters, Ginny (Jessica Lange) and Rose (Michelle Pfeiffer), take up the offer, even though they were sexually abused by their father as children. They also take up romantically with the hippie son of a neighboring farmer, Jess Clark (Colin Firth), after their own drunken, demented father moves out to live with Clark's father Harold (Pat Hingle). When Rose's husband Peter (Kevin Anderson) learns of her betrayal, he gets drunk, crashes his truck, and dies. Ginny's husband Ty (Keith Carradine) enlists Caroline's help and sues Ginny and Rose on behalf of their father, whom he feels has been treated badly by the daughters. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: 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.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The film substitutes prejudices for ideas, formula feminism for character studies, and a signposted plot for a well-told story.
, Film4
All the characters are sharply defined, with Lange and Pfeiffer in fine form, and Robards suitably sour as the grumpy old curmudgeon, but the plot has been watered down until it is little more than a Waltons-styled soap.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Proof that Hollywood no longer knows how to make that former staple, the women's picture.
, Time Out
Robards' senile paterfamilias is, regrettably, a grave embarrassment.
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
It's a pretty powerful analysis of an extended family (where lifelong friends in farming are integral to the well being of a community) shot apart by power and greed.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
... just doesn't work.
Judith Egerton, Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
Fans of Jane Smiley's enthralling Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Thousand Acres, will find the movie version disappointing.
Dragan Antulov, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Great novels are usually adapted into bad movies.
Susan Tavernetti, Palo Alto Weekly
You'll be shocked to discover how much of the novel's richness has been lost.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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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.