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Desert of the Heart

The book Desert of the Heart was made into the movie Desert Hearts.

Which one did you like better, the book or the movie?  There are 4 votes for the book, and 6 votes for the movie.

Book details for Desert of the Heart

Desert of the Heart was written by Jane Rule. The book was published in 1964 by Naiad Press, Incorporated. More information on the book is available on Amazon.com.

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Movie details for Desert Hearts

The movie was released in 1985. Desert Hearts was produced by MGM (Video & DVD). More information on the movie is available on Amazon.com and also IMDb.

Actors on this movie include Patricia Charbonneau, Helen Shaver, Andra Akers, Sheila Balter, Brenda Beck, Dean Butler (II), Denise Crosby, Patricia Frazier, Katie La Bourdette, Audra Lindley, Joan Mankin, Tom Martin (III), Alex McArthur, Sam Minsky, Frank Murtha, Antony Ponzini, James Staley, Tyler Tyhurst and Gwen Welles.

 

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When college professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives in Reno in 1959 to get a quickie divorce, the last thing on her mind is romance. A prim intellectual, crippled by a sterile marriage ("We're a professional couple") and hiding behind her education... Read More
When college professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives in Reno in 1959 to get a quickie divorce, the last thing on her mind is romance. A prim intellectual, crippled by a sterile marriage ("We're a professional couple") and hiding behind her education, she moves into a ranch belonging to Frances Parker (Audra Lindley) and tries to keep to herself. But Parker's beautiful, sassy tomboy of a stepdaughter proves to be quite a distraction, and a love affair slowly blossoms. Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) refuses to be bound by convention or by expectations of how a nice girl should behave, and her devil-may-care attitude both attracts and terrifies the nervous professor.

Shaver is terrific as Vivian, and the slow thawing of her character is beautifully paced--you can feel the tension break when she finally lets down her guard. Another strong performance comes from Audra Lindley as Frances. She's a tough old bird with a drinking problem, but Lindley keeps the character from descending into stereotype, and she gives full rein to the tragic side of this lonely woman, especially as she struggles with her reaction to the developing relationship between Cay and Vivian.

There are scenes in Desert Hearts that would be painfully clichéd if they appeared in a heterosexual romance, and even here they only just escape that fate--relying a little too much on significant glances and lines that just don't sound like real conversation. Nevertheless, first-time director Deitch breathes new life into a standard straight-arrow-meets-free-spirit plot, and steadfastly refuses to turn this love story into an "issues movie." Add to that a strong feel for the period and a soundtrack filled with the likes of Patsy Cline and Gene Vincent, and the result is a warm, well-acted film that packs a real emotional punch. --Simon Leake