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Desert Hearts (1985)

R  |   |  Drama, Romance  |  7 March 1986 (USA)
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Reviews: 43 user | 11 critic

It is 1950s Nevada, and Professor Vivian Bell arrives to get a divorce. She's unsatisfied with her marriage, and feels out of place at the ranch she stays on, she finds herself increasingly... See full summary »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Andra Akers ...
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Gwen Welles ...
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Katie La Bourdette ...
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Tyler Tyhurst ...
...
Pat
Antony Ponzini ...
Joe
Brenda Beck ...
Joyce
Sam Minsky ...
Best Man
Patricia Frazier ...
Change Girl
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Storyline

It is 1950s Nevada, and Professor Vivian Bell arrives to get a divorce. She's unsatisfied with her marriage, and feels out of place at the ranch she stays on, she finds herself increasingly drawn to Cay Rivers, an open and self-assured lesbian, and the ranchowner's daughter. The emotions released by their developing intimacy, and Vivian's insecurities about her feelings towards Cay, are played out against a backdrop of rocky landscapes and country and western songs. Written by Neil Lewis <njl@cix.compulink.co.uk>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

1950s | nevada | divorce | lesbian | casino | See All (19) »

Genres:

Drama | Romance

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

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Release Date:

7 March 1986 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Media hora más contigo  »

Filming Locations:


Box Office

Budget:

$1,250,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$2,492,088 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Patricia Charbonneau filmed the entire movie while pregnant. See more »

Goofs

Toward the end of the movie, when Vivian and her divorce lawyer are walking down the steps of the courthouse, you can see an older woman with a straw hat walk up the stairs by them. When Vivian & the lawyer reach the door to walk outside, you can see the same woman walking in. See more »

Quotes

Cay: I want you to open the door.
Vivian: And I want you to leave me alone.
Cay: I can't! Honest.
See more »

Connections

Featured in Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006) See more »

Soundtracks

OLD CAPE COD
Written by Claire Rothrock, Milton Yakus and Allan Jeffrey
Performed by Patti Page
Courtesy of Polygram Records, Inc.
See more »

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User Reviews

A good movie and a breakthrough classic
28 July 2000 | by (USA) – See all my reviews

I'm a straight male and I feel the movie was done very tastefully (not a pun) and had a nice story. It wasn't supposed to be an action flick, but it does have a good story though I would have preferred to see it go a little deeper emotionally, but you have to understand that this was a "period" film and given the era the movie was set in, the emotions of the characters make perfect sense. In the 50's and especially in the rural areas, people were very conservative and though a character like Cay would've wanted to be open about her lifestyle, she certainly would've felt restrained to do so, even as free-spirited as she was. And Vivian would certainly have initially felt like a leper as the tug of societal demands and the mores of the era weighed on her. I think it was filmed and written in exactly the same light as it needed to be, no more, no less. A very realistic portrait of the era and a great job, no doubt about it, and highly recommended for viewing, but I would rate it "R" for about 5-10 minutes of sex scenes, maybe "PG-13" for content.

As for the sex scenes, I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it, whatever your orientation. I did, and I'm straight as an arrow (no pun intended there either!)

See how much this out-of-print video sells for on the Net and you'll see the demand this movie still creates, which is more of a barometer of its success than anything else. I can't believe that it ever went out-of-print given the demand for it. You don't see that with just any video, and as a minor collector of rare videos I can say that for a fact.


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