
Desert Hearts
1985, Romance, 1h 36m
22 Reviews 2,500+ RatingsYou might also like
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Vivian Bell
Cay Rivvers
Frances Parker
Silver
Gwen
Darrell
Critic Reviews for Desert Hearts
All Critics (22) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (21) | Rotten (1)
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It was the tenderness of Desert Hearts that got me, the hope, and the idea that a woman didn't need to have it all nailed down by the time she hit 30, that a woman could give in to what she wanted and just figure it out as she went along
October 30, 2020 | Full Review… -
The nearly-all-female cast is excellent, the sense of place is strong.
May 13, 2020 | Full Review… -
... this is an astonishingly polished and nuanced first film. It deserves to be celebrated, not quibbled with.
January 4, 2018 | Full Review… -
It advocates risk and consciousness in tandem as the only means to overcome the cold, repressive hand of so-called normative thought.
July 11, 2017 | Full Review… -
The story is not sensationalistic, although its love scene could not be more emotional. It`s a gentle story of someone being brought in from the cold.
January 16, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review… -
I might have enjoyed Desert Hearts more if it had been more subtle and observant about the two women... And yet Desert Hearts has undeniable power.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Desert Hearts
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Nov 28, 2009One of the most sensitive stories for what it feels like to be a woman who loves women, "Desert Hearts" made quite a difference when it was released. Produced in 1985, it has been one of the most groundbreaking films of its time for the American audience- one of the many forward steps that the movie industry had to take in depicting homosexuals as beautiful and as intelligent beings as any person out there ('Making Love" [1982] also comes to mind), and one of the very few stories that had a happy ending for a lesbian couple at the time. Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau make a wonderful couple on the screen, and the love scenes among them feel tender, real and not contrived at all, just like their romance.Anastasia B Super Reviewer
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Jan 13, 2009The story of an unexpected, atypical lesbian romance set in 1950's Reno, Nevada. If you're willing to overlook the low production quality and a few stiff performances, there's a very interesting film here. Helen Shaver is absolutely gorgeous and Audra Lindley (aka Mrs. Roper) impressed almost everyone with her portrayal of the loving but closed-minded stepmother. Overall, an enjoyable, unearthshattering respite from the never-ending onslaught of 'conventional' cinema.Randy T Super Reviewer
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