The Homesman

Plot synopsis:
Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) is a 31-year-old spinster from New York, a former teacher who journeyed to the Midwest for more opportunity. She is an active member of the small farming community of Loup in the Nebraska Territory, and has significant financial prospects and sizable land ownership. She seems strong and independent, but suffers from depression and isolation. She makes dinner for her neighbor Bob Giffen (Evan Jones), and sings to him, but when she proposes he turns her down saying she is "plain, and too bossy"; he then leaves to find a wife back east.
After a harsh winter, three women from the community begin to show signs of mental instability due to the hardships they have faced. Arabella Sours (Grace Gummer) has lost three children to diphtheria, Theoline Belknap (Miranda Otto) kills her own child after a poor harvest puts her family at risk of starvation, and Gro Svendsen (Sonja Richter), a Danish immigrant, is shown to be in an abusive relationship with her husband and suffers a breakdown after her mother dies. Reverend Dowd (John Lithgow) calls upon one of their husbands to escort the women eastward to a church in Hebron, Iowa that cares for the mentally ill. One of the men refuses to participate in the lottery to determine who will escort the women; Cuddy takes his place, and the lot falls on her.
While preparing for her journey, Cuddy encounters George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones), a claim jumper, who is about to be lynched for stealing Bob Giffen's land while he is away. Briggs begs Cuddy for help. Scared to make the trip alone, she frees him, and in return demands his help escorting the women. He immediately casts doubt on the job and insists he be free to abandon her at any time. To persuade him, Cuddy tells him that she is mailing $300 to await his arrival in Iowa, but secretly keeps it with her.
Briggs's experience comes in handy when the group crosses paths with hostile natives, and he is able to bribe them by giving up one of their horses. Later, when Arabella is kidnapped by a freighter (Tim Blake Nelson), Briggs gives chase, and the two men have a violent scuffle before Arabella kills her kidnapper. Eventually the caravan comes across the grave of an eleven-year-old girl that has been desecrated by Indians, and Cuddy insists they stop and restore it. Briggs vows to push on, so Cuddy stays behind and agrees to catch up with him. After restoring the grave, Cuddy sets out on horseback. However, she loses her way, and after riding all night discovers that she has gone in a circle and her horse has led her back to the grave.
Finally catching up to Briggs after another night of riding, Cuddy, distraught over having to wander the desert, suggests they marry. Briggs, like all the previous men, rejects Cuddy saying he "aint no farmer", and is only along for the promised reward. Later that night, a naked Cuddy propositions him, and despite his initial protestations, the two have sex. Rising late the next morning, Briggs finds that Cuddy has hanged herself. Briggs chastises Sours, Belknapp, and Svendsen, blaming their illness for Cuddy's death as he buries her body. He discovers that she had kept the $300 with her the entire time, and so takes a horse and abandons the three women. However, the trio surprisingly follow him on foot, and Arabella almost drowns while chasing him across a river. Briggs saves her and decides to continue taking them to Iowa instead.
Briggs seeks food and shelter at an empty hotel belonging to Aloysius Duffy (James Spader), who informs him that they have no rooms available for the caravan as a group of 16 investors are expected shortly, and the women would sour the establishment. Briggs lashes out at Duffy, whose men pull out guns of their own, resulting in a brief stand-off. Briggs leaves, but returns that night alone on horseback. He sends away the young cook, instructing her not to look back, and sets the hotel on fire, and shoots Duffy in the foot. Briggs takes a roasted pig to feed himself and the women and exits the hotel, leaving all inside to be burned alive.
Briggs reaches Hebron, passing the women into the care of Altha Carter (Meryl Streep), the wife of the church's reverend. He informs her of Cuddy's death but does not disclose the true cause. Guilty about having rejected Mary Bee's proposal, he has a wooden slab engraved with her name and plans to mark her grave with it. He gives a pair of shoes to Tabitha Hutchinson (Hailee Steinfeld), a hard-working young maid at the hotel he is staying at, and then proposes to her, after advising her not to marry some young man going west, but to stay in town. She replies by telling him "maybe". He then boards the river ferry heading back west, and starts to sing a rowdy song, "Weevily Wheat", with two musicians onboard. When asked to stop, he chastises the people at the pier for wanting to go to the western territories, calling the west a "goddamn devil". Briggs returns to singing, and as the ferry departs, one of the bargemen kicks Mary Bee's marker into the river.

Tags: depressing, murder, bleak, plot twist, tragedy, revenge

Review:
In the bad old days of the pioneers in the Wild West, Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) steps in when three women drift into various states of madness and need to be transported across the country to be cared for properly.
It is a story of hope and love, not the romantic kind, but real love for one's fellow human being, regardless of whether they can, or will, reciprocate.Shot beautifully with sprawling, dusty vistas that warm the heart and prickle the nape, the backdrop is a vast canvas of character and mystery upon which splashes of colour are smeared in the shape of wandering, human dangers.Though they say little, the trio of women (Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto and Sonja Richter) are far more than peripheral characters or the MacGuffin; they are the substance that binds The Homesman and the reason for the drama, gentle though it is.
It has a brilliant sense of time and place that tells the life stories of dozens of hard-enduring, long-suffering "forgotten men" -- the women no less than the men.The key heartbreaker is Hilary Swank's character of Miss Mary Bee Cuddy.
The Homesman, about a 31 year old (un-married/childless) woman (Hilary Swank) who takes up the challenge of bringing three crazed women across the Nebraska plains over five weeks with the help of a deserter-drifter left for dead (Jones), is in some ways meant to be a real Feminist Western (with a capital 'F'), and not in the way that a silly work like The Quick and the Dead was with Sharon Stone.
But it's a combination of things it's about, and emotionally the film does work quite well, in particular in the relationship that unfolds between the two leads.If you're curious to see a western that has the love of the plains of the West visually speaking ala Ford, but has the dark contours of someone like Mann - and added to that those super dirty production designs and character realizations from Spaghetti Westerns - this might be it, at least up to a point.
That might be fine in the book - or perhaps more was explained in other ways - but it still doesn't work, and what Jones goes for in awe-inspiring shots he leaves behind with some muddled story beats.Nevertheless, The Homesman is a good Western, a solid western digging into the roots of the genre and mixing the unsavory and horrifying (not like a horror movie, just some repellant images at times, but for a point), though whether one will want to return to it like other, better Westerns is another story.
'THE HOMESMAN': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)Tommy Lee Jones directed, co-wrote and stars in this western/drama film (set in the 1850s midwest) about a 'spinster' and a 'drifter' transporting three women, driven mad by the hardships of the time, across the country.
It's surprisingly dark, and extremely disturbing, but I enjoyed it due to it's strong character development, outstanding performances and odd beauty.Swank plays Mary Bee Cuddy, a strong and independent 31-year-old woman from New York.
She desperately wants to find a husband but can't, due to men finding her too plain looking (I don't think Swank looks bad at all in this movie, considering the film's time and setting).
The two make the long journey together and form an odd bond.The movie has been called a 'feminist western', by many, and I'd definitely agree it's a strong female character study, about the hardships women faced at the time.
Together, they gather the three ladies and escort them from Nebraska homes across the dangerous Midwest prairie to a safe haven in Iowa.Hilary Swank is an actress who had already won a couple of Oscars for playing strong women who had taken on masculine roles in life -- Brandon Teena in "Boys Don't Cry" and Maggie Fitzgerald in "Million Dollar Baby".
The movie was not the same when her character was not there.Tommy Lee Jones is one actor who, as of late, had seemingly been confined to playing curmudgeonly and cantankerous old men, and his Briggs here is not any different.
The Homesman, written and directed and starring Tommy Lee Jones tells the story of Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) a spinster who takes on the responsibility of bringing three insane women to Iowa where they can be taken care of.She saves or spares the life of George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones) and enlists him on her arduous five week journey.When you see Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones, you know the acting is going to be stellar.
This above average film concerns about a pious , independent-minded woman called Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) is assigned by the village priest (John Lightow) to carry three women (Miranda Otto , Sonja Richter , and Grace Gummer , Meryl's Streep daughter) who have been driven mad by pioneer life .
Intelligent and thoughtful screenplay by Kieran Fitzgerald , Wesley Oliver and the same Tommy Lee Jones , based on the novel by Glendon Swarthout that was published in 1988 ; in fact , Paul Newman owned the rights for a time, and wanted to direct the film himself , after a number of scripts, he gave up .
Much of the movie was shot on Tommy Lee Jones's own ranch .The film is a nice co-production , being produced , among others , by the great producer and director , the French Luc Besson .
I enjoy a good western but it would not be fair to this Tommy Lee Jones production to classify it as such without emphasizing the film is more than just a wagon trail journey of two unlikely characters across the rough and unforgiving western terrain.
No, it is the story of two unlikely characters, a single and strong willed farmer named Mary Bee Cuddy played by Hilary Swank and a thieving drifter named George Briggs played by Tommy Lee Jones who agree to transport three women by wagon with real psychiatric (madness) problems from Nebraska to Idaho.There have been hundreds of relatively good westerns produced in the past half century where the hero and heroine remain strong and stoic whilst riding through the barren lands their suits and dresses remain pressed and in pristine condition while their hair is coiffed perfectly, and miraculously the heroine's makeup never dries, cracks or runs.
So Mary Bee Cuddy agrees to make the arduous journey across the western plains maybe in the hope of finding a suitor in Idaho as she has run out of potential suitors in Nebraska and seems to be losing hope in raising a family on her own farm in Nebraska.As Mary Bee Cuddy commences her journey she comes across someone even more homely and desperate than herself in the name of aging drifter George Briggs who is within minutes of losing his life at the end of a rope for illegally claiming mining rights to another persons staked property.
He must first agree to travel across the western plains of Nebraska to assist Mary Bee Cuddy in the transportation of three insane women to a church in Idaho where they will receive the care and attention they will require to survive.And so the two hardened caretakers and their three insane passengers set out on their journey which I found to be not like any other western I had previously seen.
Some people may not be happy with the last 30 minutes of this feature film, but this is actually where writer/actor/director Tommy Lee Jones hooked me with what I felt was a good feature film that ended strongly.There are numerous cameos throughout the film including standout performances by Tim Blake Nelson as a lonesome cowboy, John Lithgow as Reverend Dowd, and Jesse Plemons as a derelict husband to one of the insane women.
Look for mother Meryl Streep in Idaho as the Reverends wife Altha Carter who enjoys sharing the screen with her real life daughter Grace Gummer who plays one of the three insane women Arabella Sours.I give the film a good 7 out of 10 rating..
The three women are vividly portrayed by Otto, Gummer and Richter, but this aspect of the film is only a side-bar to the crux of the story.This is of course about Mary Cuddy and George Briggs, a man and woman at total different ends of the spectrum.
In a genre that now sadly remains idle a majority of the time, it's a great joy to see grizzled industry veteran and virtual real life cowboy Tommy Lee Jones tackle Glendon Swarthout's source novel and create one of the most fully formed and interesting Westerns of the modern age, in what is a brutally raw, violently unapologetic and hauntingly beautiful modern day tale of the Wild West unlike any other before it and with a cast of uniformly great acting turns, The Homesman is one of the year's best films regardless of genre.Reigniting an oft far to dormant genre, Tommy Lee Jones has here gone on with the strength he showed as director in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada and created a world set in the west that seemingly takes its cues from the novels of Cormac McCarthy and the visuals of a Coen Brothers journey and moulds it into a story that is an original and intriguing take of life in the harsh confines of the west.
Whether it be the solemn sight of washing clothes in the open plains of the frontier, a particularly large homestead fire or a raft of wince inducing moments involving the 3 tormented women at the centre of this journey, The Homesman is filled to the brim with outstanding movie making moments that are highlighted even more so due to a surrounding of multilayered characters and fine acting turns.Once more proving to the industry and we the audience members that she is one of the best actresses in the business, Hilary Swank delivers another award worthy turn as hardened city girl turned farmer Mary Bee Buddy who is the heart and soul of this tale.
These two leads are fantastically supported by all who appear throughout The Homesman's journey, from all three actresses locked away in the back of the wagon, brief appearances from the likes of Tim Blake Nelson, Jesse Plemons or James Spader, the ensemble of the picture are all universally great.Not a flawless film by any stretch of the imagination, The Homesman is however without doubt an affecting and moving motion picture that tells a story of heartbreak, love, loss and all things in between in the now underused setting of the Wild West that proves to be one of the year's most hauntingly realistic tales.
The Homesman represents a comeback of a movie genre, long forgotten by the public and hence the studios (or is it the other way around ??!!) – the western.In this case, out the ordinary duplicity: good guy vs bad guy, we have a story that portrays the difficulties of the relationships of the first settlers of the remote America, namely the women.Tommy Lee Jones and Hilary Swank embark on a perilous journey protecting 3 women gone crazy to a safe destination where they can be treated.On the way we there we are shown the difficulties in the relationship between an unmarried woman with a lone ex-soldier, that just what's to be left alone.It is very interesting to see the changes that traumatizing circumstances make in one's was of thinking.Tommy Lee Jones and Hilary Swank are excellent actors and the movie is also enriched by some all-star cameos by John Lithgow, William Fitchner and Meryl Steep.For those who like westerns it's a worthwhile experience..
Still, I was hopeful and interested on checking this one out, had low expectations, was just hoping it would be worth the watch.The Homesman is Directed by Tommy Lee Jones and it stars Hilary Swank, Tommy Lee Jones, Grace Gummer, Meryl Streep, Miranda Otto, Tim Blake Nelson, Hailee Steinfeld, Sonja Richter, William Fichtner and James Spader.
But it's a surprisingly good little movie and one that deserves an audience.Tommy Lee Jones directed and stars in this film about a drunken roustabout (Jones) who teams up with a prim spinster (Hilary Swank) to transport back to their families three insane women who've been undone by brutal life on the American prairie.
Not only have I been a fan of Tommy Lee Jones since he stuck his head out in "Love Story" and then secured me in "Rolling Thunder", I'm also from San Antonio and appreciate 'real' Texas people in the entertainment industry.A film like this will never be big at the box office these days - but if you're a serious movie lover that respects and enjoys an intelligent, non-CG, all-around-amazingly-well-done story, then THE HOMESMAN is a must-see.
It also has Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer and Meryl Streep (a little) which obviously keeps things at a high-quality level.I actually just want to thank the entire and great cast & crew, and especially Tommy Lee Jones for making this picture.
Director/Star/Screenwriter Tommy Lee Jones takes a major Chance with this Unusual Western Tale about Desperation and Insanity on the Harsh Nebraskan Plains in Americas Formative Years.
Along the way Mary Bee hires George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones) as a Homesman to help her in the journey.
When Meryl Streep - as great as she is - and as Mrs. Carter, who receives the women in Iowa, talks to Mr. Briggs, I got the impression with her halting dialogue that she was really telling us, "what am I doing here?" Okay, maybe that's just me.The chemistry between Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones was good, but could have had more grit.
To get the answer, you have to watch the movie till the end.The main appeal of this movie is surely the acting of main two characters Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones.
Tommy Lee Jones' latest directorial effort brings the long-missed HilarySwank back to the big screen with a powerfully melancholic performance—a vulnerable single woman by the name of Mary Bee Cuddy (a type of name that's very familiar in the Western genre) who simply can't bear the boredom and desolation of her current life.
With the ceaselessly eerie score and disturbing imagery on display, The Homesman plays a lot like a Western with transparent horror undertones, as strange as that sounds.Whereas Mary Bee Cuddy desperately longs for a companion—for a romantic partner—to accompany her through the remainder of life, Tommy Lee Jones' George Briggs is very much an individual's individual, one who left the US Regiment of Dragoons once upon a time and since then has been doing just fine on his own without any desire for the responsibility and limitation that comes with tying yourself down to other people.
I didn't catch any cliché except for maybe one scene, where Tommy Lee Jones shows you shouldn't turn down a hungry frontiersman and his crazy women ;) The Homesman is no Action Movie.
There was no flow to the film, most of the time I couldn't understand Tommy Lee Jones' accent, and Hilary Swank's character was messed up.
What I imagined was something like what is depicted in this unforgettable film though I doubt I would have been so generous with those who considered themselves men of the cloth.This movie is difficult to watch in places but it appears to be making the case that the prairie made some women mad.
I can believe that women like her Mary Bee Cuddy would have had a strong effect on the community and the men around them but that they often died with barely a footnote.Tommy Lee Jones is always a pleasure to see, but this movie which he directed is a special privilege for us moviegoers.
After he cleans himself up, they set of for there dangerous journey, which has a few bumps on the way and the two main characters, played by Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones, are bonded together in such a difficult situation.
The journey is long, dangerous and ultimately tells us more about these characters than any destination ever would.Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) drives this movie forward.
No one could care for these three unfortunate women, so someone has to get them back across the Mississippi River to Iowa.That someone turns out to be Mary Bee Cuddy (Swank), along with George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones).
However, both Cuddy and Briggs are tough and capable, and they manage to keep going.However, about two-thirds through the movie, Director Jones makes the decision that Actor Jones is the most interesting character in the film, and he concentrates the plot on him.
On the exterior, "The Homesman" appears to be a run-of- the-mill, formulaic western but what lies deeper in the story are unexpected twists, bizarre flares in subplots, and an unusual path the film takes during its final third.Mary Bee Cuddy is a great character, and a big, complicated one at that.
A well-suited performance, for the character played by the director & male lead Tommy Lee Jones - who develops a surprising change of heart over his direction in life.
As always, Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones deliver excellent performances.I would recommend the movie to anyone who wants to watch a Western or a period film with more sense than senseless, firing guns..
Like I said all in all a good film, and definitely one of Tommy's best performance; you can tell he put some time in his character development..
Tommy Lee Jones makes his directorial debut in this western drama set in the 1850s starring Hilary Swank as Mary Bee Cudy, a lonely woman in a rural Nebraska who is tasked to extort three women (played by Grace Gummer, Mirando Otto, and Sonja Richter) who have gone mentally insane, across the country on her wagon.