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The Trip to Bountiful
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Trip to Bountiful | |
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| Directed by | Peter Masterson |
| Written by | Horton Foote |
| Starring | Geraldine Page John Heard Carlin Glynn Richard Bradford |
| Release date(s) | December 25, 1985 |
| Running time | 108 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Trip to Bountiful is a 1985 film starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay.
The movie was adapted by Horton Foote from his play. It was directed by Peter Masterson. Although set in Houston, Texas, the movie was filmed in Dallas.
The film, set in the 1940s, tells the story of an elderly woman, Carrie Watts (Page), who wants to return home to the small town where she grew up, but is frequently stopped from leaving Houston by the daughter-in-law who insists that there is not enough money for a travel ticket, and an overprotective son who won't let her travel alone.
Old Mrs Watts is determined to outwit her bossy daughter-in-law, and sets out to catch a train, only to find that trains don't go to Bountiful anymore. She eventually boards a coach to a town near to her childhood home. On the journey, she befriends a girl travelling alone (De Mornay) and reminisces about her younger years and grieves for her lost relatives. Her son and daughter-in-law eventually track her down, with the help of the local police force. However, Mrs Watts is not to be beaten, and she persuades the understanding police officer to drive her to Bountiful. The village is deserted, and the few remaining houses are derelict. Mrs Watts is moved to tears as she surveys her father's land and the remains of the family home. Her son eventually turns up, and drives her back to Houston.
The film features an all-star cast including John Heard and Geraldine Page and a soundtrack by J.A.C. Redford featuring "Softly and Tenderly" sung by Grammy-award winner Cynthia Clawson. The film won the Academy Award for Best Actress (Page) and was nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. It would be Page's final film role.
Horton Foote first wrote The Trip to Bountiful for television in 1953. It was directed by Vincent J. Donehue, and starred Lillian Gish and Eileen Heckart. The acclaimed play opened on Broadway that same year. Foote also won Academy Awards for his screenplays of To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and Tender Mercies (1983).