No matter how intelligent its script, melodrama is looked down on in most television series and films — in particular, in daytime soap operas. But in cinema, it is much better-received, especially when the movie in question is well-acted.
And though it's being called "King Lear on the Farm," the big-screen version of Jane Smiley's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "A Thousand Acres" narrowly avoids becoming strictly TV movie-of-the-week territory on the sheer strength of some Oscar nomination-worthy performances.
If nothing else, the film deserves credit for bringing together actresses Jessica Lange and Michelle Pfeiffer, who star as Ginny Cook Smith and Rose Cook Lewis, the older daughters of Larry Cook (Jason Robards), an Iowa farming legend.
As the film begins, Larry decides to turn his profitable, 1,000-acre farm over to his three daughters — to make sure they don't have to pay inheritance taxes when they receive it after his death. But their younger sister Caroline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) refuses his offer, which briefly creates a rift between father and daughter, and which leaves the farm to Rose (the more assertive, but troublesome, daughter) and Ginny (the steady, but unsure, one).
Larry soon begins to regret the decision, however, especially when he sees his sons-in-law Ty Smith (Keith Carradine) and Peter Lewis (Kevin Anderson) making sweeping changes to the farm that he doesn't like.
Eventually, the increasingly brooding and unbalanced family patriarch decides to sue to get his farm back (with some prodding from Caroline), and during the legal and emotional struggle, some repressed memories are uncovered in both Rose and Ginny — including the fact that their father sexually molested them when they were teens.
As mentioned, Lange and Pfeiffer are very good (expect at least one of them to get an Oscar nod), as is Robards. Lange's vulnerable performance, in particular, is absolutely heartbreaking at times.
But the film is actually one of those that could have justified being longer than two hours. By keeping the running time short (less than two hours), director Jocelyn Moorhouse robs many situations of emotional heft.
Also, Laura Jones' script briefly touches on some interesting side issues (organic farming, well-water poisoning and its connection to health problems such as infertility and cancer) but doesn't explore them in any depth. And most of the supporting characters (in particular, those of Colin Firth and Kevin Anderson) aren't fully developed.
Still, it's powerful at times (like when Pfeiffer and Lange share the screen) and the film may lead some audiences to check out Smiley's much more comprehensive novel, which is a good thing.
"A Thousand Acres" is rated R for profanity, violence, brief partial nudity during a medical examination of Pfeiffer, one vulgar joke and a few vulgar references.