Desert Hearts [DVD]

Truly a classic. Love it every time I watch it.

I bought the DVD years ago but decided to upgrade to this delux edition from the Criterion Collection with lots of extras. Haven’t watched it yet but plan to soon.Favorite line: “Lots of ice tea and no deep thinkin’”. Beautiful love story with charming and quirky characters. The director has a cameo playing at a slot machine and says in a foreign accent to Cay: “If you don’t play, you can’t win.” Love this movie!

I seen this movie in the theater when it first came out with my girlfriend. I recently rented to watch again. I had a crazy crush on the lead actress, the brunette in this movie. Crazy good looking woman. Great movie great soundtrack just an all around good movie from the 80s. Man do I miss those days lol

I've seen many lesbian-themed movies over the years and "Desert Hearts" is simply the best, even 14 years after the first time I saw it. Patricia Charbonneau is absolutely delicious as the wild-spirited and honest Cay Rivvers while Helen Shaver gives a powerful performance as the soon-to-be-divorced Vivian Bell. When Vivian arrives in Reno to get a divorce in 1959, she finds her world turned topsy-turvy when she meets the free-spirited Cay.Audra Lindley (Three's Company) turns in a great performance as Cay's stepmother, Frances, a woman who seems to be trying to come to terms with Cay's attraction to women but ultimately cannot, especially when Cay finds "someone who counts". Surprisingly, I found myself sympathetic with her situation, even though I am a lesbian. Here she takes in her lover's daughter and raises her, only to find that she is "different". It becomes apparent fairly early on, that Frances is lonely and afraid to let go, no matter how healthy that letting go would ultimately be. There is a touching scene where Cay and Frances talk about her staying and even moving east with Frances.Instead of some story where the heroines go to bed early on, the relationship builds slowly. Donna Deitch develops the romantic tension between Cay and Vivian, building towards an absolutely exquisite lovemaking scene when Cay visits Vivian in her hotel room after Vivian is forced by circumstances to move from the dude ranch to town. You can see that Cay is quickly attracted to Vivian, but Vivian takes quite a bit longer to come out of her shell.Silver, Cay's straight friend, and her fiance, Joe, are just super as emotional and moral support for Cay, and, ultimately for her love for Vivian. Also, Silver has a great voice--I'm not a huge fan of country music, but her song, "Someone to Love", sung at the engagement party for Joe and her, is fabulous. That song alone would be justification for a soundtrack--too bad one was never made. You can see the love Silver and Joe have for one another, but, perhaps because of it, they can accept Cay's lesbianism, and later, support for Vivian and her. Given that homophobia was even worse in 1959 than now, it was refreshing to see straight people who could treat a lesbian just as they would treat any friend.The music is great and it, along with the costumes, are accurate to the time (I'm old enough to accurately remember the period first hand). The songs are hits of the time, done by such greats as Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, Patti Page, Johnny Ray, and Elvis Presley, amongst others. Music is important in setting the mood and a sense of the time in which a film is supposed to take place. The music of "Desert Hearts" does this admirably--it took me right back to that time."Desert Hearts" is a groundmark movie--to the best of my knowledge, it is the first time that an explicit lesbian lovemaking scene is shown. However, it is tender rather than excessively graphic. This is one film I can highly recommend.

This lovely, bittersweet movie knocked my socks off when I saw it back in the day. I own the earlier edition but was thrilled to receive this updated, two-disk edition. The sound quality has been vastly improved. And there are some great features, among them interviews with the leading ladies, Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau, an in-depth look at the filming of the famous love scene, and most important, a new director's commentary by Donna Deitch which far surpasses the one on the earlier edition. Deitch took her time in writing a commentary that provides background information concerning the making of the film and the individuals responsible for its success, from actors, to crew, even to the anonymous financial backers who got to appear in the film as extras gambling in the casino! Deitch also discusses some of the choices she made in setting up scenes, music, casting, etc., giving us fascinating insights into the creative decision-making process that a director employs when putting together a movie.For those of you who are new to this wonderful film, "Desert Hearts" is peopled with believable, sympathetic characters and it is, for the most part, beautifully acted. The soundtrack is fabulous. The cinematography artfully features the haunting southwestern landscape, contrasting it with the period-perfect seediness of 1950's Reno."Desert Hearts" is a lesbian love story, but also a story about the importance of many types of relationships between women: mother and daughter, friend and confidant. I've seen almost all the lesbian flicks that have been produced over the years, and very few of them have this one's staying power. It offers a romantic and heartfelt view of lesbian love in the old-fashioned Hollywood mold, something we rarely see in the movies, and never saw at all prior to the making of this landmark film. The impeccable use of music is heard in the final scene, as Ella Fitzgerald croons "I Wished On The Moon." I can't imagine any person who has ever loved or hoped for love, whether they're gay, straight or in between, not being moved by the promise, longing and mystery expressed in that last scene.As a middle-aged lesbian who rates this as her favorite lesbian film of all time, I was particularly touched to hear Donna Deitch talk about her goal of making a truly romantic lesbian movie that didn't end in either a "bisexual love triangle or a suicide." Despite the fact that I've watched this movie a hundred times, the romance never fails to grab me. Donna, you succeeded beyond your wildest dreams. And yes, Ms. Deitch does indeed confirm that a sequel is in the works.At the end of her commentary, Deitch requests that those of us who love the movie encourage others to buy this new edition. So here's my pitch: even if you own the earlier version, click "Add to My Cart"! You won't regret it.

Classic lesbian movie deserves it's acclaim. Well acted, great music and a wonderful, sweet story. If you are young there is great relevance to the lesbian history here. There is attention to the bisexual community as well. If you are older...like me...you have lived some of the movie and will smile and watch again and again. So few of the older lesbian movies provide a happy ending as this movie does.

A beautifully crafted film, illuminated by excellent performances from the two female leads, that conveys a vivid sense of time, place and of love. It is even better than the novel upon which it is based (A Desert of the Heart) and that is rarely, in my experience, the case.

Ahh an old lesbian favourite. For today's standards it's a bit tame in the bedroom department, but as for telling a love story it's just fine. Acting and script stand the test of time and it will be a classic for years to come.

The story is typical however the acting is very good and convincing. The story doesn't give us a lot of explanations about the why and how is this relationship possible...but after all it is just a film.

Arrived on time, fine movie with a very good cast, enjoyed very much.

The best lesbian film of all time in my opinion. A timeless classic. Even 30 years on I haven't seen a film show such chemistry between two women. A wonderful love story with a great sound track. A must to have in your film collection.