Crimes of the Heart (film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Bruce Beresford (director), Beth Henley (screenplay) |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Film |
Crimes of the Heart is a 1986 American black comedy-drama helmed by director Bruce Beresford, featuring a screenplay written by Beth Henley adapted from her 1979 Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play. The cast includes Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, and Tess Harper. The narrative centers on the Magrath sisters—Babe, Lenny, and Meg—who come together at their family residence in Mississippi after Babe is taken into custody for shooting her husband, leading them to confront their emotional struggles and familial conflicts.
Distributed by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group on December 12, 1986, the movie was met with favorable critical response, particularly praising Henley’s screenplay and Spacek’s acting. Despite this acclaim, it achieved modest commercial success, earning $22.9 million against a production budget of $20 million. At the 59th Academy Awards, it garnered three nominations: Best Actress (Spacek), Best Supporting Actress (Harper), and Best Adapted Screenplay. Additionally, at the 44th Golden Globe Awards, it received a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, with Spacek securing the award for Best Actress – Musical or Comedy.
Plot
Following Babe's arrest for shooting her abusive spouse Zackery Botrelle, the Magrath sisters—Lenny, Meg, and Babe—reassemble at their ancestral home in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Orphaned by their mother’s suicide and raised by their grandfather, Lenny has remained a reserved caretaker; Babe has endured a difficult marriage; while Meg left for Los Angeles aiming for a singing career but conceals her disappointments.
As Lenny and Meg grapple with Babe’s legal challenges and fragile mental state, they confront underlying family tensions while rallying to support her defense. Their lawyer, Barnette Lloyd, recommends pursuing a defense based on self-defense or temporary insanity and introduces evidence of Zackery’s history of abuse. Babe discloses an affair with Willie Jay, a young African American boy, which precipitated the shooting incident.
The family faces further strain when Old Granddaddy suffers a stroke followed by a coma. Meg fabricates tales about her life in Hollywood to comfort him but confides the truth to Lenny. Rivalries fueled by jealousy and unresolved grievances surface among the sisters.
Barnette negotiates with Zackery to have charges dropped against Babe to prevent public exposure of the affair. Meanwhile, Babe confronts threats of institutionalization and attempts suicide but is rescued by Meg. Ultimately, the sisters rediscover strength in their relationship as they come together to celebrate Lenny’s birthday.
Box office
Opening across 246 screens in the United States, the film earned $1,402,921 during its debut weekend and accumulated a total gross of $22,905,522 in North America.
Critical reception
Crimes of the Heart was met with largely positive critiques, with Sissy Spacek’s portrayal receiving particular acclaim. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times described the film as "a comedy about serious matters," skillfully merging parody and melodrama while expressing "a deep, abiding comic affection" for its characters as they navigate Southern Gothic motifs.
Rita Kempley from The Washington Post compared it to "Hannah and Her Sisters with a southern accent," emphasizing compelling performances by Keaton, Spacek, and Lange under Bruce Beresford's adept direction. Beresford maintained a smooth narrative flow and offered a fresh take on American character types following his earlier success with Tender Mercies.
In contrast, Vincent Canby of The New York Times critiqued the ensemble cast dynamic, suggesting that the actresses’ strong performances overshadowed the subtlety originally present in Henley’s play under Beresford’s guidance.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Crimes of the Heart holds an approval rating of 82% based on 22 critical reviews.
Accolades
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| Best Actress | Sissy Spacek | Template:Nom | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Tess Harper | Template:Nom | |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Beth Henley | Template:Nom | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Freddie Fields | Template:Nom |
| Best Actress – Musical or Comedy | Sissy Spacek | Template:Won | |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle | Best Actress | Template:Won | |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Template:Won |