We wanted to see Henry Fonda at various stages of his long career. The Grapes of Wrath -- a wonderful adaptation of a poignant novel -- was a perfect choice. My only concern was weather the kids could handle the pain of the Great Depression and the power of the movie's themes. The answer was 'yes'.
Specs:
Just over 2 hours, black and white. We watched on a dvd from the local library.
The film is set during the Dust Bowl
Our family's average rating on a scale of 1-10:
8.33
More about the film and our reaction to it:
This is an extremely powerful and well made movie about an important and very real topic in American history. Although it is probably better suited to the 12+ crowd, for its themes, my 10 year old got a lot out of it too.
For any one who doesn't know, the film, based on the John Steinbeck novel of the same name, opens with Tom Joad (Fonda) getting out of prison and returning home to find his family and neighbors in the throes of the dust bowl in Oklahoma. Sharecroppers, they are forced off their land by wealthier landowners attempting to put more acreage under mechanized farming. The Joads move west toward what they hope will be greener pastures, in response to advertising pamphlets that have overstated the land of opportunity that is California. The story chronicles their difficult journey west and the conditions of life they meet and endure once there.
This is beautifully acted, directed and photographed. The landscapes are so starkly gorgeous, they are highly evocative. The performances of Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell, as Tom's mother are simply phenomenal and director John Ford, has a clear knack for how to just back off and tell a story. This makes for an exceedingly heart-wrenching and moving tale that will give your kids a powerful understanding of what was going on in our country at this time. We highly recommend it -- but only for those who can handle these themes.
The film ultimately has an uplifting message of hope and fighting injustice (with Henry Fonda's famous "I'll be there" speech to his mother at the end), but there's no getting around the idea that the movie is a serious downer.
Iconic shot:
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