7.0
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Western, Drama • 2014 • 122 min • Adults (18+)
The Homesman (2014)
The Homesman (2014)
Overview
The Homesman is a 2014 Western directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones, following a determined frontier woman who undertakes the grim task of transporting three mentally broken settlers across the Nebraska wilderness to care. Where most Westerns mythologize the frontier, this one treats it as a machine that grinds women down. The Leans Progressive label comes from the film's sustained critique of how patriarchal pioneer society failed its most vulnerable members, particularly women isolated by hardship and institutional indifference. Family life on the frontier is portrayed not as noble sacrifice but as a source of profound psychological damage. The tone is somber and revisionist rather than celebratory.
Starring Cast
Tommy Lee Jones • Hilary Swank • Grace Gummer
Where to watch
Rating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Family Values: Leans Progressive
Christianity: Negative
Viewer Rating
7.0
Overview
The Homesman is a 2014 Western directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones, following a determined frontier woman who undertakes the grim task of transporting three mentally broken settlers across the Nebraska wilderness to care. Where most Westerns mythologize the frontier, this one treats it as a machine that grinds women down. The Leans Progressive label comes from the film's sustained critique of how patriarchal pioneer society failed its most vulnerable members, particularly women isolated by hardship and institutional indifference. Family life on the frontier is portrayed not as noble sacrifice but as a source of profound psychological damage. The tone is somber and revisionist rather than celebratory.
Starring Cast
Tommy Lee Jones • Hilary Swank • Grace Gummer
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Primary
Political: Leans Left
Confidence: High
The film explores the devastating psychological toll of frontier life on women, highlighting themes of isolation, mental illness, and the systemic failures of a patriarchal society to support its most vulnerable members. It offers a somber critique of historical gender roles and societal neglect, emphasizing the profound suffering endured by women in the American West.
Diversity: Moderate
Confidence: High
Casting is traditional, without explicit race or gender swaps. The narrative subtly critiques the harsh realities of frontier life and the specific challenges faced by women, rather than explicitly portraying traditional identities in a negative light.
Secondary
Family Values: Leans Progressive
Confidence: High
The film portrays the immense psychological and physical toll of traditional family life on women in the harsh frontier environment, depicting the breakdown of family units and the devastating consequences of isolation and loss.
Christianity: Negative
Confidence: High
The film portrays a frontier community where Christian faith is a societal norm, yet its adherents and institutions are depicted as largely ineffective in providing solace or compassion against overwhelming despair. The narrative highlights the severe mental and physical suffering of individuals, suggesting that traditional religious comfort and community support are insufficient in the face of extreme hardship. The film critiques the practical shortcomings of a community that, despite its religious foundation, fails to protect its most vulnerable members.
LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: High
The Homesman, a Western drama, does not feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The narrative centers on the arduous journey of a pioneer woman transporting three mentally ill women across the American frontier, focusing on themes of survival, isolation, and the challenges of the era.
Trans: N/A
Confidence: High
The film 'The Homesman' does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or themes within its narrative. The story focuses on the arduous journey of a pioneer woman transporting three mentally ill women across the American frontier, exploring themes of hardship, survival, and the challenges faced by women in the 19th century.
Female Combat: N/R
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High
The film's characters maintain the same genders as established in the original source material. There are no instances of a character canonically established as one gender being portrayed as another.
Race Swap: No
Confidence: High
The film "The Homesman" is a Western set in the 1850s, depicting characters whose portrayals align with the racial context of the source novel and historical period. No established character from the source material or historical record is depicted as a different race.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
6.6
6.5
Critic Ratings
8.1
6.8
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