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A Painted House

  • TV Movie
  • 2003
  • PG
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
Robert Sean Leonard, Scott Glenn, Arija Bareikis, Melinda Dillon, and Logan Lerman in A Painted House (2003)
DramaFamily

A young boy, his family, and the migrant workers they hire to work their cotton farm struggle against difficult odds to raise and sell the crop. Meanwhile, the boy dreams of living in better... Read allA young boy, his family, and the migrant workers they hire to work their cotton farm struggle against difficult odds to raise and sell the crop. Meanwhile, the boy dreams of living in better conditions. However, with this particularly tough farming season, the boy learns that his... Read allA young boy, his family, and the migrant workers they hire to work their cotton farm struggle against difficult odds to raise and sell the crop. Meanwhile, the boy dreams of living in better conditions. However, with this particularly tough farming season, the boy learns that his challenges guide him in discovering who he really is.

  • Director
    • Alfonso Arau
  • Writers
    • Patrick Sheane Duncan
    • John Grisham
  • Stars
    • Scott Glenn
    • Arija Bareikis
    • Robert Sean Leonard
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    1.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alfonso Arau
    • Writers
      • Patrick Sheane Duncan
      • John Grisham
    • Stars
      • Scott Glenn
      • Arija Bareikis
      • Robert Sean Leonard
    • 29User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 1 win & 4 nominations total

    Photos4

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    Top cast28

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    Scott Glenn
    Scott Glenn
    • Eli 'Pappy' Chandler
    Arija Bareikis
    Arija Bareikis
    • Kathleen Chandler
    Robert Sean Leonard
    Robert Sean Leonard
    • Jesse Chandler
    Melinda Dillon
    Melinda Dillon
    • Gran Chandler
    Logan Lerman
    Logan Lerman
    • Luke Chandler
    Audrey Marie Anderson
    Audrey Marie Anderson
    • Tally Spruill
    Geoffrey Lewis
    Geoffrey Lewis
    • Mr. Spruill
    Pablo Schreiber
    Pablo Schreiber
    • Hank Spruill
    Michael Shamus Wiles
    Michael Shamus Wiles
    • Stick Peters
    Luis Garcia
    • Cowboy
    • (as Luis Esteban Garcia)
    Miguel Pérez
    Miguel Pérez
    • Miguel
    Diane Delano
    Diane Delano
    • Mrs. Spruill
    Luke Eberl
    Luke Eberl
    • Trot Spruill
    Sean Harrison Jones
    Sean Harrison Jones
    • Bo Spruill
    • (as Sean Jones)
    Richard Crowe
    • Mr. Latcher
    Neva Howell
    Neva Howell
    • Mrs. Darla Latcher
    Liz Byler
    Liz Byler
    • Libby Latcher
    Donna Denley
    • Mrs. Watson
    • Director
      • Alfonso Arau
    • Writers
      • Patrick Sheane Duncan
      • John Grisham
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews29

    6.41.2K
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    Featured reviews

    7KMLBFL

    Lacks the intensity of the book, but a decent tale to watch.

    Overall entertaining, but you will not find the movie as captivating as the book. I thought that the film was entertaining, but never delivered the emotion and punch that I felt while reading the novel. The Spruill characters were believable, but I had imagined Hank to be a larger and more menacing physical specimen than the movie portrayed.
    Sneaky_Pete_XXVII

    Where did this movie go?

    I was very engaged with the movie (or story)...Up to a point. I was very upset with the fact that they spent a fair time setting up a growing problem (which you could sense), then introducing the problem (the murder), then abandoning it, and then finally restarting a new story that doesn't quite fit. WHY DO THAT?!

    Like I said, I was totally engaged...Up to a point. And this is when everything went downhill!

    On the plus side, there was good acting. But I believe even if you do have good acting-if your plot isn't convincing (or doesn't make sense), then the audience won't focus on that, and therefore your acting isn't as significant.

    There are very few films that go off on a tangent (and that's a good thing), but when movies like, "A Painted House" and "Jeepers Creepers", do it (or I suppose any movie that does it), I can't help but lose interest, and become disappointed with it.
    6newmans

    Maybe sometimes, we forget

    Maybe sometimes, we forget, with our plush life and current definition of "poverty", what things were like for rural "working poor" even as recently as the 50's. Survival, even for a man who owned the land, took a different strength of character. Is it good, or is it regretful those times have passed? More money yes, but were better times up North in the auto plants? I suppose, but this is nostalgia, and not bad either.

    It was a good family movie, narrated like the Waltons, I kept waiting for "goodnight Luke-boy". Yah, Little House on the Prairie too, a bit more reality, but did other commenters really expect this to be as complete as the book, any book? Personally, I'm tired of hearing book-readers whine about "what they left out". Don't watch movies if you read the book.

    This is certainly wandering reminiscences, but that's another type of literature too, isn't it? Why does every story have to be going somewhere special? To me it's a pretty good coming of age movie and worth the hour and a half at least, and always a pleasure watching Scott Glenn, when he gets good parts.
    6tractorbeatfrog

    Not That Bad

    To the other reviewer I would say that this isn't groundbreaking television or anything but it is hardly as bad as you are making it out to be.

    It's just your average TV production, a made for TV movie that actually won an Emmy so it can't be that atrocious can it? Not sure why you hate it so much that you would go online and bash it and make personal accusations about the author and other people involved simply from disliking the movie.

    I can'd speak for how realistic it is but as someone who knows nothing about cotton farming but knows a little about farming in general I thought it was realistic enough for a TV story. And I thought the acting was good.
    Pistach

    It didn't make it.

    Basically the movie consisted of a few highlighted clips from the book. It failed to get across the essence of the book. In particular the sense of family and the desire and ability to help others regardless of economic status.

    As I remember, hair was cut a lot shorter in 1952.

    I'm sorry I watched the move as it destroyed the good memories that I had from the book.

    Best Emmys Moments

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    Related interests

    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    Family

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The church used for the Sunday church scene was donated by the film crew to a small church in Crittenden County, Arkansas. The church still stands and is being used every Sunday. A large sign in the yard depicts it as the church used in the movie.
    • Goofs
      When the soda fountain worker give the customer a fountain drink, the seltzer from the spigot comes out brown. Seltzer is clear. In 1950s all fountain drinks, including Coca Cola, required a squirt of flavored syrup then the cup was held under the fountain spigot. The clerk would push the handle back for a pressurized squirt to mix the clear seltzer and syrup then would pull the handle forward to fill the glass.
    • Quotes

      Tally Spruill: [after taking a bath in the lake] You saw me, didn't you Luke?

      Luke Chandler: Yes

      Tally Spruill: That's Ok, I'm not mad.

      Luke Chandler: You're Not?

      Tally Spruill: No.

      Luke Chandler: I guess it's only natural, you know... for boys to look at girls

    • Connections
      Edited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)
    • Soundtracks
      Canta Y No Llores
      Mexican folksong

      Sung by migrant workers

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 27, 2003 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official CBS Page
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Hallmark Hall of Fame: A Painted House (#52.3)
    • Filming locations
      • Lepanto, Arkansas, USA
    • Production companies
      • CBS
      • Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions
      • McGee Street Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 37m(97 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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