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Desert Hearts
- 153 statements
- 29 feature instances
- 8 referencing feature instances
| Desert Hearts | type |
TVTItem | |
| Desert Hearts | label |
Desert Hearts | |
| Desert Hearts | page |
DesertHearts | |
| Desert Hearts | comment |
A 1985 romantic drama film directed by Donna Deitch, loosely based on Jane Rule's autobiographical 1964 novel Desert of the Heart.In 1959, Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver), a repressed, middle-aged English professor from New York City, comes to Reno, Nevada for a quickie divorce. She stays at a local ranch, where she meets Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau), a free-spirited young casino employee-cum-sculptress who is openly lesbian. Cay soon confesses that she's falling in love with Vivian, who's shocked — especially as she gradually admits to herself that the feeling is mutual...Desert Hearts is regarded as a classic of queer cinema. It's one of the first films to portray a lesbian relationship positively, and its Happy Ending pointedly contrasts with earlier movies about lesbians (and gay men, for that matter) in which one of the gay characters either dies or becomes heterosexual.Compare with Carol, another lesbian romance adapted from a novel and set in the 1950s. | |
| Desert Hearts | fetched |
2023-08-20T21:59:30Z | |
| Desert Hearts | parsed |
2023-08-20T21:59:30Z | |
| Desert Hearts | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Desert Hearts / int_127fc252 | type |
Creator Cameo | |
| Desert Hearts / int_127fc252 | comment |
Creator Cameo: Donna Deitch appears briefly as a casino patron. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_127fc252 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_127fc252 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_127fc252 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_1ba17583 | type |
The Ghost | |
| Desert Hearts / int_1ba17583 | comment |
The Ghost: We never see Vivian's husband. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_1ba17583 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_1ba17583 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_1ba17583 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_207e000c | type |
Reveal Shot | |
| Desert Hearts / int_207e000c | comment |
Reveal Shot: A memorable one. After Vivian has left the ranch and gone to live by herself in a casino hotel room, Cay comes to visit her. Upset at how Frances treated her, Vivian vents her anger to Cay and the camera follows her into another room while she's talking and looking for a cigarette. She finds one and lights one, while still talking to Cay in the other room. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_207e000c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_207e000c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_207e000c | |
| Desert Hearts / int_20d5ac0e | type |
Sex Is Liberation | |
| Desert Hearts / int_20d5ac0e | comment |
Sex Is Liberation: Cay and Vivian having sex is portrayed as this for Vivian, who beforehand is uptight and stiff and afterwards is more relaxed and dresses in a less buttoned-up manner. Not to mention her discovery that Cay is her Closet Key. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_20d5ac0e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_20d5ac0e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_20d5ac0e | |
| Desert Hearts / int_40b711d5 | type |
Hair-Contrast Duo | |
| Desert Hearts / int_40b711d5 | comment |
Hair-Contrast Duo: Vivian is prim and proper (and blonde), while Cay (brunette) is much bolder and uninhibited. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_40b711d5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_40b711d5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_40b711d5 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_4b0ef86e | type |
Advertised Extra | |
| Desert Hearts / int_4b0ef86e | comment |
Advertised Extra: Alex McArthur's character Walter appears on the poster, as seen above. In the actual film he is in 4 or 5 scenes and gets maybe 30 seconds of dialogue. More recent versions, such as the cover for The Criterion Collection's release, focus on Vivian and Cay. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_4b0ef86e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_4b0ef86e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_4b0ef86e | |
| Desert Hearts / int_5158df81 | type |
The Casino | |
| Desert Hearts / int_5158df81 | comment |
The Casino: Where Cay and Silver work. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_5158df81 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_5158df81 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_5158df81 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_583ec33e | type |
Snark-to-Snark Combat | |
| Desert Hearts / int_583ec33e | comment |
Snark-to-Snark Combat: This exchange between Vivian and Lucille, a homophobic ranch guest. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_583ec33e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_583ec33e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_583ec33e | |
| Desert Hearts / int_5a365ed2 | type |
Incompatible Orientation | |
| Desert Hearts / int_5a365ed2 | comment |
Incompatible Orientation: Cay and her boss, Darrell. Also the reason why Vivian's marriage broke up, although it takes her a while to realize it. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_5a365ed2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_5a365ed2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_5a365ed2 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_6f19054d | type |
Coming-Out Story | |
| Desert Hearts / int_6f19054d | comment |
Coming-Out Story: Part of it involves Vivian coming out to herself. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_6f19054d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_6f19054d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_6f19054d | |
| Desert Hearts / int_71268450 | type |
Adaptation Title Change | |
| Desert Hearts / int_71268450 | comment |
Adaptation Title Change: The film is based on the novel Desert of the Heart. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_71268450 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_71268450 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_71268450 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_78540917 | type |
Like Brother and Sister | |
| Desert Hearts / int_78540917 | comment |
Like Sister And Sister: Cay and Silver appear to be this, given that they comfortably share a bath together and have absolutely no Unresolved Sexual Tension, while Silver's boyfriend cooks dinner for all of them. This could also be them saving water, given that it's Nevada and the Fifties, which were a drought-ridden decade in the US. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_78540917 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_78540917 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_78540917 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_79729e6d | type |
Uptight Loves Wild | |
| Desert Hearts / int_79729e6d | comment |
Uptight Loves Wild: Vivian is the uptight, Cay is the wild. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_79729e6d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_79729e6d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_79729e6d | |
| Desert Hearts / int_7a10d16a | type |
Divorce in Reno | |
| Desert Hearts / int_7a10d16a | comment |
Divorce in Reno: The reason Vivian goes to Nevada. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_7a10d16a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_7a10d16a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_7a10d16a | |
| Desert Hearts / int_7b7182fe | type |
Closet Key | |
| Desert Hearts / int_7b7182fe | comment |
Closet Key: Cay serves as this for Vivian's LGBT Awakening. After they've had sex and are cuddling, Vivian tells her "I adore you for this." | |
| Desert Hearts / int_7b7182fe | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_7b7182fe | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_7b7182fe | |
| Desert Hearts / int_8411ab92 | type |
Red Oni, Blue Oni | |
| Desert Hearts / int_8411ab92 | comment |
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Cay is the red, Vivian is the blue. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_8411ab92 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_8411ab92 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_8411ab92 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_856a425a | type |
TheFifties | |
| Desert Hearts / int_856a425a | comment |
The '50s: Set in the later part of the decade. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_856a425a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_856a425a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_856a425a | |
| Desert Hearts / int_92370007 | type |
The Modest Orgasm | |
| Desert Hearts / int_92370007 | comment |
The Modest Orgasm: Cay and Vivian are (relatively) quiet during their sex scene. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_92370007 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_92370007 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_92370007 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_a5d92fce | type |
Celibate Hero | |
| Desert Hearts / int_a5d92fce | comment |
Celibate Hero: Vivian thinks she's one of these, given that her marriage has ended and she's not attracted to other men. Turns out she's not. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_a5d92fce | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_a5d92fce | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_a5d92fce | |
| Desert Hearts / int_affc0c98 | type |
Significant Wardrobe Shift | |
| Desert Hearts / int_affc0c98 | comment |
Significant Wardrobe Shift: As the film goes on, Vivian's wardrobe gets less buttoned up and more free and loose. The film even draws attention to this, by highlighting how much pain her high heels are putting her in. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_affc0c98 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_affc0c98 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_affc0c98 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_b97c2cfb | type |
Maybe Ever After | |
| Desert Hearts / int_b97c2cfb | comment |
Maybe Ever After: When Vivian gets on the train back to New York at the end, she convinces Cay to come with her — at least as far as the next station, although in the context of the film and their conversation, it more symbolically represents them choosing to stay together. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_b97c2cfb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_b97c2cfb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_b97c2cfb | |
| Desert Hearts / int_c5249b29 | type |
Nice Guy | |
| Desert Hearts / int_c5249b29 | comment |
Nice Guy: Joe, boyfriend of Silver, Cay's co-worker. In 50s Nevada he's kind and supportive, and he doesn't mind at all if his girlfriend wants to take a bath with her lesbian best friend. He'll even cook them all dinner. She lampshades how nice a guy he is: | |
| Desert Hearts / int_c5249b29 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_c5249b29 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_c5249b29 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_d5139ac | type |
Reality Has No Soundtrack | |
| Desert Hearts / int_d5139ac | comment |
Reality Has No Soundtrack: The film has no background music, although contemporary hits by a variety of artists (including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash) are heard on radios. Notably enforced in the climactic sex scene: elsewhere in the movie there are usually background sounds and diegetic music, but the only sounds in the sex scene are those made by the actresses. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_d5139ac | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_d5139ac | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_d5139ac | |
| Desert Hearts / int_dc057cf3 | type |
Adaptation Name Change | |
| Desert Hearts / int_dc057cf3 | comment |
Adaptation Name Change: Vivian Bell was Evelyn Hall in the book, while Cay Rivvers was Ann Childs. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_dc057cf3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_dc057cf3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_dc057cf3 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f0e85546 | type |
Unbuilt Trope | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f0e85546 | comment |
Unbuilt Trope: One of the first mainstream Hollywood movies about an LGBT love affair...where neither character dies or converts, there's No Antagonist, and no Downer Ending, sins that many, many gay romance films before and since have fallen victim to. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f0e85546 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f0e85546 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_f0e85546 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f51e530a | type |
Romantic Rain | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f51e530a | comment |
Romantic Rain: Cay and Vivian share a kiss in the rain at one point. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f51e530a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f51e530a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_f51e530a | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f96f188c | type |
Drives Like Crazy | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f96f188c | comment |
Drives Like Crazy: In an Establishing Character Moment, Cay meets Vivian while they're both in cars headed in opposite directions. Cay doesn't let this bother her, though — she carries on a conversation with Vivian while driving her convertible down the road backwards. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f96f188c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_f96f188c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_f96f188c | |
| Desert Hearts / int_fcbdbac2 | type |
Lohengrin and Mendelssohn | |
| Desert Hearts / int_fcbdbac2 | comment |
Lohengrin and Mendelssohn: The prelude to Act V of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Felix Mendelssohn is played at Silver's wedding. | |
| Desert Hearts / int_fcbdbac2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_fcbdbac2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_fcbdbac2 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_name | type |
ItemName | |
| Desert Hearts / int_name | comment |
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| Desert Hearts / int_name | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts / int_name | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Desert Hearts / int_name | |
| Desert Hearts / int_name | itemName |
Desert Hearts |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Adaptation Title Change / int_2e3909dc | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Coming-Out Story / int_2e3909dc | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Lohengrin and Mendelssohn / int_2e3909dc | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Queer Romance / int_2e3909dc | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Reality Has No Soundtrack / int_2e3909dc | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
The '50s / int_2e3909dc | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Train-Station Goodbye / int_2e3909dc | |
| Desert Hearts | hasFeature |
Uptight Loves Wild / int_2e3909dc |
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Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.