The Trip to Bountiful

Adapted by Horton Foote from his titular play, 1985’s The Trip to Bountiful is given its soul and charm by lead actress Geraldine Page in an Oscar-winning performance for Best Actress. Page plays elderly Mrs. Watts, a widow living in 1947 Houston with her overprotective son (John Heard) and his bullying wife (Carlin Glynn). Yearning to return to her rural, farming roots in Bountiful—a small town near the Texas Gulf Coast—Mrs. Watts is prevented from traveling there by her son and daughter-in-law, who know that Bountiful has been hollowed out by World War II-era conscription and the draw of big cities looking for wartime factory workers. But Watts is unpersuadable, and when she sneaks off to catch a train, she soon learns that there is no longer a stop in Bountiful. Actor-director Peter Masterson gives Page plenty of room to deliver her affecting turn as a determined woman with a dying wish and an array of emotions. Richard Bradford shines as a sheriff who is kind to Watts and helps her find resolution, while Rebecca De Mornay is terrific as her traveling companion. Extras include the 2005 short documentary Return to Bountiful. Recommended. (T. Keogh)