If you’re wondering where was Places in the Heart filmed, then we’ve got all the answers for you. Follow this article to find out the filming locations of this heartwarming movie. Furthermore, I’ll also give you a brief overview of Places in the Heart.
Places in the Heart is an American drama film that was released in the mid-80s. This amazing film was directed by Robert Benton and produced by Arlene Donovan. Apart from giving direction, Robert also wrote the screenplay for this project.
The basic premise of Places in the Heart revolves around the character of Edna Spalding, a middle-aged American widow living in Texas with her children. The story gets interesting when a black man helps Edna in saving her family-owned farm from a big company.
By and large, the commercial performance of Places in the Heart was somewhat decent. This rousing film went on to gross over $33 million at the box office against a nominal shooting budget. Places in the Heart also managed to win 14 major awards, including 2 Oscars and collected several nominations.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty details of this award-winning drama flick, let’s find out where were Places in the Heart filmed. Later, I’ll also give you an overview of this movie.
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Where Was Places In The Heart Filmed? Let’s Know This Rousing Drama Flick Closely!
As I’ve mentioned before, the story of Places in the Heart is set in and around the state of Texas. You’d be surprised to know that an alternate title for this movie is Texas Project, which was given by Robert during the initial phase of production.
Mainly because Robert wanted to showcase the life of a white American woman living in Texas during the prohibition era (the 1930s), so after Benton completed his research about the typical life of a Texan family living in harsh conditions during the late ‘30s, he began writing the screenplay for this project.
Important to mention that while the director was writing the script, he also took some advice from contemporary filmmakers who had previously dealt with the same subject. After all, was done, Benton and a couple of other members of his team started looking for filming locations.
Several potential filming locations were scouted in and around the state of Texas. However, Benton decided to shoot the majority of the outdoor scenes in the city of Waxahachie. While the remaining scenes were decided to be shot in Ellis County and Five Points.
After the shooting locations were finalized, the director asked the crew to commence principal photography. The filming process of Places in the Heart began in the third week of September 1983 and continued until the second week of December 1983.
Even though the production members only had to travel to a handful of locations, they still took almost three months to complete the entire shooting process. The outdoor scenes of the movie were captured within a month or so.
However, while filming the interior scenes of Places in the Heart, the production members ran into some issues. This eventually led to the shooting schedule getting delayed. Other than that, Benton and his crew didn’t face any other predicaments during the filming process.
Let us now discuss in detail where was Places in the Heart filmed.
Texas | USA
The opening scene of the film, where we see the character of Royce Spalding apprehending a black teenager near the rail yard, was filmed in Waxahachie, Texas. This small city is an integral part of Ellis County and is located in the southwestern part of Texas.
The production members took special shooting permission from the board of American Railways before shooting this outdoor scene near the rail yard in Waxahachie. Other important scenes in Waxahachie were filmed on the outskirts of the city.
The sequences depicting Mrs. Spalding’s home were filmed inside a small house located on the outskirts of Waxahachie. The production members selected a house that was situated near a farm to capture the scenes of Spalding’s family farm too.
Additional outdoor scenes were shot in and around the city of Waxahachie, after which the production members moved to Five Points, Texas. The ending sequence of the film depicting the Cotton Gin was actually filmed near Five Points.
After all these outdoor shots were captured, the production members used a film studio to film the remaining scenes. So, if you’re planning to visit Texas later this year, then we can recommend a bunch of cool places where you can spend some quality time.
Big Bend National Park, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Dallas, Houston, and Austin, are some of the most popular locations in Texas, buzzing in 2023. So you can definitely check them out before you plan your next trip.
And now, let me give you an overview of Places in the Heart.
Meanwhile, you can also check out Letters to Juliet, Zoolander, and The Swan Princess.
Plot Of Places In The Heart | What’s It About
The basic premise of Places in the Heart is centered around an American widow living with her children in Texas during the mid-30s. At the beginning of the movie, a young African-American man is apprehended by a local police officer.
As the story progresses further, the same man gets released from the holding cell after receiving a stern warning from the authorities. The character of Mrs. Spalding, on the other hand, struggles to make ends meet and raise two children all by herself. Soon, a large business firm approaches the female lead to buy out her family-owned farm.
Watch Places in the Heart and find out how a young black man saves a white American family in Texas during the Great Depression.
Final Words
I hope now you finally know where was Places in the Heart filmed. If you have any other questions, feel free to drop a comment below. We’d definitely get back to you as soon as possible. But if you’ve enjoyed reading this piece, you can let us know about that as well.
If you wish to find the filming locations of other films and shows, you can definitely check out our website. We have a number of entertaining blogs on Viebly, which I hope you’d also enjoy reading.
