Winter People
Winter People is a 1989 American romantic-drama film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and starring Kurt Russell and Kelly McGillis. It is based on the novel by John Ehle. Wayland Jackson, a widower with a young daughter, moves to a small, impoverished mountain village in North Carolina, circa 1934. They are taken in by Collie Wright, a single mother, and she and Wayland soon fall in love.
| Winter People | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ted Kotcheff |
| Screenplay by | Carol Sobieski |
| Based on | The Winter People 1982 novel by John Ehle |
| Produced by | Robert H. Solo |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | François Protat |
| Edited by | Thom Noble |
| Music by | John Scott |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,023,282 |
Plot
Young widowed clockmaker Wayland Jackson and his 12-year-old daughter, Paula, enter a small Depression-era community in the Appalachian Mountains literally by accident. Wayland becomes acquainted with Collie Wright (a single mother with a newborn child, Jonathan) who gives them shelter from the cold. As he becomes more familiar to the villagers, Wayland tries to persuade them that he could build a beautiful clock for the public square. His proposal is met with considerable skepticism, and then he is given the town's consent.
He is attracted to Collie, but their lives are threatened by family members from the Wright family's rival clan, the Campbells, led by patriarch Drury. The youngest son, Cole, is the father of Collie's baby. Cole wanted to run away with Collie but ultimately left her, fearing Drury's wrath. One night, Cole Campbell arrives in Collie's cabin, and goes into a violent rage once he learns of Collie and Wayland's relationship. Wayland and Cole get into a fistfight in the frozen pond near the cabin. Cole is found dead the next morning, whereupon his relatives demand that the Wrights now owe them a life. To save the lives of her brothers and Jackson, Collie gives them Cole's child.
Wayland and Collie soon are engaged. Wayland confronts the Campbells and attempts to persuade Drury and his clan to end their feud with the Wrights, but they chase him away. The following spring, Drury appears at the pair's wedding and returns Jonathan to his mother.
Cast
- Kurt Russell as Wayland Jackson
- Kelly McGillis as Collie Wright
- Lloyd Bridges as William Wright
- Mitchell Ryan as Drury Campbell
- Jeffrey Meek as Cole Campbell
- Don Michael Paul as Young Wright
- Lanny Flaherty as Gudger Wright
- Eileen Ryan as Annie Wright
- Amelia Burnette as Paula Jackson
- David Dwyer as Milton Wright
Reception
Critical response
Winter People was poorly received by critics and has an overall approval rating of 20% on Rotten Tomatoes.[2]
External links
- Winter People at IMDb
- Winter People at the TCM Movie Database
- Winter People at AllMovie
- Winter People at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Winter People at Box Office Mojo