Rural America celebrates small towns, open fields, and the strength of people who live in these areas. Here are a handful of movies that precisely describe life in rural America. Have you seen them?
1. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
This movie tells the story of Gilbert Grape, a young man in a small town who cares for his brother Arnie, who has a developmental disability. Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio play Gilbert and Arnie. The movie looks closely at what it’s like to live in a small town, where the struggles of everyday life meet themes of family, duty, and the desire for more.
2. Fandango (1985)
Following a group of college buddies as they go to Mexico in the early 1970s, Fandango is a coming-of-age road movie. The movie shows the wide-open landscapes and exciting things that happen along the way. It gives an idea of the spirit of freedom and discovery that is often associated with rural America.
3. Winter’s Bone (2010)
Winter’s Bone is a story in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. It is about Ree Dolly, a young woman looking for her missing father in a tight-knit, poor community. The movie shows how hard life is in the country, how strong people are in the face of hardship, and how strong family bonds are.
4. The Straight Story (1999)
David Lynch’s The Straight Story is a moving road movie based on real events. It’s about an older man named Alvin Straight who rides a tractor across the Midwest to see his long-lost brother. The movie shows how beautiful rural areas are and how people can simply make real bonds with each other.
5. Sling Blade (1996)
Billy Bob Thornton wrote and directed Sling Blade. It’s about a man with mental problems named Karl Childers who just left a mental hospital. He returns to the small town where he grew up and makes friends with a young boy.
Eventually, he has to face some dark secrets from his past. The movie shows how complicated life in the country, human connections, and the search for redemption can be.
6. Nomadland (2020)
The story of Nomadland is about Fern, a woman who becomes a modern-day wanderer and travels through the American West in her van after a company town goes bankrupt. The movie shows the vast landscapes, obstacles, and nomadic spirit of people who hit the road to find freedom and connection.
7. Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
Fried Green Tomatoes follows two women, Idgie Threadgoode and Evelyn Couch, whose lives get entangled. The movie takes place in the made-up town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, and looks at friendship, love, and being strong against the background of a rural Southern town.
8. Nebraska (2013)
In Nebraska, an older man named Woody Grant thinks he’s won a million dollars and goes on a trip with his son to get it. The movie shows the scenery of the American Midwest and looks at family relationships and personal goals in a rural area.
9. Raising Arizona (1987)
The Coen Brothers’ Raising Arizona is a bizarre comedy about a couple named H.I. and Ed who, unable to conceive children of their own, decide to kidnap one of the quintuplets from an affluent family. The movie takes place in the southwestern part of the United States and shows how funny and weird life can be in the country.
10. Field of Dreams (1989)
A touching sports fantasy film, Field of Dreams examines the parallels between baseball and the American dream. Kevin Costner plays the role of a farmer who hears a strange voice and builds a baseball diamond in his cornfield. The movie shows how baseball has always been appealing and how beautiful country areas are.
11. Anne of Green Gables (1985)
This is a sweet story that takes place in the beautiful scenery of Canada’s Prince Edward Island. The movie shows how beautiful the island’s countryside is, from the lush meadows to the cute towns.
The close-knit community of Avonlea and Anne Shirley’s wild fantasy show the warmth and simplicity of country life. This movie version of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic book has been enchanting people for decades with its realistic look at life in rural Canada.
12. Walk the Line (2005)
The movie Walk the Line is about the life of country music legend Johnny Cash. The story of Cash’s rise from a poor country family in Arkansas during the Great Depression to fame is at the heart of the movie.
It talks about how his rural childhood affected his music, how much he loved June Carter, and how hard it was for him to get to where he is now. With its small-town venues and heartfelt country music acts, the movie shows what rural America was like in the middle of the 20th century.
13. Deliverance (1972)
Deliverance is a scary look at how people live alone in the country and how they interact with the wild Appalachian mountains. The movie takes place in the backwoods of Georgia.
It follows four friends on a canoe trip that turns into a scary situation. The frightening way the film shows the rural scenery and the scary things that happen to the characters show how dangerous and lonely rural America can be.
14. The Last Picture Show (1971)
This movie is a sad story about a small Texas town in the early 1950s that is on the way down. The black-and-white photography in the movie gives the story of rural life an ageless feel. Through the lives of its characters, especially two high school friends, it shows how rural America’s charm and sadness are fading during a time when society is changing.
The masterpiece paints a vivid picture of a town where the movie theatre is the place where everyone gathers. It gives a romantic look back at a bygone time.
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Featured Image Credit: Universal Pictures.