The Farmer's Wife
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Movie Reviews of The Farmer's Wife
Movie Review: Incredible and heartbreaking!
Summary: 5 Stars
If anyone ever wondered what the farming life is like, this documentary reveals how very difficult it can be to survive on a relatively small farm - in today's modern world of high tech farming. It is a gritty, backbreakingly hard life much of the time, waking up at dawn and falling into bed exhausted when all the chores are finally done and dinner has been eaten.
The couple shown in this documentary hold very little back as their marriage is pushed to the brink by the stress of making ends meet, raise a family and just get by. I first saw it back in 1996 and am delighted to be able to purchase it (finally) on DVD.
But be forewarned- this is not an easy film to watch, although it is an honest one. In unflinching detail, the grim reality of trying to "make it" as a farmer is portrayed. There isn't an ounce of romanticism here, no attempt to portray farm life as an idyllic retreat from city life, especially given the ending of this film.
What DOES come across is the commitment to the land that those on family farms struggle to maintain, doggedly determined to try and hang on to their legacy.
I wonder what happened to the couple in this film and hope the DVD provides some extra detail about that. Even if it does not, the film is worth watching because we should ALL be asking ourselves why small farms are being nearly impossible to find these days. This film answers some of those questions.
Movie Review: One of the most touching movies you will see
Summary: 5 Stars
This documentary grips you immediately. Or rather, it is the love story that this filmmaker captured that grips you - a love story between two decent, hard-working people who confront impossible challenges together. It makes you think what hard work and sacrafice really are.
There is a little bit of foul language as they came to grips with certain problems, but I didn't hesitate to show it to our kids (8 and 13) because even the foul language seems like a restrained and dignified reaction to the situations they contend with.
The documentary was shot over the course of three years! This allowed the film maker to capture the true-life highs and lows (extraordinary moments and events) and it teaches subtle but deep lessons in the dignity of hard work and determination, and the value of family and love enduring it all.
It is natural to wonder what happened to these two people after the cameras stopped, and it's disappointing to some extent to hear (according to the PBS website) that their marriage did not last forever. But that after-story does not undermine the power of this realistic and unflinching examination of farming and love. That people and marriages can endure so much for any period of time is an extraordinary tale.
I highly recommend The Farmer's Wife.
Movie Review: A Pioneer Of "Reality Broadcasting" And The Telling Of A Remarkable Story
Summary: 5 Stars
I first saw this film on PBS back in the late-1990's, before the current onslaught of reality TV had begun, and I recall it made me profoundly interested in the lives of this family and all that the five of them endured. Telling the story of a financially and maritally struggling Midwestern farm couple and their three young daughters, The Farmer's Wife begins as an exploration of the uphill battle America's farmers are facing in today's world, but it progressively, to the surprise of viewers and filmmakers alike, becomes much more. The Farmer's Wife is the story of good, hard-working people, of a marriage in crisis, of endurance, of hardships faced, and of the emotional highs and lows of some remarkable human beings living through changes to all they've previously known and held dear. It is an intimate portrait of Midwestern family farmers whose continued presence in the United States is endangered by our modern economy. It is a gripping insight into the private side of other peoples' existence that most of us never see. The Buschkoetter family were brave for having done this project a decade ago, and while I know in hindsight "what came next" the portion of their lives during the two years captured on film remains a touching testament to an admirable and extraordinary couple.Movie Review: thought provoking
Summary: 5 Stars
I have fallen in love with this and watch it ever so often and I still get new insights. For instance: her father asks "what does a 16yo have in common with a 22yo"? I believe that Juanita was looking for a father figure in Darrell; her parents divorced and subconsciously I think she was looking for a 'replacement father' in him, ( "when we were first married I did everything for her" quotes Darrell). My 12 yo daughter watched this in shock when she heard Darrell wanted Juanita to drop out of HIGH SCHOOL, give up vet school and quit college because of jealousy.
I think this is a strong feminist film of a women who finds her voice and threatens the male authority figures in her life ( her husband and father in law). And if she did divorce him, I don't blame her at all.
Movie Review: Great to watch again, but the extras could have been better
Summary: 5 Stars
Since Amazon doesn't tell you, I will. This dvd's special features are: Interview with David & Nancy Sutherland, interview with the Buschkoetters, and Roger Welsch interview with Juanita Buschkoetter. I was so excited to read this on the back of the case when it arrived. I wanted to find out updates on the Buschkoetters (I've read on the internet that they've divorced). However, these interviews are from 1998 when The Farmer's Wife first aired! What a let down! I still am left wondering what happened to Juanita. Did she really get divorced? Did Darrel remain on the farm? This couple draws you in within minutes of watching this fantastic documentary. It's a shame that I stil have questions about their fate.