---
title: "The Homesman"
year: 2014
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-homesman"
fi1m_id: "the-homesman"
imdb_id: "tt2398231"
tmdb_id: 264656
wikidata_id: "Q15961525"
fi1m_score: 72
critics_score: 66
critics_reviews: 28
published: "2026-09-24T11:01:30.487485+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-24T11:01:45.576117+00:00"
region: "LT"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Homesman (2014)

Directed by Tommy Lee Jones · 2h 02m · Western, Drama

## Identity

The Homesman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-homesman
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-homesman
- **IMDb ID:** tt2398231
- **TMDB ID:** 264656
- **Wikidata ID:** Q15961525
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2398231/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/264656, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15961525

**Fi1m score: 72** · Critics 66 from 28 reviews

*In a sentence:* Hilary Swank looks capable of running the West, if the men would kindly stand aside

> Hilary Swank makes this uneven Western worth watching, giving frontier loneliness a painful immediacy. Tommy Lee Jones directs with feeling, but pushes the comedy too hard and gives three of his women too little to play.

## Synopsis

In nineteenth-century Nebraska, Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) takes on the task of transporting three women whose mental health has broken down. Her journey brings her together with George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones). Their charges are Arabella Sours (Grace Gummer), Theoline Belknap (Miranda Otto) and Gro Svendsen (Sonja Richter), each carrying the effects of life on the frontier. The immediate task is to get them safely through an arduous crossing of the prairie. Their need for care complicates the travelling, while Mary Bee Cuddy faces her own loneliness in a place that asks much of women and offers little comfort.

## Review

*The Homesman* is a worthwhile, uneven Western whose strongest reason for watching is Hilary Swank. Director Tommy Lee Jones wants us to consider what frontier life asks of women, and who is expected to care when they can no longer bear it. That is a good subject for a Western, and he approaches it with seriousness and flashes of rough humour. The trouble comes when the humour grows too broad, or the women become difficult to distinguish from their suffering.

Hilary Swank makes Mary Bee Cuddy’s self-reliance look exhausting. Her firmness leaves room for need, so vulnerability never arrives as a conveniently timed change of character. We found her loneliness painful to watch, because the performance makes the effort of remaining capable so apparent. The film gives her an existence beyond the practical demands of the journey, and she makes us resent the assumption that someone who can cope should be left to get on with it.

Tommy Lee Jones plays George Briggs with enough restraint to keep his more comic passages from taking over entirely. Even so, the early humour is sometimes pushed too hard, as though the film is worried that its bleakness needs compensating for. The screenplay, by Tommy Lee Jones, Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley Oliver, adapts Glendon Swarthout’s novel and moves between sentiment, cruelty and comedy. The jokes can help us bear the hardship, but several arrive before the preceding distress has had time to register.

The more serious limitation concerns Arabella Sours, Theoline Belknap and Gro Svendsen, played by Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto and Sonja Richter. Their suffering is central to the journey, but their separate personalities receive much less attention. The actresses have too little room to make these women more than people in need of help. We are asked to feel for them before we know much about them. In a film so concerned with women’s experience, that shortage of attention matters.

Rodrigo Prieto’s wide prairie photography gives the journey a discouraging scale. Those expanses make the travellers look exposed, and the beauty of the country offers little reassurance about crossing it. Merideth Boswell’s production design gives the frontier a convincing roughness, supporting the film’s insistence that living here takes labour. The physical setting feels credible even when the writing becomes awkward, although the landscape occasionally draws our attention away from the people whose difficulties should be keeping us occupied.

Roberto Silvi’s editing is less persuasive when it has to bring the film’s different moods together. Individual passages hold us, then a change of tone makes the next one feel as though it belongs to another telling of the story. Marco Beltrami’s music supports the melancholy more comfortably than the humour, and the performances do more to keep the emotion credible. The journey consequently feels uneven in a way that goes beyond the deliberate discomfort of watching people who have been badly treated.

At 122 minutes, this asks for patience, and some of its awkwardness is simply clumsiness. Yet it also gives a familiar genre a difficult subject without pretending the difficulties have been tidied away. If Hilary Swank interests you more than a reassuring tale of frontier courage, give it the evening.

*Fi1m score 72, published 24 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics lean towards praise for The Homesman, finding a bleak, unconventional western with strong lead performances and an uneven story. Hilary Swank draws the most consistent admiration for combining resolve with vulnerability, while Tommy Lee Jones earns praise for his restrained performance. Rodrigo Prieto’s prairie cinematography is another point of agreement. Supporters value the film’s attention to women’s experience of the frontier and its willingness to move between brutality, black comedy and sorrow.

The wide spread of verdicts reflects disagreement over whether those shifts are expressive or simply awkward. Several reviews find the storytelling muddled and the women being transported underdeveloped, including some that recommend the film. The Evening Standard argues that these women have little voice and become interchangeable figures, undermining its feminist aims. Paste, by contrast, credits the flashbacks with preserving their humanity. The treatment of these characters divides critics more sharply than the acting or photography.

## Straight answers

**Is The Homesman worth watching?**

*The Homesman* is worth watching for Hilary Swank’s painfully convincing performance and its attention to women’s frontier lives; we score it 72 out of 100. We recommend it to patient Western viewers, with reservations about the overplayed comedy, uneven changes of tone and limited characterisation of the three women in Mary Bee Cuddy’s care.

**How long is The Homesman, and what is it rated?**

*The Homesman* runs 2h 02m. It is a western and drama film.

**Where can I watch The Homesman in Lithuania?**

*The Homesman* is not on any streaming or rental service in Lithuania at the moment. It is available in 25 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is The Homesman, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Homesman* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children under 15. Its treatment of mental breakdown, cruelty and frontier loneliness makes it an emotionally difficult watch, better suited to older teenagers and adults comfortable with bleak drama. The certificate signals adult material, but we cannot specify the degree of violence or gore from our review.

**How does The Homesman compare to Meek's Cutoff?**

*The Homesman* is the more tonally uneven choice beside *Meek’s Cutoff*, which we recommend more confidently for quietly gripping pioneer hardship. Both concern difficult crossings and women’s practical judgement tested by male certainty, but *The Homesman* mixes distress with sometimes overplayed comedy. Both need patience; Hilary Swank’s performance is the strongest reason to choose *The Homesman*.

**Is The Homesman based on a true story or a book?**

*The Homesman* is adapted from a novel by Glendon Swarthout, rather than presented here as a true story. Tommy Lee Jones, Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley Oliver write the screenplay, centred on Mary Bee Cuddy’s task of transporting three women across the prairie. We judge it as a self-contained drama; our review does not assess its fidelity to the book.

**What should I watch after The Homesman?**

After *The Homesman*, try [*Meek's Cutoff*](https://film.one/film/meeks-cutoff) (2010, Fi1m 82): Another difficult crossing, with women’s practical judgement tested by male certainty. Then [*The Piano*](https://film.one/film/the-piano) (1993, Fi1m 88): For another stubborn woman negotiating desire and isolation in an unforgiving landscape.

### Reviews we read (28)

- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): Bradshaw praises the film as a superbly watchable, confident western, while noting that some performances and emotional flourishes verge on over-ripe. He singles out its rich storytelling and deft shifts between brutal shock, black comedy and sentimentality. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/18/the-homesman-cannes-review-tommy-lee-jones-hilary-swank)
- **The Independent**, Geoffrey Macnab (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film distinctive and moving, praising its ambiguity. He singles out Hilary Swank’s performance and the film’s subtle portrayal of women in the Old West. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-homesman-film-review-jones-finds-new-frontiers-in-the-old-west-9873746.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Glenn Heath Jr (4/4/4): The critic finds the film an earnest, unflinching feminist western with interesting, suspenseful tonal shifts. They praise its emotional treatment of gender and longing, along with the strong connection it creates between them. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-homesman)
- **Radio Times**, Leslie Felperin (4/5): The review describes the film as a woman-centric, looking-glass Western that reverses familiar genre conventions. It singles out the arduous journey and the story’s shift in terms after a third-act shock. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-q637i6/the-homesman/)
- **Screen Daily**, Allan Hunter (80/100, inferred): Hunter finds the film a beautifully crafted, poignant Western that avoids sentimental convention. He singles out Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography and the restrained performances of Tommy Lee Jones and Hilary Swank for praise. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/the-homesman/5072046.article)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (75/100, inferred): Ebiri finds the film’s uncertain, halting approach eventually achieves a hardscrabble nobility. He praises how its uncomfortable tonal shifts give way to an elegiac, evocative ending. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2014/11/the-homesman-review.html)
- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (B-): Kohn finds the film a strange, entertaining but uneven western whose shifting styles leave it muddled. He praises Hilary Swank’s commanding performance, while noting that her role is underdeveloped and the supporting cameos distract. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-tommy-lee-jones-strange-uneven-western-the-homesman-owes-much-to-hilary-swank-68147/)
- **The AV Club**, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (B-): The critic finds the film flawed and uneven, but admires its deliberately unresolved vision. He singles out its integrity and personality, especially its refusal to offer easy closure. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/tommy-lee-jones-directs-and-stars-in-a-deliberately-cro-1798181908)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): Lane finds the film a sturdy, moving western, though its early comic scenes feel overdone. He especially praises how Jones cedes the stage to Hilary Swank, whose performance commands the film. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/17/hard-knocks-2)
- **Total Film**, Jamie Graham (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film worthwhile despite narrative jolts and other wobbles. They single out the strong performances and expansive scenery for praise. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/cannes-2014-the-homesman-reaction-review/)
- **Empire**, Guy Lodge (65/100, inferred): The critic calls it another solid directorial effort, despite a mid-film turn toward more conventional Western territory. The exquisitely shot adventure and Hilary Swank’s performance are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/homesman-review/)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so the critic's verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-homesman-2014)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be read, so its verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be reliably identified from the accessible text. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/movies/the-homesman-stars-hilary-swank-and-tommy-lee-jones.html?_r=2)
- **Slant Magazine**, Christopher Gray (2.5/4): The critic finds the film initially ungainly and compelling but ultimately undermined by a mawkish, confusing final act. They praise its early distinctions between compassion and empathy, while faulting the women’s stories for being exploited as shocks. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-homesman/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Betsy Sharkey (60/100, inferred): Sharkey finds the film ambitious and emotionally compelling, though its adaptation struggles to contain the novel’s complexities. She particularly praises Hilary Swank’s vulnerable, steely performance as Mary Bee. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-homesman-review-20141114-column.html)
- **Film Comment**, Michael Sragow (50/100, inferred): Sragow presents the film as a gritty Western that looks the part, while questioning whether it is true to all its characters. The available text praises its sense of grit and appearance but raises a concern about its characterization. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-the-homesman/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Geoff Andrew (40/100, inferred): Andrew finds the film entertaining but disappointing, chiefly because its uneven shifts in tone weaken the story. He praises the sweeping prairie cinematography and the watchability of Jones and Swank, while faulting the portrayals of the three women. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/news/homesman-review-tommy-lee-jones-goes-flat-out-west)
- **Time Out**, Keith Uhlich (2/5): The critic finds the Western ineffective and its nineteenth-century Nebraska setting grim. The page singles out Mary Bee Cuddy as especially affected by that grimness. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-homesman)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (20/100, inferred): O'Sullivan finds the film a droll, stark Western but ultimately a shallow and unconvincing feminist epic. She criticizes its treatment of the mentally ill women, who are given little voice and reduced to interchangeable figures. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-homesman-starring-hilary-swank-and-meryl-streep-film-review-far-from-being-a-gritty-study-of-mental-illness-the-film-simplifies-and-sugarcoats-distress-9874831.html)
- **Consequence**, Roy Ivy (90/100, inferred): Ivy calls the film one of the year’s best, despite its imperfections. He singles out its powerful ending, along with the lead performances and painterly cinematography. [Read](https://consequence.net/2014/11/film-review-the-homesman/)
- **The Skinny**, Chris Fyvie (★★★★): The critic finds the film discordant but thoroughly rewarding, and praises its restrained performances and political edge. They single out Rodrigo Prieto’s painterly cinematography and the frankness of the imagery. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/the-homesman)
- **Collider**, Jacob Dunstan (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an engaging, melancholic Western with a vaguely uplifting afterglow. They single out Hilary Swank’s carefully balanced, powerful performance as Mary Bee Cuddy. [Read](https://collider.com/tommy-lee-jones-western-the-homesman/)
- **Eye for Film**, Richard Mowe (75/100, inferred): Mowe finds the film a compelling, unconventional Western that reverses familiar frontier clichés. He particularly praises its magnificent visuals and Jones’s unsparing depiction of the West. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-homesman-2014-film-review-by-richard-mowe)
- **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the Western bleak but passionate, unpredictable and distinctive, despite a significant weakness in how it develops the three women being transported. Hilary Swank’s expressive performance is singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/the-homesman-review-hilary-swank-tommy-lee-jones-meryl-streep/)
- **The Playlist** (64/100, inferred): The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. The available text does not reveal what the critic praised or criticized. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-tommy-lee-jones-unruly-the-homesman-with-hilary-swank-meryl-streep-and-more-20141111/)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (2 out of 5): Crow finds the film visually beautiful and praises the cast, but considers its journey flat and laborious. He singles out Tommy Lee Jones’s performance as the film’s strongest element, while faulting the underdeveloped stories of the women. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-homesman-review/)
- **Paste**, Tim Grierson (6.2/10): Grierson finds the film tonally inconsistent but strange and compelling, though less successful than Jones’s previous directorial effort. He praises the way the flashbacks preserve the transported women’s humanity and make them unsettling figures of the West. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-homesman)
- **Digital Spy**, Stella Papamichael (25/100, inferred): The critic finds the film’s storytelling warped and its treatment of women insensitive, concluding that it misses its apparent aim of inspiring sympathy. The review praises Jones’s atmospheric direction, especially his framing of the wilderness and use of sound to create menace. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a610229/the-homesman-review-tommy-lee-jones-film-is-tainted-at-heart/)

## Details

- **Director:** Tommy Lee Jones
- **Director:** Tommy Lee Jones
- **Writer:** Tommy Lee Jones, Kieran Fitzgerald, Wesley Oliver
- **Novel:** Glendon Swarthout
- **Cinematography:** Rodrigo Prieto
- **Editor:** Roberto Silvi
- **Music:** Marco Beltrami
- **Production design:** Merideth Boswell
- **Costume design:** Lahly Poore
- **Producer:** Luc Besson, Peter Brant, Brian Kennedy
- **Cast:** Hilary Swank as Mary Bee Cuddy; Tommy Lee Jones as George Briggs; Grace Gummer as Arabella Sours; Miranda Otto as Theoline Belknap; Sonja Richter as Gro Svendsen; Tim Blake Nelson as The Freighter; James Spader as Aloysius Duffy; John Lithgow as Reverend Alfred Dowd
- **Runtime:** 2h 02m
- **First release (France):** 18 May 2014
- **Genres:** Western, Drama
- **Budget:** $16 million
- **Box office:** $3 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAYQklUPLBI

## Where to watch in Lithuania

Not streaming, renting or buying in Lithuania at the last check.

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IT, JP, MX, NO, NZ, PA, SE, SG, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Meek's Cutoff* (2010), Fi1m 82: Another difficult crossing, with women’s practical judgement tested by male certainty. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/meeks-cutoff.md)
- *Westward the Women* (1951): A more conventional Western that still makes women’s labour worth watching.
- *The Piano* (1993), Fi1m 88: For another stubborn woman negotiating desire and isolation in an unforgiving landscape. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-piano.md)
- *Sweet Country* (2017): Frontier authority comes under harsher scrutiny in a patient, troubling Australian Western.
- *The Wind* (2018): Prairie isolation becomes horror, with a woman’s experience kept at the centre.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-homesman