# Desert Hearts (1985)

> A married professor seeking divorce in 1950s Nevada discovers an unexpected, liberating love with an openly lesbian rancher's daughter.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/250

## Facts

- Runtime: 91 min
- Genres: Drama, Romance
- Director: Donna Deitch
- Cast: Helen Shaver, Patricia Charbonneau, Audra Lindley, Andra Akers, Gwen Welles, Dean Butler, Katie La Bourdette, James Staley
- TMDB rating: 7.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089015/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Mood: intimate, wistful, sincere, quiet evening, romantic movie night

## Synopsis

A journey of self-discovery unfolds in the Nevada desert as two women navigate love and identity amidst societal constraints.

## Movies like Desert Hearts

- [Bloomington (2010)](https://ember.film/movie/35021)
- [When Night Is Falling (1995)](https://ember.film/movie/4076)
- [A Secret Love (2020)](https://ember.film/movie/485195)
- [Big Eden (2000)](https://ember.film/movie/12691)
- [Elena Undone (2010)](https://ember.film/movie/38921)
- [If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)](https://ember.film/movie/17033)
- [Summertime (2015)](https://ember.film/movie/160487)
- [On Swift Horses (2025)](https://ember.film/movie/1054464)
- [The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995)](https://ember.film/movie/18081)
- [With Every Heartbeat (2011)](https://ember.film/movie/49874)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt