Overview
A poignant journey through the struggles of a folk legend during the Great Depression.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- earnest
- melancholic
- expansive
- historical film night
- music appreciation night
What critics said
Critics generally praise the film's authentic evocation of the Dust Bowl era, resonant music, and opulent cinematography, while noting that its visual beauty can outweigh its emotional and dramatic tone.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Haskell Wexler's acclaimed cinematography repeatedly frames Dust Bowl landscapes, migrant camps, trains, and crowds with striking scale.
Woody Guthrie encounters displaced workers and labor conflict while developing the songs and identity that define his public role.
The plot foregrounds migrant labor, poverty, union organizing, and the strength of communities during the Great Depression.
Woody leaves dust-devastated Texas and travels through Depression-era America alongside people driven from their homes by drought and economic collapse.
Films like Bound for Glory, and why
Coal Miner's Daughter
period biographical drama about an influential musician, with social history and resonant folk music
I Saw the Light
working-class musical biography combining personal ambition, regional identity, and American cultural history
The Grapes of Wrath
evocative Depression-era social drama centered on itinerant workers, poverty, and collective struggle
A Song to Remember
music-driven historical drama portraying artists amid economic hardship and political change
Movie Details
- Director
- Hal Ashby
- Release Date
- 1976-12-05
- Runtime
- 148 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (87)
Cast
- David Carradine
- Ronny Cox
- Melinda Dillon
- Gail Strickland
- John Lehne
- Ji-Tu Cumbuka
- Randy Quaid
- Elizabeth Macey
- Susan Vaill
- Sarah Vaill
Common questions
- What is Bound for Glory about?
- A sweeping portrait of Woody Guthrie’s journey from Dust Bowl migrant to defining voice of America’s working class.
- What is Bound for Glory like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bound for Glory as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Bound for Glory violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Bound for Glory as mild.
- What did critics think of Bound for Glory?
- Critics generally praise the film's authentic evocation of the Dust Bowl era, resonant music, and opulent cinematography, while noting that its visual beauty can outweigh its emotional and dramatic tone.
- Which films are like Bound for Glory?
- Films with a similar feel include Coal Miner's Daughter, I Saw the Light, The Grapes of Wrath, and A Song to Remember.
- How long is Bound for Glory?
- Bound for Glory runs 148 minutes.
