not horrible nor great

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

Great performances from Helen Shaver and newcomer Patricia Charbonneau. The movie is ahead of its time. What ever happened to Charbonneau? Fantastic actress!

An uptight professor goes to Reno in 1959 to get a divorce and starts having feelings for a brash, young lesbian. In an impressive debut as a feature film director, Deitch does a good job of evoking the place and the period. Shaver brings the right touch of restraint and subdued passion to the role of the professor while Charbonneau is a bundle of energy as the woman who aggressively pursues her. Also good are Lindley as Charbonneau's mother and Akers as Charbonneau's friend. Although not graphic, the love scene between Shaver and Charbonneau is quite steamy. There isn't much of a plot but it's worthwhile spending some time with these characters.

great movie The acting is first rate as is the entire production,miss shaver is hot in this one,this was one of the first lesbian movies my second choice of lesbian movies would be the hunger, if your a fan of(Catherine Deneuve). also reminds me of me and my girlfriend whom is 10 years younger than i am shes a English teacher and I'm a artist she also thinks i look like h shaver everything is spot on in this movie pretty convincing ,they sure did a nice love scene.The book by Jane Rule is called "Desert of the Heart." both the book and the movie are good. Desert Hearts is basically a love story. It was the first true lesbian love story certainty this movie is the most influential lesbian movie so far i give this movie a 10 out of 10 buy the DVD

This movie, Desert hearts, is a love story of hurting hearts and hope growing. It shows both sides of the picture, the love and friendship of others accepting of a person no matter what and the typical hatred for someone being different. There is no violence whatsoever, which is refreshing. And there are no mind games played which is typical in a great deal of alternative lifestyle stories. It shows honest struggle with feelings that have never been known before. The characters selected for their roles were perfect, everyone seems quite natural and real with each other. It appears that Helen Shaver seems quite rigid in her role, but she truly portrays the clash of her proper orderly world to the new sunrise in her life. Just a slow (like a slow dance) but beautiful telling of a tale of two very different women meeting as it makes you want them to allow their hearts to feel the joy. Quiet rooting for them is allowed in this movie!