To me, this movie is perfection.

Simply A Masterpiece

Absolutely Brilliant!

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

This take on the struggles of poor Americans in the south trying to make a go of it when they move onto a run down farm has a lot of the family type of stuff as a novel on America's depression should. Most of the cast of this is not as well known as the Henry Fonda Joad family epic, but that is different in a significant way. The Joads are in the process of trying to escape the dust bowl. This family relocates to the run down farm at the beginning of the film and then the story goes through their day to day living torments.French Director Renoir does a fine job assembling a story that makes a lot of sense and shows farm life struggles in a different way. The most famous cast member to me is Percy Kilbride who would go on to be Pa Kettle. In this movie he is a store clerk he eventually gets married and has a big wedding party nearing the end of the film. Since his bride is not Ma Kettle that makes him a bigamist though there is no relation between the films. Even though this is not the most famous cast around, the performances here are very well acted, and the cast makes the story more believable. The ending after a major climate changing event, is a real life ending. For the folks who survive, life goes on regardless. It is a lesson that needs to be taught more to a generation right now who has the idea that Climate Change is the end of everything as we know it. Climate change is not an ending, it is a disaster that leads to a new beginning by those who survive. There is way too much gloom and doom and too many people getting rich peddling such nonsense.

A slice of the farming life and the hardships that lie therein from director Jean Renoir, who earned his only Academy Award nomination for his effort; he also wrote the screenplay from a Hugo Butler adaptation of George Sessions Perry's novel Hold Autumn in Your Hand. This slightly above average drama also received Oscar nominations for Werner Janssen's Score and Jack Whitney's Sound, Recording. Though the story lacks the edge and grittiness of director John Ford's essential film version on John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath (1940), the images do give it a similar feel.Zachary Scott plays Sam Tucker, a hard working laborer that's ready to try and go it alone as a cotton sharecropper on some abandoned land owned by his employer Ruston (Paul Harvey). Betty Field plays his equally tough, dependable, and supportive wife Nona. The Tuckers have two small children (Jay Gilpin and Jean Vanderwilt), and his disagreeable crotchety old Granny, played by Beulah Bondi, reluctantly goes along (because she has no choice!), complaining all the way.The family faces various setbacks and challenges, from a dilapidated shack that will have to serve as their home, an ornery neighbor named Devers (J. Carrol Naish) and his hired hand Finlay (Norman Lloyd), to their son's sickness and bad weather. But they survive it all and hang together because of their love for one another, honest efforts, and help from Sam's oldest friend, a city bachelor named Tim (Charles Kemper). Percy Kilbride plays a friendly local merchant who later falls in love and marries Sam's mother (Blanche Yurka), who'd come to help with the Tucker children. Estelle Taylor plays Lizzie, Noreen Nash is the more neighborly Becky Devers, Jack Norworth plays Dr. White, and Nestor Paiva is a bartender who gets in a skirmish when he tries to cheat Tim. Sam's Uncle Pete (Paul Burns) provided the Tuckers with some assistance.

Two fine actors who were not served by the movies as well as they should have been are featured in this low-key drama. At least in Betty Field's case it seems it was by her own choice that she did not go further in films since she preferred the stage but Zachary Scott probably due to his rather angular looks and his skill at playing disreputable cads was typed in that capacity. Here however he plays a decent, honorable working farmer giving a fine performance matched every step of the way by Betty. Renoir's direction is subdued but finely judged. The whole picture is a worthwhile view for those who enjoy serious family dramas with accomplished actors.

An employee named Sam Tucker (Zachary Scott)frequently working for others is hired some land and he decides along with his family, -his wife (Betty Field), granny (Beulah Bondi)and two sons - attempt farming for themselves. The family finds hardships on their way and they'll have to fight against the elements,ills, poorness, distresses and a selfish neighbor (J. Carroll Naish) living with his daughter (Nash) and niece (Norman Lloyd) .This is a rural drama about a survival fight amid all disgraces and terrible elements. It's a naturalistic drama splendidly played and magnificently staged. From the tale 'Hold Autumn in your hand' by George Sessions Perry and writing by William Faulkner though he appears uncredited. It's proceeded in similar style to ¨Grapes of wrath¨ by John Ford based on John Steinbeck novel . First rate performances by all star cast. Special mention to Belulah Bondi as sympathetic and and grumpy granny. And Norman Lloyd as roguish nephew, he's a veteran player still acting , who joined the original company of Orson Welles-John Houseman Mercury Theatre and after that he was hired to Hollywood to play as secondary actor in Alfred Hitchcock movie and other ones and made him an associate producer. Neo-realist and evocative cinematography by Lucien Andriot. Sensible and imaginative musical score by Werner Janssen.The flick is excellently directed by Jean Renoir. He said about 'The Southerner' gave him more pleasure than any of his other Hollywood work. Renoir was voted the 12th greatest director of all time . Furthermore, Orson Welles frequently cited him as the greatest movie director of all time. He was son of the famous impressionist painter Auguste Renoir. After his French classics (Rules of game 1939, Human beast 38, La Marseillase 36, A day in the country 36, Boudu saved from drowning 32), he was brought to USA by American producers, directing awesome films in Hollywood (Woman on the beach 1947 , The diary of a chambermaid 46, The Southerner , The land is mine 43, Swamp water 1941). Later on, he returned to France , going on film-making classic movies (Elusive corporal 1962, Picnic on the grass 59, Testament of Dr Cordelier 59, Golden coach 52, The river 1951). Rating : Better than average, well worth watching.