Search - The Farmer's Wife on DVD

Mary Jane T. (MJ) from SPOTSYLVANIA, VA
Reviewed on 2/11/2009...

I have this DVD but could never give it up. I am a farmer and I know first hand the hard work 7 days a week just to get by. No one gets rich farming, you are lucky to get by and pay the bills. Farmers depend on the weather, the changing markets,the economy, the high input costs of seed, fertilizer,land rents etc. A huge amount of equipment , maintenance, determination, hard work go along with famring. And if you have livestock there are no sick days, or holidays, and no vacation for most of us. This is a very true to life documentary with a sad ending. Another good movie like this is "Troublesome Creek - a Midwestern" Both movies made me cry.

3 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.

Incredible and heartbreaking!

K. Corn | Indianapolis,, IN United States | 01/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If anyone ever wondered what the farming life is like, this documentary reveals how very difficult it can be to survive on a relatively small farm - in today's modern world of high tech farming. It is a gritty, backbreakingly hard life much of the time, waking up at dawn and falling into bed exhausted when all the chores are finally done and dinner has been eaten.

The couple shown in this documentary hold very little back as their marriage is pushed to the brink by the stress of making ends meet, raise a family and just get by. I first saw it back in 1996 and am delighted to be able to purchase it (finally) on DVD.

But be forewarned- this is not an easy film to watch, although it is an honest one. In unflinching detail, the grim reality of trying to "make it" as a farmer is portrayed. There isn't an ounce of romanticism here, no attempt to portray farm life as an idyllic retreat from city life, especially given the ending of this film.

What DOES come across is the commitment to the land that those on family farms struggle to maintain, doggedly determined to try and hang on to their legacy.

I wonder what happened to the couple in this film and hope the DVD provides some extra detail about that. Even if it does not, the film is worth watching because we should ALL be asking ourselves why small farms are being nearly impossible to find these days. This film answers some of those questions."

Great to watch again, but the extras could have been better

M.C. | Spring Valley, CA United States | 02/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since Amazon doesn't tell you, I will. This dvd's special features are: Interview with David & Nancy Sutherland, interview with the Buschkoetters, and Roger Welsch interview with Juanita Buschkoetter. I was so excited to read this on the back of the case when it arrived. I wanted to find out updates on the Buschkoetters (I've read on the internet that they've divorced). However, these interviews are from 1998 when The Farmer's Wife first aired! What a let down! I still am left wondering what happened to Juanita. Did she really get divorced? Did Darrel remain on the farm? This couple draws you in within minutes of watching this fantastic documentary. It's a shame that I stil have questions about their fate.

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Poetic story of real life drama

AZgirl | Gilbert, AZ | 02/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the real 'Real World' documentary. The documentary shows true to life struggles of a young farm family trying to make it through rough times. The first time I watched this was on PBS when I was first married. I just purchased the dvd after something made me remember how much the story touched me. Watching it as a wife with plenty of life/marriage experiences I felt that I viewed the story from a different perspective. It's a great portrayal and I would love to know how the family is doing now, ten years later."