In The Garden

[@elmhaven]

This was, without a doubt, one of Sally Fields' best performances. The entire cast was superb.

[@danhutson3460]

I took my parents to see this movie at a theater for their 40th wedding anniversary in 1985. They were married on July 25, 1945. I figure they could identify with it as they grew up in rural northeast Georgia in the 1920's & 30's. They both enjoyed it very much. It was the first movie they had seen in a movie theater since the 1950's! The hymns, "Blessed Assurance" & "In the Garden", were two of their favorite ones. My father passed away on October 26, 2004 at the age of 84 & my mother passed away on May 16, 2022 at the age of 97 & "In the Garden" was sung at her funeral. I can still hear her singing both of these hymns, among others & I always get a lump in my throat, especially now.

[@MifuneBoBune]

Personally, I think this is one of the best, deepest spiritual and emotional scenes in any movie ever made. I would say transcendent. Very, very few movies achieve this.

[@cwinter]

Beautiful song, and best curtain call ever on film. If you have not seen this movie the stirring significance of this ending is missed.

[@ibrake4butterflies]

My favorite movie ever. Perfect in every way. Perfect circle. Mr. Spaulding and Wylie at the end. So moving. I cry every time because it feels like the truth of mankind.

[@buddy51]

One of the greatest endings in the history of the movies. I remember seeing it in a theater and being totally blown away by it. A masterpiece.

[@michellevaughn5291]

Most beautiful scene ever!

[@mustangstew1]

One of the best endings.....EVER !!! "Peace of God"

[@GLING17]

This movie and song have always meant a lot to me. This was the last film my mother got to see before she passed away. She had gone to see it at a theater and told me how much she enjoyed this movie. It reminds me of her so much.

[@CiscoDuck]

What a powerful film. This scene really turns on the waterworks everytime I see it.. The film deals with all kinds of things, life situations, injustices, the human condition and the fact that sin takes it's toll on all manner of men, rich or poor, black or white, man or woman, adult or child. This is the closing scene after a film where the story starts where a young black man named Wiley who is barely out of his teens, if he is at all, is down by the railroad tracks, drinking from a bottle of presumably whiskey and is shooting a pistol, pretty much at nothing. He's not doing any harm really, but he could to others or himself. The sheriff is summoned to the scene who happens to be enjoying his Sunday after church meal with his family. He grabs a bisquit off the table and heads off to take care of the situation. He arrives at the scene and asks Wiley, "Are you drunk?" and Wiley affirms, "Yes sir, I sure am, I sure am," as he shoots off another round from his pistol that never seems to run out of bullets as he fires into the sky. Sheriff Spaulding asks him, just as his pistol misfires, seemingly indicating that he is out of bullets, "Are you through?" Wiley says, "Yes sir, I sure am," as he levels the 'spent' pistol at the sheriff, pulls the trigger and the 'empty' gun discharges a bullet into the sheriff's chest. The sheriff is hauled immediately to his own residence dead on arrival as a posse forms and locates Wiley who is lynched and then dragged thru town and all over the countryside. Two lives taken, families lives changed forever. The rest of the film deals with the hardship of the widow and her two young children who struggle to survive during the post-depression pre-WWII era in Waxahatchie, TX where she ends up taking on a black drifter named Moses who does chores around the Spaulding farm and is rewarded by eating plates of food and sleeping in the barn. He talks her into growing cotton to save her property from certain bank foreclosure. Racism and prejudice raises it's ugly head via the presence of the KKK who perhaps are sympathetic about the widow Spaulding's financial dire straits, but they are not about to help her and do not like the fact that a black drifter is helping her in exchange for handouts. They do everything they can to run him off. The widow takes in another needy man named Will as a boarder to help out her family financial situation, a war veteran who has lost his sight in battle, who makes a decent living caning chairs and making brooms. In the end the widow Spaulding does well with her cotton crop which is mostly picked by a team of black traveling pickers and everyone at the Spaulding residence including her kids, Moses and Will and her sister who is a hairdresser who runs her own salon out of her home and her husband who are having their own diffugleties because the husband is a philanderer who has been having an ongoing affair with his best friend's wife who is the local school marm. A tornado threatens the lives of all who reside in Waxahatchie and it's surrounding area, and everywhere are folks who have lost their homes, their barns, their belongings and some who lost their lives. Poverty is still raging in post depression ca. 1934 but the banks are still cutting throats and foreclosing regardless of who has to split up the family sending their kids to the four winds to live with relatives so they all can survive. Folks still find time to kick up a little dust and celebrate at a dance where some great downhome music is played by some wonderful string bands and dancing and drinking are the way to let their hair down. That and sleeping around with your best friend's spouse. After the harvest the KKK moves in on Moses and beat him and abuse him, and almost kill him and they surely would have if Will hadn't intervened. Moses leaves under threat of his life. The widow is able to pay her mortgage without the bank putting them on the street. Then the scene changes to Sunday at church. The pastor starts speaking, quoting from the Bible teaching on the love chapter I Corinthians 13:1-13 just before serving the congregation communion. Everyone is there from the film with the notable exception of the adultress school marm and her husband Buddy who are loaded up in the car and bound for Houston to take a new job and presumably start a new life for themselves. Back in church it's as if time has stopped or reversed. Moses there among the congregation made up of mostly white folks. Wiley is seated next to Sheriff Spaulding. They take communion and acknowledge one another by saying, "Peace of God" to one another as the scene fades out and the movie ends. In a better world all of those folks would have been in church on that fateful Sunday, celebrating the love and grace of God in their faith, everyone equal in the sight of man as they are in the sight of God, no race or other barriers such as wealth coming between them. No husbands cheating on the wives, or wives cheating on their husbands, nobody trying to harm anyone whether by greed or pride or hatred, racism or prejudice or drunkeness and wreckless behavior or by legal means. Folks loving one another and seeing everyone as the same. In a better world... We live in a fallen world that needs more love and forgiveness. We need more faith and hope in God above and more dedication to His son Jesus in our lives so we may mirror His teachings and live the Gospel. There is faith demonstrated in the film and love certainly abounds but they are all sinners, sinners in need of God's grace, everyone of them and everyone of us in our own movie. In a better world... let's try to walk in that faith that worketh by love and gives us hope in Him.

[@sarcasticsugar4466]

One of the most moving, beautiful endings I have ever watched in a film. Never fails to bring a tear to my eye the movie that shows how things were; the ending which dwells upon how things could be.

[@christinewilliams2504]

One of the best movie endings ever.

[@ohbehave98]

Completely agree... the best part of the ending sequence is when Margaret takes Wayne's hand. With the minister reading the scriptures at the same time delivers the complete punch of love and forgiveness.

[@DancingTillIDie]

This is the finest ending to a movie I can ever remember. The screenwriter got it - ot it in a way that few people - even church people - actually get it.

[@jasontapia1032]

I wish more movies play gospel hymns it great for the soul

[@elliottrainbow]

I love how when Margaret takes Wayne's hand, she is showing she forgives him for his indiscretion. To be forgiven, we must forgive.

[@CiscoDuck]

Notice the recent scratch Margaret's middle finger at 0.40 as she takes her husband's hand indicating this was a Sunday at church after she and Wayne helped pick the Spaulding's cotton where she received the injury from a spikey cotton boll.

[@joyceannpumpkin]

Our church sang this at my Mom's funeral, I requested it...I loved this song after seeing this movie. Thank you for the post.

[@w3tno]

The hymn is beautiful, and the movie has a powerful ending. Thank you for your comment.

[@MifuneBoBune]

One of the most powerful scenes ever made in Hollywood. They were all in her heart, in each other's hearts and in our hearts as the movie watchers. Even if you didn't know they were in your heart as a watcher, this scene brought it home on a very personal level.

[@f.m.r.1437]

I love performing "Blessed Assurance" and "In the Garden". Preferred those songs all of my life.

[@cheshiredolli6270]

They’re beautiful songs. 🎶 🎼 🎵 📻

[@Pinefinch]

If you haven't seen the whole film that leads up to this ending, I don't imagine it means much. So, do see the movie, if you haven't. I WAS stunned by this ending when I saw it in the theater, as the reviewers report. I cried and cried. If tragedy has touched your life - and whose life has it not touched ? - the power and beauty of this scene will move you. Thanks for posting this, w3nto.

[@brent97555]

One of the most amazing movies of all time. Incredible heart during very difficult times.

[@Newtimer49er]

Love the hymnal to praise Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior

[@jdb10715]

I watch this every Son Day as I take the Lord's Supper. Someday soon I hope to fellowship with others & take communion, but for now I'm social isolating.

[@poetcomic1]

I've not seen a 'Christian message' movies since that had a fraction of the impact of the final scene of Places in the Heart which, with utter simplicity delives the fullness of the Christian message, the eternity of the soul and the triumph of Love.

[@athorpe630]

This was one of my favorite movies so touching.

[@ericjackson9256]

from 2021 thank you !

[@MifuneBoBune]

This is probably my favorite to any movie, ever. Watch the movie, people. Don't ask other people to explain it to you.

[@okiejoe83]

One last point. If you look at the congregation as the Preacher speaks, Sally Field is sitting towards the front, her husband is not there, nor are the the others, other than her family and sister and her husband. Yet, once communion starts, everyone else is shown....has to be in heart.

[@TheRozberry]

Thanks for the explanation of the last scene! I watched this movie last night (and I've seen several times before) but I never understood the last scene. This is one of my favorite movies!

[@michaeldj5]

So, so beautiful!

[@pekolucky]

If this doesn't get you in touch with your feelings, I don't know what will.

[@MifuneBoBune]

I heard this all the time when I was a kid growing up in a southern Christian church. As far as I know, Texas is part of the South. I agree with your first two sentences, however.

[@mistermalta]

This scene always gets me.

[@GLING17]

@DickieAnginson I have seen this movie so many times and have never fully understood the ending. Your explanation makes perfect sense. Thank you! This movie means a lot to me because it reminds me of my precious Mother, who has passed away.

[@w3tno]

Thank you both for your comments.

[@kimmanning2913]

"Peace of God."

[@investch]

It did go "over the top" in dramatic events; tornado, crop crisis event, blind boarders dropped at the door-step, evil banker sterotype, the KKK and lynching. It still came through the plot contrivances and was a good movie.

[@JMS4995]

We watched this movie in History. Our teacher tried to make a point about segregation. At this part, he said, "Where is there no segregation?" No one answered. He pointed up and said, "Heaven." Definitely, beautiful.

[@sarafstop32]

This is a Spiritualist hymn. This is the subtle way of letting the audience know of the continuity of life. The loved ones live on spirit and in the love of the ones left behind. It is very unlikely that this hymn would be sung in a southern Christian church. That's what adds to the other worldliness of this scene.

[@marthanaimoli]

Sara Sachs

[@CiscoDuck]

This song has long been sung in churches all over the South for generations as well as in the North for at least a 100 years. The song is not ancient - it was written in 1912 and published in 1913 by the Hall-Mack Gospel Music Publishing Co and was recorded in 1916 by Homer Rodeheaver & Virginia Asher. It became a staple at Billy Sunday meetings. It was written in New Jersey by C. Austin Miles who was a former Pharmacist and amatuer photographer who composed over 400 Gospel hymns. He wrote the song in the darkroom of his photograpy studio where he often read his Bible in the red darkroom light. After reading the passage in The Gospel of John chapter 20 where Mary came to the garden to visit the tomb of Jesus, Miles mentally placed himself as an onlooker to the scene as a fly on the wall and imagined the scene where Jesus spoke to her. He took that inspiration and wrote the song originally entitled "I Come To The Garden Alone' (the first line of the song) which was shortened to 'In The Garden' after publication. My mother sang this song to me when I was a boy. She heard it in her native Oklahoma at brush arbor meetings where she attended as a young girl where some of her uncles were Baptist preachers. She was saved at one of those meetings out in the sticks near Duncan or Graham, OK where church was an all day event, which included much Gospel music, dinner on the ground, lots of preaching and testifying and even baptisms, providing tolerable weather and presence of suitable body of water nearby. I remember her telling me that she had ridden on a wagon led by a team of horses with her family out to the brush arbor meeting the morning she got saved. She was born in 1916 and wasn't out of her teens when she made her profession of faith. This was one of the songs that she heard over and over at those meetings. It was always in the hymnals in the Baptist churches I attended as a boy in the 60's and always a song we sang. As far as this song having a 'spiritualist' background or otherwise being associated with that brand of metaphysical 'church beliefs, there are many traditional hymns which folks of that particular faith have identified with including 'Amazing Grace' and many others.

[@w3tno]

@Pinefinch You are correct; to understand the ending you have to view the entire movie.

[@w3tno]

@MrFridayguy Something I had never thought of, until you made it so clear and obvious. Many thanks for your comment.

[@85mello07]

@indyboy55 It is a profound statement about what we do in church. In sharing Christ's peace, and body, we have a foretaste of the redemption of all things. So, yes - they are in heaven. And they are on earth. In the Eucharist, earth shares in the reality of heaven.

[@w3tno]

Very well stated.

[@w3tno]

Some reviewers wrote that the audience was stunned by the ending.

[@poetcomic1]

This is NOT a 'realistic' scene. This a PRECISE Protestant Christian understanding of God's love for us and our faulty and often too late love for one another. One of the great moments in truly American cinema.

[@lizfreeman8802]

With GOD, all things are possible. He demanded we love and forgive. If it is not realistic, it is our fault for not obeying God. Look how Paul was transformed. Even the sheet wearing fellows can be redeemed!

[@MifuneBoBune]

Waxahachie had an F5 tornado in 1953 that killed 114 and injured 597. I don't know if they had a big one during the Great Depression.

[@w3tno]

@indyboy55 If you look closely, Sally Field does not know that her husband is present. Sally's husband and the black youth that killed him are able to see each other, however. This communion scene was at the ending of the film and has to be considered as allegorical in nature.

[@w3tno]

@indyboy55 You are correct, but she is just mechanically passing it to the next person to her right. Her husband does not look at Sally.

[@pammatherly9473]

Nor does she look at him...

[@GLING17]

@DickieAnginson Thank you.

[@okiejoe83]

Mose's face was healed to show this wasn't the following Sunday after the last scene. Although at the beginning of the scene, we see the other members of the services, once that final scene starts where the communion is passed, we only see those seated and never see the faces of the men who are passing the plates nor the people behind Sally's character's pew. As a Christian, I am to focus on the Lord's body. To not do so is drinking damnation. But I too think of those that have gone before.

[@investch]

It's a very moving scene. The story itself is interesting in merging standard PC values regarding race with better conservative values of the time. Certainly some things were lacking then and now.

[@ibrake4butterflies]

Notice the cotton gin owner isn’t there?

[@Ms2blackcats]

I wondered about that too

[@indyboy55]

@w3tno but, sally passes the plate to him doesnt she?

[@investch]

It's also curious that 1984 was probably the economic peak after a terrible decade in the 70's and there is a certain "Walton's" quality to the story line. I was surprised it was produced when it was. It seemed fitted to a small audience who would go for depression nostalgia but still showed many flaws of the culture and times as well.

[@indyboy55]

@w3tno ok, so how are the husband a the african-american boy there? also, moze left so why are they there?

[@lovelifemd]

They are dead as are some of the other back characters in the movie.

[@peggypenny1]

YOU THINK THEY HAD LUNCH MISS GARRY.........I DOUBT IT MOSE...............

[@indyboy55]

i dont understand, are they in heaven during this scene?

[@okiejoe83]

I would have to agree with kendoggie. I disagree that Sally's character didn't see her husband. This isn't "heaven", as the character who is blind still can't see. These were just people in her heart, both the good and bad. The woman who died in the overturned car was there, and she spoke to the man next to her and he acknowledges her, that alone dismisses the idea Sally Field's/husband not knowing. The men who were part of the KKK group who beat up Mose were seated next to each other.

[@stephenrauchfuss8101]

really??????????????????