One day we will all look up and realize the world has changed. Our friends and family are gone, our home has disappeared, and time has passed us by. At this point we are given a choice. Do we continue to live in the past or move forward? This is the core concept behind the 1985 film The Trip to Bountiful.  Through this project, Peter Masterson (director) and Horton Foote (writer) depict the importance the past and present both have in our lives.

           The Trip to Bountiful depicts the journey of Mrs. Watts to her hometown of Bountiful, Texas. She had lived with her son and his wife in Houston for the past 20 years. Throughout this time, she has grown old and sick. Now that she is close to death, she wishes only to see her childhood home. She sneaks away from her son onto a bus and meets a young woman. Along the ride, she discusses age, love, and the importance of life. 

           The film opens with a shot of a young Mrs. Watts playing in the fields with her mother. A joyous hymn blares, then fades as we are shown the face of an elderly Mrs. Watts. She stares longingly out the window as she remembers the happy times of her youth. Masterson and Foote use this shot to introduce the importance of Bountiful to Mrs. Watts. During this scene, I am only able to see my grandmother. The way she looks out of the window, the way she smiles. Much like the rest of the audience, I immediately empathize with Watts and her struggle. 

           Following this opening, the filmmakers immediately introduce the theme. Ludie (Mrs. Watt’s son) enters and sits next to her. Mrs. Watts begins to tell him about how she misses raising him. As She begins to sing him his favorite lullaby, Jessie Mae enters. She immediately tells Mrs. Watts to stop singing her old hymns. This is the first sign of the disconnect between the family. The couple does not understand the love that Mrs. Watts has for the past. The differing views between the young and old begin at this moment 

           Much like many great films, The Trip to Bountiful uses the characters to reinforce its theme. First, Mrs. Watts (Geraldine Page) represents the desire to cling to the past. She tells everyone about Bountiful, the last place she was happy, and she refuses to relinquish her control of Ludie. She sings the hymns of her youth to Jessie Mae against her will. The filmmakers use moments like this to reinforce the conflict. 

           Jessie Mae (Carlin Glynn) represents the youth’s desire to forget the past. She shows disdain for Mrs. Watts and her old ways. There is no importance to Mrs. Watt’s wisdom, Mae only wants her money. 

           Finally, Thelma (Rebecca De Mornay) represents the need to learn from the past and embrace the future. When she first sits next to Mrs. Watts on the bus they talk about the past. Watts sings an old hymn and Thelma does not condemn the song. She explains that she loves the old hymns, and they help her nerves. She then discusses her marriage with Mrs. Watts and learns from her past experiences. 

           The closing shot of the film shows Mrs. Watts sitting in the back of her son’s car. Hymn music plays, the look of longing has disappeared, there is only a peaceful look on her face. She stares forward as her son and daughter-in-law cheerfully conversate. She has made it back to Bountiful and decided to move forward in her life. 

           In the beginning, Mrs. Watts fought to stay in the past. She was afraid of moving forward and aging. Now, having made peace with her fate, she understands that age has its benefits. She does not need to live in the past to find happiness.