The Stars Fell on Henrietta

This was an enjoyable Depression era drama and it had more to it than I expected. Set in 1935 it was refreshing to see a story about ordinary farming people struggling with adversary, whose lives are transformed with the arrival of a wildcat oil prospector. There was no sickly sentimentality and characterization was believable with excellent period-piece detail. If you're a fan of Robert Duvall's you'll find that he doesn't let you down in this film. He is well supported by Aidan Quinn, Frances Fisher and Brian Dennehy, a cast which attracted my attention in the first place. I was interested, too, to discover that Clint Eastwood's daughter (Francesca Ruth Eastwood by Frances Fisher)played the role of Miss Fisher's daughter in the film. It's a shame the film did not have a wider distribution.

This movie does an outstanding job of reclaiming the human spirit. Robert Duvall's character believes in himself and strongly adheres to his gut feelings, when everyone else treats him with humiliation or passes him off as a quack. For people to have faith in their dreams and keep their dignity in the face of all diversity are wonderful things. Hitch your wagon to a star sweetheart, I've lived my life by that (one of the best movie quotes in the world).

Robert Duvall is a man on a quest. He is a true believer in his skills at finding oil, and will go to any means to achieve his dream of bringing in the "big one", assault and theft included. His character, Mr. Cox, is somewhat "shady", but likable. Look for Billy Bob Thornton in a supporting role as an oil rig workman. Like any true dreamer, the hunt is what it is all about, and so it is not surprising that Mr. Cox moves on to his next challenge, rather than basking in his hard earned glory. "The Stars Fell on Henrietta" is solid entertainment, especially for anyone who dreams of trying the impossible. Highly recommended - MERK

I was born and raised in Henrietta. I graduated from there. I still visit often because I have family there. My granddad was born there as well as my dad. The actual events/people, I don't think happened. Having said that it is true that for many years no one believed there was oil there. Not until some somebody managed to find it. So while the people are different and the situations, I think that it has to be basically a true story if only loosely. But let me tell you that the real history and the real "stars" of that area are the old folks. If you listen to their stories, they will take you back to a different time with them. The only problem is that since they have lived in such a small place for such a long time, you might get a full genealogy report on half the county. LOL. Its just the way the culture is. Its nice (and more than a little amazing) to see a movie about my little hometown, I have to admit.

Set in the 1930s at Henrietta, Texas, near Wichita Falls. Don Day is a farmer. He and his family are surviving on cornbread. Robert Duvall plays Mr. Cox, an oil prospecting expert. A realistic dust storm is shown. Mr. Cox tells Don Day that there is oil under his land, although the area is thought to be dry by the oil drilling industry. Don Day bets everything he has on striking oil. He pulls a drilling rig home with his Fordson. Mr. Cox is a decent sort of a man, but the oil drilling industry has some unsavory characters in it. They do strike oil, and pressure blows the pipes out of the ground. Don't know if this is a true story, but seems like it could have been.