Desert Bloom (PG) Jon Voight, JoBeth Williams, Ellen Barkin, Allen Garfield, Annabeth Gish |SwapaDVD.com

MPAA Rating: PG
Content Advisory: Mild Violence, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language, Watch With Your Teen
Movie Release: 1986
DVD Release: 03/11/2003
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned
Edition: Restored/Remastered
Audio Tracks: English
Subtitles: English, French
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
Studio: Columbia TriStar
Members Wishing: 4
Genres: Drama, Period Film, Family Drama, Coming-of-Age

Set in 1950, this is a convincing, well-acted drama about a young girl's growing up in Las Vegas amidst poverty and a turbulent home life. The 13-year-old Rose (Annabeth Gish) lives with her mother (JoBeth Williams), stepfather (Jon Voight), and two sisters in a working-class home. Trouble is brewing on several fronts: her stepfather is his usual abusive self but is dipping into the bottle more frequently, her glitzy Aunt Starr (Ellen Barkin) arrives for a six-week stay and causes an upheaval in the marriage, and an above-ground nuclear bomb is about to be exploded at the government test site (only 65 miles away). If Rose can survive all this with her health, her sanity, and her clear intelligence intact, it will not be due to her supportive environment. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Jon Voight - Jack Chismore
JoBeth Williams - Lily Chismore
Ellen Barkin - Aunt Starr
Allen Garfield - Mr. Mosol
Annabeth Gish - Rose Chismore

Mary-Jo W. (mjowest) from SHELBYVILLE, MI wrote on 10/10/2009...

This movie is GOOD! I was really sucked into the story, and believed that these characters were real. Told from the memories of Rose, played by the ALWAYS good Annabeth Gish, a 13 year old girl, living in 1950s with a not very normal family. Mom wants to and always sees the good in every situation, even if it means ignoring the bad. The scene with the broken dishes broke my heart. Dad is a WWII vet, and has flashbacks. He's obsessed with the military and their secrets in the desert, near LasVegas. He's also a drinker, who gets violent when drunk. The two sisters add a darling element- especially when they sing.
The Aunt Starr adds a splash of excitement to Rose's life, a little more than she expects.
Great chick flick- but teens may also enjoy relating to Rose's life. I didn't find the PG13 rating offensive- drinking, two mild violence family fighting scenes, some language.
This is a movie to see.