SPOILER ALERT - SPOILER ALERT!!! I couldn't understand the timeline this movie was supposed to cover. When the sequel THE EVENING STAR came out, it began in 1988, with Melanie at 18 as a college freshman, putting her birth in 1970. When Aurora later describes Melanie as being 3 years old when her mother, Emma, passed away, it puts Emma's death in 1973. However, earlier in the film, Emma is seen driving with her lover in a late 70's Pontiac through the Iowa countryside. Not only this, but looking at the ages of her sons at the point of Emma's demise indicates they were about 10 and 5 at the time, which would put Emma and Flap's marriage in about 1959 or thereabouts. Why then did Flap have long hair and speak as though it were the late 60's? Why was a mid-60's Chrysler seen in Aurora's driveway before Emma's marriage? So frankly, I don't understand - am I off by ten years, or was THE EVENING STAR wrong in its timeline all together? McMurtry's novel puts Aurora's birth in 1913 and Emma's in about 1940, which is in line with the opening shots of Aurora as a young WWII wife with a baby. Time is off seriously in this whole movie BUT...

It was wonderful!!!