A title card at the end of the film reads: “Feb. 16, 1984; A federal judge in North Dakota ordered the U.S. government to stop all FMHA farm foreclosures until the farmers of this country receive their rights of due process under the law.”
       Actress and producer Jessica Lange conceived the idea for Country. Production notes from AMPAS library files stated that she was inspired to make a contemporary version of the Grapes of Wrath (1940, see entry), and based on her discussions with Midwestern farmers and newspaper headlines about their struggles during the early 1980s, she offered screenwriter and co-producer William D. Wittliff some general concepts for his original script. Her character, “Jewell Ivy,” was derived from women she knew growing up in small-town Minnesota, as noted in a 16 Sep 1984 LAHExam article. The project marked Lange’s producing debut.
       As described in the LAHExam, the actress first approached Hal Ashby to direct, and by spring 1983, The Ladd Company had negotiated to fund the project. When Ladd suddenly withdrew their commitment in Jul 1983, Lange was desperate to find financing in time to capture the Iowa corn harvest in the fall. After numerous rejections from other studios, The Walt Disney Company acquired the project as one of the first pictures produced under their newly established Touchstone Films, and approved an $8 million budget. However, soon after this agreement was completed, Ashby left the project, and Lange quickly got approval from Disney president, Richard L. Berger, to hire Wittliff as director, who would be making his feature film directorial debut.
       Principal photography got underway 10 Oct 1983 in Waterloo, IA, but after nearly three weeks Wittliff resigned and filming was temporarily suspended, as reported in a 28 Oct 1983 LAT article. According to some sources, Wittliff’s “creative differences” with fellow producer Lange were related to the visual style of Neil Roach, the director of photography. The LAHExam article indicated that Lange preferred a more realistic, “gritty” approach to the story. Wittliff stated in a 29 Jan 1984 LAT article that he “didn’t come away with any sour feelings. [Lange] knew how she wanted the film to look, and I don’t begrudge her that.” On 1 Nov 1983, DV announced that Richard Pearce had been enlisted as the new director and shooting would continue later that week. Pearce’s hiring was in part due to his feature directing debut on the rural drama, Heartland (1981, see entry). When production resumed, David M. Walsh also replaced Roach as director of photography. Pearce revealed in the 29 Jan 1984 LAT that all of Wittliff’s footage was discarded and that playwright and actor, Sam Shepard, who was Lange’s co-star and romantic partner, rewrote most of Wittliff’s screenplay. Wittliff retained onscreen credit as a producer and the sole screenwriter, but did not remain on location following his departure as director, according to the LAT. Regarding his uncredited written contribution to the film, Shepard commented that, “What’s different is the tone; it’s tougher, and there’s now less sentimentality.”
       As stated in production notes, location work took place in and around Waterloo, Dunkerton, and Readlyn, IA. To represent the Ivy home, the production found a rundown, early-twentieth century farmhouse outside Dunkerton that was waiting to be torn down. The structure was refurbished as well as reinforced to accommodate the heavy camera equipment, while Readlyn’s authentic main street and grain elevator required minimal alterations for production designer Ron Hobbs. The filmmakers planned to shoot entirely on location in Iowa, but severe winter weather forced them to move to the Disney Studios in Burbank, CA, where a replica of the farmhouse was constructed for interior scenes. A 22 Dec 1983 HR brief reported that filming resumed at the studio on 19 Dec 1984. The tornado scenes, involving an overturned grain truck, were also shot there, on Stage 4. The production built a half-acre cornfield filled with stalks ready for harvesting and spent four days filming the sequence. The 29 Jan 1984 LAT reported that principal photography was completed 20 Jan 1984, twenty-five days behind schedule and approximately $2 million over budget.
       Country, along with The River and Places in the Heart, formed a trio of Hollywood “farm films” released in 1984 (see entries), all starring well-known actresses. Lange’s film shared several similarities with The River, and the actress stated in the 29 Jan 1984 LAT that she concurred with Disney’s decision to release Country three months in advance of The River.
       As announced in the 16 Aug 1984 HR, Country was unveiled on 28 Sep 1984, as the opening selection of the New York Film Festival, reportedly a first for a Walt Disney studio production.
       Critical reaction was mostly positive, and the 24 Sep 1984 HR noted, “Amazingly, this resilient film shows no signs of production problems.” Several critics commended the performance of newcomer Levi L. Knebel. According to a 22 Oct 1984 People magazine interview, the high school senior had no ambitions to act when he was offered the role of “Carlisle Ivy,” and had originally applied to drive farm machinery for the production.
       Lange received an Academy Award nomination for Actress In A Leading Role, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Drama.
       End credits include “Thanks to: Rural America Organization, David L. Ostendorf, Daniel Levitas; Iowa Film Commission, Bill Lindstrom.