A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story

Year: 1994

Runtime: 95 mins

Language: English

Director: Larry Peerce

Drama

Rebellious and spirited, Margaret Mitchell grows up in an Atlanta home, hearing her grandmother’s Civil War tales. She despises her stint at Smith College, returns to Atlanta, and endures a first marriage to bootlegger Red Upshaw. Encouraged by her second husband, she shifts from journalism at The Atlanta Journal to write her novel, a bestseller.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994)

Explore the full timeline and setting of A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1910s–1920s

Set across the World War I era and the interwar Jazz Age, the film begins in the 1910s and moves through the influenza pandemic of 1918. It captures the social changes of the Jazz Age and follows Margaret's ascent as a writer in a male-dominated society. The timeline culminates in the late 1920s, highlighting the personal costs of fame and heartbreak.

Location

Atlanta, Georgia; Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts; New York; France; Texas

The story traces Margaret's life across the Southern United States, centered on Atlanta's high-society world. It follows her time at Smith College and the broader American urban culture she engages with in New York. The narrative later visits war-torn France and the Jazz Age domestic life in Georgia as the characters evolve.

🌍 Southern society 🏫 Smith College setting 🗽 New York social scene

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:12

Main Characters – A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994)

Meet the key characters of A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Margaret (Shannen Doherty)

Margaret grows up under rigid Southern expectations, torn between family pressure to pursue medicine and her desire to write. She learns to navigate love, career, and reputation in a male-dominated society. Her resilience drives her to become a journalist and later the author of a landmark novel, Gone with the Wind.

💡 Aspiration 🧭 Independence ❤️ Romance

Clifford West Henry (Morgan Weisser)

A young man from a good New York family who falls in love with Margaret. His wartime departure to France and subsequent death after a German bombing devastate Margaret and set her on a path toward independence and her writing career.

🎖️ War 💔 Lost Love 🕊️ Tragedy

Red Upshaw (Dale Midkiff)

A charismatic bootlegger whose magnetic presence draws Margaret into a tumultuous marriage. His volatility and violence escalate, and his actions force Margaret to seek protection and redefine her life.

💔 Abusive Relationship 🥃 Bootlegging 🎭 Jazz Age

John Marsh (Matt Mulhern)

A newspaper interviewer who becomes a trusted ally and later husband to Margaret. He supports her career, helps her navigate personal storms, and ultimately helps her move on from Red. He provides practical support and stands as a stabilizing force in her life.

📰 Journalist 🤝 Partner 🧭 Protector

Grandma Stephens (Rue McClanahan)

A matriarch within Atlanta society who embodies traditional values and expectations. She anchors family life and serves as a touchstone for Margaret's sense of duty and social standing.

👵 Matriarch 🏛️ Southern Tradition 🔗 Family ties

Mrs. O'Flaherty (Ann Wedgeworth)

A figure of social scrutiny in Margaret's world, representing the expectations of gentility and propriety that Margaret repeatedly challenges. She symbolizes the pressure to conform to a perfected feminine role.

🎭 Social Gatekeeper 🧭 Conventional Roles

Beau (John Ward)

A member of the social milieu who appears in Margaret's sphere, contributing to the web of relationships that shapes her life.

🧑 Social Circle 🤝 Friend

Will (Evan Kelly)

A contemporary character who plays a supporting role in the Atlanta circle around Margaret's rising life.

👦 Supporting Character 🗺️ South Life

Mrs. Pinchot (Joanne Pankow)

Another figure in the social world who represents the gatekeeping norms of the era.

🎭 Social Gatekeeper 🧭 Social Norms

Mrs. Cathcart (Shannon Eubanks)

A member of the society circles who interacts with Margaret and her circle.

🎭 Social Circle 🧭 Expectations

Tom (Zach Hanner)

A member of the younger generation in the cast, part of the Atlanta setting.

🧒 Youth 🏙️ Atlanta

Army Officer Terry (John Clark Gable)

A military figure who appears during the war segments of the story.

🎖️ Military 🪖 War

Medora (Robin Mullins)

A character appearing within the story's social world.

👩‍🎤 Social Circle 👫 Relationships

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:12

Major Themes – A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994)

Explore the central themes of A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Love and Loss

Romance drives much of the plot, pairing Margaret with Clifford, Red, and John while testing her resilience. Each relationship brings longing, betrayal, and heartbreak, shaping her sense of self. The film uses intimate partnerships to explore how personal loss intersects with social expectations. The emotional stakes highlight the cost of pursuing love in a judgmental society.

💪 Female Agency

Margaret challenges gender norms set by her family and society by pursuing a writing career. She moves from a pressure-filled upbringing to earning recognition as a journalist and author. The story frames autonomy as both empowering and costly in a world dominated by men and social cliques. The struggle to define herself drives much of the drama.

🌟 Ambition and Fame

Margaret's ascent to fame with her novel Gone with the Wind marks a turning point in her life and social standing. The pursuit of professional achievement intersects with personal relationships and public perception. Fame brings opportunity but also strain on her marriage and identity. The theme examines whether success can compensate for the losses it incurs.

🩸 Violence and Power

The relationship with Red includes physical abuse and control, underscoring the violence women faced within intimate partnerships. John and Clifford's influence complicates Margaret's choices and protection. The film uses moments of violence to critique how power exploits women and reinforces societal hierarchies. The narrative culminates in confronting danger and seeking independence.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:12

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Resilient creative stories like A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story

Artists and writers persevering through grief and personal loss to find success.Find more movies like A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story about writers and artists overcoming adversity. If you enjoy biographical dramas featuring creative struggle, female ambition, and a bittersweet path to literary success, these similar stories will appeal to you.

melancholicperseveringtragicresilientnostalgicbiographicalintrospective

Narrative Summary

These stories typically follow a chronological, character-driven arc where a creative individual faces a series of personal setbacks—such as lost love, family pressure, or grief—which fuel their work. The narrative climax is often a major professional breakthrough that is emotionally undercut by the lingering scars of their personal journey.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the creative process intertwined with deep personal loss, their melancholic yet persevering tone, and the central theme of finding professional triumph amidst emotional hardship. They resonate with viewers interested in the human cost of greatness.

Bittersweet historical biographies like A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story

Intimate portraits of historical figures marked by love, loss, and a complicated legacy.Discover more historical biography movies similar to A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story. If you liked this film's blend of historical setting, romantic tragedy, and a resilient female protagonist facing domestic strife, you'll find other poignant life stories here.

historicalmelancholicromantictragicbiographicalnostalgicdramaticresilient

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows a real-life figure through key life events, often from youth to fame, highlighting how historical context and personal relationships shape them. The central conflict is between public success and private despair, leading to an ending that acknowledges achievement but emphasizes personal cost.

Why These Movies?

These films share a steady, chronological pacing, a melancholic tone, and a focus on the bitter-sweetness of legacy. They are united by their exploration of love and loss within a specific historical period and their medium emotional weight, offering a poignant but not overwhelming viewing experience.

Unlock the Full Story of A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story

Don't stop at just watching — explore A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Summary

Read a complete plot summary of A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Summary

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Timeline

Track the full timeline of A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Timeline

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Spoiler-Free Summary

More About A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story

Similar Movies to A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story

Discover movies like A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.