Love Field

Love Field

Year: 1992

Runtime: 102 mins

Language: English

Director: Jonathan Kaplan

RomanceDrama

Dallas housewife Lurene Hallett lives vicariously through Jacqueline Kennedy, but her world shatters when President Kennedy is assassinated just hours after she watches his arrival in Dallas. Defying her husband Ray’s orders, Lurene travels to Washington, D.C., on a bus, where she befriends Jonell, the young Black daughter of Paul Couter. Her well‑meaning meddling draws the trio into a tense, cross‑racial odyssey, pursued by police and Ray as they journey toward the funeral.

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Timeline & Setting – Love Field (1992)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Love Field (1992). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1963–1964

The narrative centers on November 22, 1963, the day of Kennedy's assassination, and follows the ensuing grief and public memory. It then extends into 1964, tracking Lurene and Paul as they navigate a national moment of change, travel across America, and confront custody and foster-care realities.

Location

Dallas Love Field, Dallas, Texas, Washington, D.C., Tazewell, Virginia, Foster care group home (Virginia)

The film unfolds across key sites tied to national mourning and personal pursuit. It opens at Dallas Love Field during JFK's visit and assassination, then shifts to Washington, D.C. for the funeral, before moving through rural Virginia to a foster-care setting as Lurene and Paul contend with family and custody.

❄️ Kennedy era 🛣️ Road trip 🏛️ 1960s America 💔 Grief and healing

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:35

Main Characters – Love Field (1992)

Meet the key characters of Love Field (1992), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Lurene Hallett (Michelle Pfeiffer)

Dallas housewife, grieving the loss of her own child while also bearing witness to national mourning after JFK's assassination. She travels to Dallas Love Field to catch a glimpse of Jacqueline Kennedy and ends up embarking on a perilous cross-country journey with Paul and Jonell. Her determination drives the plot as she seeks connection and meaning beyond her stalled marriage.

❄️ Grief-driven 🏃‍♀️ Determined 🧭 Cross-country journey

Paul Cater (Dennis Haysbert)

A protective father figure who rescued Jonell from an abusive orphanage and fights to secure custody across state lines. He travels with Lurene, evading authorities and improvising to keep Jonell safe. His resourcefulness and steadfastness provide a counterpoint to Lurene's impulsive search for connection.

🛡️ Protective 🧭 Resourceful 🧷 Fatherhood

Jonell (Stephanie McFadden)

A young Black girl who bears the marks of an orphanage's abuse and whose father is Paul. Jonell's quiet resilience reveals vulnerability and complexity, and her bond with Lurene shapes the trip's emotional center. Her story highlights vulnerability and the need for trusted guardians.

🧒 Child 🧩 Trust and belonging

Mrs. Enright (Louise Latham)

The mother figure who embodies social judgment and propriety. Her disapproval of interracial companionship surfaces during the journey, but she also embodies the local hospitality that helps the travelers, including lending their car in a pinch.

⚖️ Social norms 👵 Community aid

Hazel Enright (Beth Grant)

Lurene's work associate whose family ties in Tazewell anchor part of the road trip. Hazel's family context grounds the story in small-town life and provides a concrete setting for the journey's encounters.

🏡 Small-town America 🧭 Local ties

Ray Hallett (Brian Kerwin)

Lurene's husband who vetoes her plan to attend the funeral and later clashes with Paul. His presence intensifies the film's tension and dramatizes the strain of a marriage under public grief and private desire.

💢 Domestic conflict 🔒 Authority

Jacqueline Kennedy (Rhoda Griffis)

A symbolic figure of national grief whom Lurene fixates on; the presence underscores the private tether to public mourning and memory during Kennedy's era.

👑 Public memory 🕊️ Iconic figure

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:35

Major Themes – Love Field (1992)

Explore the central themes of Love Field (1992), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕊️ Grief

The assassination of Kennedy frames personal sorrow in Love Field, turning private heartbreak into a reflection of a nation in mourning. Lurene's grief guides her choices and fosters a longing for connection. The film treats grief as a catalyst for human bonds rather than solitary sorrow.

🤝 Interracial Relationship

A white housewife and a Black father form an unlikely alliance during a cross-country journey, challenging social norms of the era. They face external judgments while choosing trust and care for a vulnerable child. The story uses their bond to explore prejudice, resilience, and the cost of choosing love.

🏛️ Family & Custody

Jonell's custody dispute highlights what constitutes family beyond bloodlines, and the lengths parents will go to protect a child. Lurene and Paul navigate legal and moral obstacles to keep Jonell safe. The narrative frames family as a chosen, protective bond in the face of societal constraints.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:35

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Love Field Summary

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Love Field Summary

Love Field Timeline

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Love Field Timeline

More About Love Field

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