The Long Hot Summer (1985 film)
The Long Hot Summer (1985 film) is a made-for-television American romantic drama that aired on NBC on October 6, 1985. It is a remake of the 1958 film and is based on stories by William Faulkner. The cast includes Don Johnson as Ben Quick, Jason Robards as Will Varner, with Judith Ivey, Cybill Shepherd, William Russ, and Ava Gardner in supporting roles.
Set in a small Mississippi town, the story follows Ben Quick, a drifter who arrives and becomes a central figure in the Varner family’s power struggles. Will Varner, the family patriarch, sees Ben as a likely heir to the Varner business and tries to push him to marry his daughter Noel. Noel is hesitant, while Will’s son Jody worries that Ben threatens his own place in the family.
Directed by Stuart Cooper, with a screenplay adapted from Faulkner’s stories by Rita Mae Brown and Dennis Turner, The Long Hot Summer was produced by Leonard Hill Films and Long Hot Productions. The film runs about 200 minutes.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:55 (CET).