A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story 1994

Drama

Runtime

95 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Larry Peerce

Made by

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A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Margaret grows up to become a respectable lady in the South, just like her mother May Belle. She wants to become a writer, but her feminist mother insists on her becoming a female doctor. May Belle puts a lot of pressure on her daughter, forcing her to be the best in everything. As a young woman, all the boys want to be with her, but Margaret’s heart is set on Clifford West Henry, a young man from a good New York family, a connection she pursues with the help of the actor who brings him to life. Their bond is deep and bright, and for a time it seems like a hopeful future awaits them.

They fall in love, but their relationship is cruelly cut short when Clifford is sent to France with the Army and succumbs to his injuries after a German bombing. Margaret is sent to Smith College by her mother, where she studies medicine. She loathes it, though, and aches to return to Clifford. When she receives a phone call that he has died in a French hospital, she is crushed. A month later, her mother dies in the influenza epidemic of 1918. Margaret returns home.

She chooses to stay home and care for her father and find her place in Atlanta society. She attempts to gain full membership in the Atlanta Junior League. She is refused, however, when she shocks everybody with a sensual dance. Red Upshaw and John Marsh notice Margaret and are immediately drawn to her. At first she is not impressed with Red, knowing he earns his money by bootlegging. However, their dislike soon turns into love, and together they enjoy the wild life of the Jazz Age.

When their engagement is announced, Margaret’s family makes clear they are against it. The pair still decide to marry, but their marriage is troubled from the start. Red decides to quit his job, so Margaret applies to a newspaper to earn money. She is hired as an interviewer, but does not impress her boss. After gaining more experience, she turns out to be a highly respected reporter.

When Red leaves for Texas, Margaret decides to stay behind to focus on her career. He returns seven months later and thinks she is having an affair with John. They fight, and Red beats Margaret severely. The next day, John gives Red money to leave town and never come back. He also provides Margaret with a gun to defend herself if Red returns. Margaret and John soon start a relationship and are married in 1925.

By this time, Margaret is working on her first novel, Gone with the Wind. When it is published, it becomes a huge success. Her fame and money do not do much for her marriage, and she soon is estranged from John. When Red visits, he reveals that he is getting married soon. The end credits state that Red committed suicide not long after, and that Margaret died in 1949 after being struck by a reckless driver.

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Childhood under pressure to become a doctor

Margaret grows up in the South under the stern expectations of her mother, May Belle. She dreams of becoming a writer, but May Belle pushes her toward a medical career. The tension between ambition and parental demand shapes her early outlook and choices.

Childhood Southern United States

Romance with Clifford West Henry

She attracts the attention of Clifford West Henry, a well-born young man from New York. They fall in love despite their different backgrounds and families. This relationship hints at a future that could defy her mother's plans.

Late teens/early 20s South

Clifford deployed to France and dies

Clifford is drafted into the Army and sent to France. He sustains injuries from a German bombing and dies in a French hospital. His death shatters Margaret's hopes for the future they imagined together.

World War I era France

Smith College and medical training

Margaret is sent to Smith College to study medicine as her mother demands. She hates the curriculum and yearns to return to Clifford. The stifling path pushes her toward a different life even as she remains under her mother's influence.

Post-1918 Smith College

News of Clifford's death

A phone call confirms that Clifford died in a French hospital, leaving Margaret crushed and directionless. She experiences profound grief while confronted with the choices left open to her. This news marks a transitional moment as she reevaluates her life goals.

1918 Smith College / France

Mother May Belle dies in influenza epidemic

A month after Clifford's death, May Belle dies in the influenza epidemic of 1918. Margaret returns home to Atlanta to care for her father and to find a new place in society. The twin losses intensify her sense of displacement and force new decisions.

1918 Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta Junior League rejection

Margaret tries to gain full membership in the Atlanta Junior League but is shocked when she is refused after a sensual dance. The incident reveals the hypocrisy of high society and pushes her toward forging her own path. It becomes a catalyst for her independence.

Post-1918 Atlanta

Red Upshaw and John Marsh notice her

Red Upshaw and John Marsh notice Margaret and are instantly drawn to her. She is initially wary of Red's womanizing, yet the attraction hints at a complicated relationship ahead. Both men become central to her future in ways she cannot yet foresee.

Early 1920s Atlanta

Red Upshaw marriage and journalism begins

Despite family opposition to their engagement, Margaret marries Red Upshaw when he leaves his old job behind. She begins working at a newspaper as an interviewer, gradually gaining experience and becoming a respected reporter. Their marriage is passionate but soon encounters strain from Red's restlessness.

Early 1920s Atlanta

Red leaves for Texas; return and beating

Red goes to Texas, and seven months later returns, suspecting Margaret of an affair with John. They clash violently, and Red beats Margaret, shattering the fragile balance of their marriage. The next acts set the stage for dramatic upheaval in her life.

Mid-1920s Atlanta

John Marsh steps in; new relationship

John Marsh pays to remove Red from town and gives Margaret a gun to defend herself if Red returns. Soon after, Margaret and John begin a relationship and eventually marry in 1925. This marks a turning point as she moves from a turbulent marriage to a new partnership.

1925 Atlanta

Gone with the Wind; rise to fame

Margaret works on her first novel, Gone with the Wind, which becomes a colossal success. The fortune and fame do little to repair her strained relationship with John. The work cements her enduring legacy even as her personal life remains unsettled.

Late 1920s Georgia

Red's visit and engagement

Red visits Margaret, bringing a sense of closure after their earlier conflict and announcing that he is getting married soon. His appearance keeps the past alive in her present as she continues to navigate fame and love.

Late 1920s–early 1930s Atlanta

Red's suicide and Margaret's death

The end credits reveal that Red commits suicide not long after, closing his turbulent chapter. Margaret continues to live, dying later in 1949 after being struck by a reckless driver. Her life spans war, love, ambition, and tragedy.

1949 Georgia

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Characters

Explore all characters from A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

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

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Settings

Learn where and when A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

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

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story Themes

Discover the main themes in A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💔

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.

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

Discover the spoiler-free summary of A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the amber‑lit streets of early‑twentieth‑century Atlanta, a city still humming with the echoes of its Civil War past, a young woman learns to stitch stories from the recollections of her grandmother. Margaret Mitchell grows up under the watchful eye of her ambitious mother, May Belle, who insists that excellence be the family’s creed. Surrounded by genteel Southern society yet yearning for something louder, Margaret absorbs the rhythm of a world in transition—where tea‑rooms sit beside speakeasies and the promise of the Jazz Age whispers through every ballroom.

Rebellion is Margaret’s quiet undercurrent. She despises the rigid expectations placed upon her, from a prescribed path in medicine at a distant college to the polished polish demanded by the Atlanta Junior League. Returning home, she finds herself caught between the modest comfort of family duty and the restless spark of a writer’s imagination. The city’s lively social circles, with their dances and daring glances, become both a stage and a cage, prompting her to test the limits of propriety without losing the core of who she is.

Amid the clink of glasses and the soft thrum of a saxophone, Margaret’s heart follows two very different beats. An early marriage to the charismatic bootlegger Red Upshaw introduces her to the reckless allure of the prohibition‑era nightlife, while a later partnership with the thoughtful journalist John Marsh draws her toward the world of ink and ideas. It is this second companionship that gently nudges her from reporting on the city’s headlines to daring to craft a story of her own—one that could echo far beyond the streets that raised her.

The film settles into a tone that is both wistful and defiant, balancing the lush, Southern elegance of its setting with the gritty, emerging modernity of a woman determined to claim her voice. As the city sways between tradition and transformation, Margaret Mitchell stands at the crossroads, her restless spirit promising a narrative that feels as inevitable as it is uncharted, inviting viewers to wonder what will blossom when a rebellious heart finally finds its story.

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