Plot

An Oklahoma family, driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl, joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.

The Joad clan, introduced to the world in John Steinbeck's iconic novel, is looking for a better life in California. After their drought-ridden farm is seized by the bank, the family -- led by just-paroled son Tom -- loads up a truck and heads West. On the road, beset by hardships, the Joads meet dozens of other families making the same trek and holding onto the same dream. Once in California, however, the Joads soon realize that the promised land isn't quite what they hoped.—Jwelch5742

The story of the Joad family is told, they, poor Oklahoma sharecroppers, who, like all others in their situation, are pushed off the land by the wealthy landowners, many large corporations, during the Great Depression, and, as a result, they, again like many others in their situation, making the decision for the dozen or so of the family members, with another one on the way, to migrate to what is seen as the land of opportunity, California, where jobs, specifically as fruit pickers, are purported to be plentiful. Not only because of the jalopy of a truck they could afford to buy to make the trek and their remaining limited funds which they calculate should just be enough to get them to California where they will once again start to earn money, their trip is not without incident from unforeseen circumstances. Arriving in California, they discover that the land of opportunity is not all it was advertised to be, with they and all others like them facing different challenges to survive, where, if there are jobs to be had, they are more often than not for wages on which a family cannot survive, and with security on site with guns and clubs to control labor unrest. Often, they will have to make some difficult decisions on whether to accept work in unacceptable conditions in even attempting to survive, or hold out, like some others are doing, but who are considered "agitators" who the owners will do anything to eliminate, for good if need be. While Ma Joad believes that the family unit is the most important thing that has always gotten them through the bad times, oldest son Tom Joad may have the most holistically consequential decisions as the one on parole, he just released from prison after four years of a seven year sentence for killing a man in a bar brawl.—Huggo

Tom Joad returns to his home after a jail sentence to find his family kicked off their farm due to foreclosure. He catches up with them on his uncle's farm and joins them the next day as they head for California and a new life - Hopefully.—Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>

After serving four years in prison for killing a man, hotheaded Tom Joad () heads back to the family farm in Oklahoma. On his way he meets Casy (), a former preacher who has lost his faith. The pair find the farm deserted; Tom's share cropping family was evicted. Tom is reunited with his family at his uncle's farm, only to discover the family must also leave that farm the next day. The extended family of eight (plus Casy) packs up their belongings onto an old truck and head to California to look for work.

Shortly after leaving, Grandpa () dies of a stroke and the family buries him along the roadside. Money is tight; they have trouble affording 15 cents for a loaf of bread. They are warned that there is little work in California. Grandma () dies just before the family reaches the California border.

They arrive at an itinerate camp populated with hungry children. A man and sheriff come to the camp promising work but won't say how much they will be paid. A local man at the camp warns the others and the sheriff wants to arrest the man. The man runs away and the sheriff shoots at him, killing a bystander. Tom knocks out the sheriff and flees.

The family leaves the camp and arrives at a farm that needs workers. Tom is wary. The farm is surrounding by a barbed-wire fence with plenty of armed guards. The family settles in a shack and picks peaches for five cents a box, earning barely enough to feed the family. After dinner, Tom takes a walk and encounters Casy in a camp just outside the farm. Casy is helping to lead a labor strike against the farm. Thugs from the farm kill Casy and Tom kills one of the attackers. Tom is hit in the face with a club, leaving a big gash.

The family loads up the truck again, hiding Tom under a mattress. They head north, and stay at a U.S. government camp. Life is better. The camp has toilets, showers and is run by camp inhabitants. Warned ahead of time, the camp men stop thugs from starting a fight at the Saturday night dance that would provide an excuse for the local sheriff to take control of the camp.

The sheriff arrives at the camp looking for Tom. Tom vows to his mother, Ma Joad (), that he will fight injustice wherever he finds it, and heads off into the night. She worries that she will never see him again. The family hears of work and heads north and Ma is hopeful about their future.