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Summary: REAL COWBOYS
Review: Gus (Robert Duvall) and Woodrow (Tommy Lee Jones) are real cowboys. Texas Rangers who have been lifelong friends and know what it is like to fight indians and outlaws. They are older and retired but the fire has not left them. This movie, mini-series, was an instant classic the moment it came out. With outstanding performances by both Duvall and Jones and the wonderful dialogue between the two characters. The supporting cast is terrific and has many big names including Robert Ulrich, Danny Glover, Angelica Houston, Rick Schroder, Diane Lane and more. More than the cattle drive, or the indian fighting, this movie is about friends and commitments. Family and love. Woodrow is as hard-nosed and Gus is a softy. It is a movie that will stay with you for a long, long time after you watch it. And you will want to watch it again. Buy this one, it is a must own.
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Summary: As Good as the Book
Review: When McMurtry's book --for which he won the Pulitzer Prize-- came out the New York Times Book reviewer said that at 800 pages it was far too short. It was, indeed. The film is as good as the book. I cannot imagine better casting, better direction and greater fidelity to the book.
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Summary: Wanna watch a great Western Movie?
Review: It's difficult to bring an excellent 500 page novel to the screen, but Lonesome Dove comes pretty darn close. My suggestion is to read the book, digest it for a month or two and then watch this mini-series. Duvall & Tommy Lee Jones are perfect as Gus & Call. The scenes are faithful to the book. The soundtrack is breathtaking. The one weak spot is the casting Frederic Forrest (an otherwise very capable actor)as Blue Duck. He does not bring the menace that was so haunting in the novel. Otherwise it's a great flick!
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Summary: The Best Western EVER
Review: Lonesome Dove is a tale that can only be called the best Western Film ever! If you like westerns or even just good moview you must see this!
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Summary: Only buy the DVD version!!
Review: If you made it this far, go a little further. Under "Explore this video" you will see the run time of the VHS tape is 240 minutes. The DVD run time is 360 minutes. Hmmmm....
Well, be warned, an intellectually challenged movie distributor has decided to edit 2 hours from Lonesome Dove! That is like touching up the Mona Lisa! This miniseries was unique and may never again be equalled, at least in the Western genre. It is 6 hours of riveting televison, and trust me on this folks, you can't find 5 minutes of this former miniseries to edit out. To cut anything out was a serious diservice to anyone who has not experienced this.
Probably what I liked most was the thoroughly convincing portrayals of this cast. There were none who did not project an aura of believability, and each was so convincing that you may forget you are sitting in front of your television. I remember the time I rented this 6 hour series in 1994 not knowing what to expect. What I found was I did not get up from my couch for 6 hours. I was moved by the entire movie, and rarely does any movie elicit emotion in me. Gus McRae and Woodrow Call, backed by an absolutely fantastic supporting cast, will bring your televison to life. Towards the end, when Woodrow is doing a favor for Gus, and doing so at the risk of his own life, the whole West hears of his exploits. In some dusty cow town somewhere, a local sees him, and reading of the story, questions Woodrow Call.
"Just why are you doing this anyway?" he asks. Call looks back and says "Because I gave him my word." The local, thinking for a second, looks back and says "I can see that you did" and walks away. It is a perfect description of the character of Woodrow Call. Maybe the best mini-series to ever grace televison. Just make sure you see all of it.
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Summary: Greatest Western Ever Made
Review: My all time favorite movie. This is the best western ever made. A great love story with lots of horses and adventure. I have watched this movie at least 20 times and I never get tired of it. I always cry when Gus dies.
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Summary: The Best "Feel Good Movie" of all Time
Review: Lonesome Dove is a cinematic masterpiece based on Larry Mcmurtry's timeless classic of Western Literature by the same title. More than just a movie, Lonesome Dove presents insights into many aspects of life. It contains an underlying meaning going far beyond plot. It is one of the best examples of interpretive cinema to be found. Lonesome Dove presents to the viewer, moral lessons while it entertains. More than this though, Lonesome Dove just makes you feel good. It is an escape from everyday life through simple dialogue and lovable believable charachters that carry the reader away from his world and place him in Lonesome Dove, Texas, a place where life is slower and the hustle and bustle of modern life cannot be found. It's all-star cast led by Danny Glover, Tommy Lee Jones, and Robert Duvall present the charachters as Mcmurtry would have portrayed them. In my opinion, it is impossible to watch the entire six hour classic without tearing up or at least being thoroughly moved, not by its sadness but by its superb portrayal of the stirring emotion that brings with it a real, and lasting sense of joy and contentment. The best one word description of this classic of cinema is "beautiful".Just thinking about this wonderful movie brings a sigh of joy and a lasting feeling of contentment. If you have not seen this excellent work of cinema, then you have not yet arrived.
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Summary: MasterWork
Review: Simply the finest Western drama EVER filmed. Larry McMurtry's excellent novel made the transition to celluloid as well as anything ever written. Every performance in this classic deserves praise. What can be said about Robert Duvall's performance alone could fill another book. Two notables not listed on the DVD cover: Barry Corbin and Chris Cooper, as a hapless sheriff from Arkansas and his simple-minded deputy. The DVD version is infinitely better than the VHS boxed set. The quality is much nicer. The few extras help. This is one of those DVD's I will leave in my will.
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Summary: Classic American Story.
Review: Robert Duvall has said "The English have their King Lear and Hamlet. Me? I'd rather play Gus McCrae any day!" I agree with Mr. Duvall 100 percent. Woodrow Call and Gus McCrae are classic American roles, and classic American characters. As complex and well-written as anything I can think of. And it was our great fortune that two of our best American actors, Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall, were cast to play these two characters. They are simply indelible. Woodrow Call, a small man whose ramrod straight bearing and will of iron and ferocious temper makes everyone THINK he is a big man. Stubborn, terse, subtley ironic, a natural leader, with a fierce guard on his emotions. Gus McCrae, lazy, laconic, romantic, with a constant twinkle in his eye and a joke on his lips, tough & tender with his heart on his sleeve. These two are the kind of opposites that make truly great and lasting friendships. These two old retired Texas Rangers decide to take a herd of cattle to the wild and unknown Montana country just for the-hell-of-it, and in this journey much adventure, tragedy and surprises occur that allow us to get to know these two men and their fellow travelers in ways unexpected and profound. A wonderful story, brought to the screen with love & care, resulting in an unforgettable experience. Full of McMurtry's great touches: murderous & pitiless villains, fierce and merciless hostile Indians, odd & touching characters, women with depth & guts & heart, and an impossible trek full of surprises and the sudden death so possible in a hard and wild country. The entire cast is first-rate, with Diane Lane a Lorena anyone would fall in love with, Frederic Forest a renegade to scare the pants off anyone, young Rick Shroeder as Call's unacknowledged son, Robert Urich as their neer-do-well Ranger friend, Jake, and Danny Glover, Angelica Huston, and the actor who plays Peaeye (sorry for not remembering his name), Chris Cooper and many many more. Cast with loving care. I dunno, if you don't like Lonesome Dove what's to be done with you? This is a classic American tale, well told, and full of odd & complex characters with great dialogue and plenty of adventure. Brought to the screen with care & love. Works for me! If you like Lonesome Dove, you will probably like the Prequel: Dead Man's Walk, and the Sequel: Streets of Laredo. May take a bit to adjust to the cast changes, but the roles are cast with care, and the writing is McMurtry's and the stories corkers! If you don't like Lonesome Dove, well, too bad for you.
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Summary: Simply The Best
Review: Lonesome Dove is simply the best western every filmed. A realistic story of the frontier in epic proportions. You have all the makings here. A cattle drive, indians and bandits and the story gives you enough time to know the players and understand their actions and their philosophies. This movie is Robert Duvall's role of a lifetime as he brings to life the most colorful character ever to grace a western. I saw the mini-series, own the VHS boxed set and now own the DVD and will enjoy it for years to come. If you havnt seen it and are a fan of westerns, the price of the DVD is a steal considering what your money is getting for you.
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