Lonesome Dove

Buy This Item Lonesome Dove by Lions Gate  Available from Amazon  $9.99  on 8-27-2008     Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones star as Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, aging cowboys and former Texas rangers and who organize a 2,500 mile cattle drive for one last great adventure in this excellent 1989 miniseries adaptation of Larry McMurtry's novel. The best friends, who steal the herd from a gang of Mexican cattle rustlers, drive their herd from Texas to Montana, battling horse thieves, angry Indian tribes, and a renegade half-breed killer named Blue Duck (Frederic Forrest) on a mission of revenge. The excellent cast also includes Robert Urich as cardsharp and former Ranger Jake Spoon, Anjelica Huston as McCrae's old flame Clara Allen, Danny Glover, Ricky Schroder, Diane Lane, Chris Cooper, D.B. Sweeney, Steve Buscemi, and even a small role for author Larry McMurtry. Australian director Simon Wincer shows a tremendous capacity for balancing sweeping drama and intimacy against the gorgeous landscape of the American Southwest, giving a grandly epic feel to the film despite its small-screen target and limited budget, and for forging memorable characters of even the smallest supporting parts. The heart of the drama belongs to McCrae and Call, memorably etched by Duvall and Jones as the last of the range romantics. In the age of revisionist Westerns, this excellent cattle-drive drama nicely maintains an old-fashioned feeling while still showing the dark side of the American West. Winner of seven Emmy Awards and responsible for two miniseries sequels (<I>Return to Lonesome Dove</I> and <I>Dead Man's Walk</I>) and a TV series. <I>--Sean Axmaker</I> Reader Reviews One of the great Westerns, albeit this time on the small screen not the large, this is a movie about aging in a decent way. As much as the characters age, this is also a pivotal time for the genre of the Western itself, predicting the rise of the revisionist Westerns (Dances with Wolves, Unforgiven et al) at a time when no-one was interested in Westerns at all. As such, the message of growing old in the face of adversity while keeping values intact is striking and as relevant as ever. So what makes it work? First, the epic scope of Larry McMurty's book which fits 6 hours of television so much better than it would have squeezed into a theatrical movie. It breathes, takes its time and introduces characters in what at first feels a long drawn out way, but as the series progresses we thank it for giving us this time to get to know them. As the cattle drive that propels the characters and story forward proceeds North, the events genually matter to us, thanks to a pitch perfect script. Then there is the acting - Robert DuVall will surely forever be Gus.. and Tommy Lee Jones was near unknown when he was picked for this role which he plays to perfection, especially in the final episode when he takes his hardest ever journey, back to Lonesome Dove. Not just these two, but Danny Glover, Diane Lane, and smaller roles by Chris Cooper, D.B. Sweeney, Robert Urich and others all exist in three dimensions, and all serve to create a real picture of a cowboys lifestyle. Not least, there is the cinematography and music, both of which complement each other by never being showy but existing to provide a perfect setting for this character study. It might seem a tad long - I know I thought so when seeing it at a younger age, but certainly not now... so if its fast paced action you want, go elsewhere - but for an affecting and perfectly acted exploration of dignity, values, romance and courage, switch on and lose yourself in Gus and Woodrow's world. Extras are rudimentary but quite effective. Interviews with producer and McMurty on the genesis of the project are interesting, but would have been better served by being compiled into a documentary, as the poor sound and dull setting belie the value of what is being said.

Lonesome Dove Available from Amazon Price: $9.99 Updated on 8-27-2008.

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