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Product Description: Epic western about two former Texas rangers who leave the south Texas town of Lonesome Dove on a cattle drive to the lush ranch country of Montana.
Genre: Westerns
Rating: NR
Release Date: 21-OCT-2003
Media Type: DVDAmazon.com essential video: 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 (Return to Lonesome Dove and Dead Man's Walk) and a TV series. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews:
- Most of the god bits were left on the cutting room floor.: This much cut down and butchered version of the Hallmark adaption of Larry McMurty's great book left most of the meat on the cutting room floor.
Put up on two DVDs it is much shorter that the full six hour version.
In my opinion the book was great for all the detail it provided on the life and times of those living in the West in those days, and I especially appreciated the way the background of the characters and events were presented to flesh out the story. The Hallmark TV series on which these two DVDs are based was true to the book and IMO that is part of the reason it was so mesmerizing.
But in this version almost all the background has been omitted so you don't understand that Gus and Call were once famous Texas Rangers who cleared that part of Texas of the Indians, you are not shown the details of Gus and Clara's youthful relationship so when they finally meet you wonder why. No mention of the young Irish boys fear of snakes, which amplifies his being killed by snakes, almost all the data on July Johnson's search for the killer of his town's Mayor and his deputy Roscoe's adventures with his small, silent rock throwing partner is no where to be seen.
But the omission that I simply cannot forgive is total omission of Blue Ducks taking of the Lori and Gus rescuing her at the cost of Roscoe and the two children's lives. Not only is the action missing you are left wondering why the Lori is suddenly being taken care of by Gus and why she has become so withdrawn. You have been cheated out of the heart of the story.
Plus points of course are the great acting by Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones.
I could go on but the best advice I can offer is to give this synopsis like version a miss and find somewhere the original uncut version of this glorious tale of the West.
- great movie made for tv or not: i watched this movie when it was on tv the first time and like it alot . the only part i didn't like was when one of my favorite stars was hung. oh well that's all part of the story. i'm hopping to own all of this set some day
- Best of the West: This was presented first as a tv show and I couldn't wait until the next show came on. This video lets it all go into a wonderful story. You can't find any better actors, and these guys are tried and true. If you like action, a good story and want to be throughly entertained, this the video for you. Follows the book very well.
Jim Muratet - Best of the West(erns)!: "Lonesome Dove" is the quintessential western. Its two main characters are the yin and yan of classic tales - one that says little and one that can't shut up. Their exquisitely portrayed relationship - played by Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall - makes you laugh and cry. This is an excellent story that grabs you from the beginning and holds on to the heart-wrenching end. Of all of Larry McMurtry's books, this is probably the best-told tale and this movie version is like they filmed the book, page by page. For all you readers who are consistently disappointed when your favorite book is made into a bad movie - take heart. This time they did it right!
- great family friendly movie about the west: i have purchased all the lonesome Dove movies and have enjoyed every one of them this movie has great actors in it and i have watched this movie over and over
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