Lonesome Dove (1989)

I've seen Lonesome Dove at least 10 times in my life. It's 6 hours long, 6 times 10 is 60. I've watched Lonesome Dove for at least 60 hours. I've also read the book twice. I'm 27 years old and have a lot of Lonesome Dove left in me. I'm looking forward to growing old and watching Lonesome Dove over and over until I eclipse the magic 200 hour mark and then I can finally get the t-shirt. The 200 Hour Lonesome Dove t-shirt.Watch this movie or read this book. Or do both at the same time and really dive in. I dove in so far, I got a job next spring herding cattle from Lonesome Dove, Texas to Montana.

After reading all these glowing reviews, I rented this. I watched the first hour before I gave up. So I admit, I didn't watch the whole thing, but only because I couldn't take any more. When I stopped it and took the disk out I said to my wife that it seemed like a parody of a western movie. Why? A bunch of things. Some nitpicky, I'll concede. The accents. Like everybody in the Old West spoke like a southern redneck. I wished the DVD had subtitles, because the speech was so exaggeratedly southern. I also started to wonder how these guys earned a living. They mostly seemed to sit around a broken-down ranch house and drink whiskey. Then I found out. Apparently every few nights they ride into Mexico and steal horses. When they do, the light of a thin crescent moon lights them up like they're in a baseball stadium during a night game. As the protagonists are stealing said horses, the nearby Mexicans fire off their pistols into the air, for no apparent reason. Just to express their anger, I guess. Or because, as Mexicans, they're too stupid to aim at the rustlers. And although this appears to be a regular occurrence, nobody on the Mexican side of the border appears to be on the lookout for these guys. What else? Oh, there's the scene where one of the characters hears the bedsprings squeaking from a second-story room, with the window closed, while he's standing outside, making him realize that the prostitute he was sweet on actually takes any paying customer, and wasn't just waiting for him to come back. And did you know that cowboys said "poop" instead of s***? Apparently they did. The little plot development I saw involved a sheriff in Arkansas traveling to Texas to track down his brother's killer. He does so reluctantly because the victim's widow (who is his sister-in-law) bullies him into it. Now I'm not saying that this couldn't have happened, but I think it far more likely that the sheriff would've sent a message, by telegram, post rider, or however they did it, to Texas authorities to watch for this guy. Sure, there were posses, if people thought the guy they were after was nearby, but I doubt that a sheriff would leave his town for who knows how long, to go hundreds of miles to another state to track down one man. Yes, the victim was his brother, but the movie makes clear that his heart wasn't in it; he just wanted to pacify his bossy sister-in-law. And so I gave up. I like Westerns, I really do. But this was just plain bad. Maybe it gets better, but I didn't want to stick around long enough to find out.

I originally watched Lonesome Dove when it was first aired on British TV some 24 years or so ago. I remember thinking "phew, I'm really glad I caught this one" as I enjoyed it so much. However, time fades the memory and twenty odd years passed before I finally got round to buying the discs and watching it again. I had forgot most of the story and how compelling it was, however I knew I was in for a treat when I sat myself down to watch it. What a feast for the eyes and ears, I was disappointed when it finished as I had enjoyed this grand production so much. This is the biggest compliment I can give Lonesome Dove as there has been very few films in my life that have delighted me as much as this. The pace is just perfect, not hurried along like a 2 hour plus movie so it has a lovely feel and gives you a real sense of the bond the characters have for each other and the years they have spent together. The casting director deserves a pat on the back for bringing together such a fine bunch of actors, something you didn't often see in mini series at the time. Duvall; you just cant take your eyes off him here...you can tell he loved playing the part and it fitted him like a glove. Tommy Lee Jones was superb too, as was all the cast. It really was an epic made in heaven, everything married together perfectly. I loved the way the characters spoke (particularly Duvall & Jones),the script and dialogue was absolutely superb and never slipped up once. I love this old feel, all too often modern dialogue and words slip in to films set in the past. I enjoy a good western, there is a fine list to choose from and Lonesome Dove is right up there at the top if you ask me. A great six hours of entertainment and my favourite western of all time.

Everyone who has anything to do with current TV should watch this mini-series to see what is possible, to understand that not only does TV not need to be crap, but can be truly great. Epic, sweeping, tear-jerking, gritty and just utterly fantastic in every way. The writing is superb, the acting Oscar quality, the cinematography and locations are tremendous. The chemistry between the characters, especially between Tommy Lee Jones' Woodrow Call and Robert Duvall's Augustus McCrea is remarkable. It's one of those movies that you never really want to end. And when it does, it's as if your friends have moved away - You miss them. I set aside 6 hours at least once a year to watch this movie - and never ever get tired of it. I laugh in all the same places, and cry in all the same places. Call and Gus, Deets, Pea Eye, Newt and Lori, and all the Hat Creek gang are some of the best characters to ever, ever be seen on TV. LOVE it. Read the book too, it's just as great.