[.ca] Lonesome Dove

Amazon.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

best of the best........:
ive seen every incantation of the lonesome dove saga, not to mention i have read every novel. I am a huge fan and love every movie simply for the fact of association. That being said i trully beleive the original should have actually been left where it was originaly left. Dont get me wrong i liked the others because quite frankly compared to other wersterns they are great. Yet the original is the only one that can, in its moments actually bring you to tears. It is epic and each scene builds upon the other in such a matter that by the time a pivotal moment comes to pass it trully stirs you. Recently I watched the long awaited Comache moon. I really liked the movie although i felt it was somewhat rushed and too short for a contuing of the greatest western saga of all time. Nonetheless the portrayel of guss and call(espicially guss was very good). This being said compared to the original(which i saw when premiered when i was only 5) just simply fails. Truthfully nothing could ever top or come close. Two names, jones, duvall. not to mention the other greats who really brought these character too life. In the end of the original you acutaully feel for these men and feel as if there people you know. In conclusion there is no better westeren slash movie you could ever hope to enjoy and will continue to engulf critics of all ages until the end the westen movie era.

Yes, it is 360 minutes, not 240.:
240 minutes refers to the much shorter Return to Lonesome Dove mini-series. There is nowhere on the the Amazon website that the original series of Lonesome Dove DVD set is only 240 minutes, it is 360 minutes. By the way, my daughter and I loved this series when it was on TV and I purchased the multi-tape set VHS way back when. But the last tape was bad and Cabin Fever, the manufacturers/publishers, would not replace my bad tape (they never even answered my mail except to tell me how to order the set), so, now that I have the DVD version, I finally have a complete set of watchable scenes.

The Return of the Western:
It's ironic that the western, a staple of TV until sci-fi eclipsed its presence, would find its home again on the small screen during a time when big budget westerns seemed to be biting the dust to space opera blockbusters. And that it would take an Australian to realize it. Director Simon Wincer's big-vista understanding of the genre is apparent throughout "Lonesome Dove," which also features some great performances by screen familiars Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, even if the latter too often looks like a scowling Kenny Rogers here. This tale of an arduous cattle drive by two retired lawmen has the sweep and grist of such classics as "True Grit," "Red River," and "Once Upon a Time in the West," with which it shares many elements (the conversational style, the brutal drive, and the buddy relationship, respectively, the most obvious). And while "Lonesome Dove" doesn't really say anything new about the old west, it is entertaining and fares better compared to many westerns past in terms of presenting the ethnic diversity that history records. Look for many bravura--and few corny--moments like Captain Call's (Jones) reaction to a cavalry scout's whipping of Call's alleged son (a likable but sometimes too aw-shucks Rick Shroeder), MacCrae's (Duvall) gutsy stand against a pack of outlaws, and the touching and remarkably in-character last goodbye between the leads. Basil Poledouris, an underrated composer, provides a solid score. Of the episodes, only one stands out as pedestrian, making this a pretty good choice for viewers who want to savor their entertainment choice.

Sorry SD, you're wrong. It's not complete. Check IMDb.:
I'm sorry to have to point out to those of you who think this is the complete version, but if you go to IMDb and look up Lonesome Dove, you will find that it has a 384 minute running time. Amazon's version is listed at only 240 minutes. That's over two hours difference from the original film, and no, we're not talking about commercials. So unless Amazon has their listed time wrong and it is actually a full 6.4 hours, you've been duped. I wouldn't pay for less than the original length film. So, the question stands for those of you who actually bought this DVD, was it 6.4 hours long, or only 4 hours long?

One of the Best Movies Ever Made:
One of my all time favorite movies.....an absolute MuST SEE!!!! And I don't even typically like Westerns!!! The movie is a little slow starting, but once the cattle drive begins, you'll find yourself glued to to the screen. Larry McMurty does a spectacular job in developing characters that the viewer becomes attached to and really cares about. He really has a knack for that....did you know he also wrote "Terms of Endearment"? Anyway, I loved each and every character particuarly Augustus and truly missed his presence in the sequels. The only minor complaints I had were that I couldn't stand the role of Jake Spoon but I'm not sure if that is because of the character himself or due to Robert Urich's performance. I mean an actor is only as good as the character he is playing so you can hardly blame him. I also was a little iffy about Angelica Houston portraying Clara. Don't get me wrong, I adore Ms. Houston as an actress, but I'm not sure if she was the right person to portray Clara. She seemed a little too tall/big boned for the role and looked awkward at times, especially when she towered over Augustus. You can especially see it when they first reunite and hug. Other than these two minor flaws, the movie is absolutely perfect and will stay in your mind a long time after watching. Just the thing to watch during a snowstorm or if you are in bed sick.