Customer Reviews

Lone Star (Widescreen)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Lone Star is about history and how history can either be a prison or how it can set us free. The characters in the movie start out bound by their history. Their histories, familial and cultural, determine a course of action for the characters living in present day Rio County. By the end of the movie, these characters have come to grips with their own personal history. Their personal history no longer dictates their actions.
Sam Deeds is the current sheriff of Rio County and is plagued by his legendary father, who also was a sheriff. Sam is a reluctant sheriff and was elected by the townspeople who hoped he would be like his father. Sam's investigation into the murder of Charley Wade is driven by his history with Buddy: he's not interested in learning the "truth" but instead to shatter the legendary status of his father. The revelations through his investigation help to form a more complete history of Buddy Deeds for Sam; he no longer has the skewed and inaccurate picture formed from his own personal experiences with Buddy Deeds.
Col. Delmore Payne works his way up through the structured institution of the U.S. Army as a way to forget his estrangement with his father. He tries to instill this discipline in Chet's (his son) life. Col. Payne wants to be a strong influencing force in his son's life to compensate for his father's lack of involvement in his own life. Chet develops his own relationship with Col. Payne's father, Otis, and thus brings Otis back into his father's life. By the end of the movie Col. Payne is beginning to form a relationship. Once he lets go of the history between him and his father, he becomes a more of a father and less of a disciplinarian to Chet.
Mercedes Cruz, mother of Pilar, is an immigrant from Mexico trying to free herself of her dirty Mexican past and assimilate into American culture. She has become the most successful Mexican-American businesswoman in the town. She owns a Mexican restaurant and always scolds her workers when they speak Spanish instead of English. She lives near the Mexican border and has a good view of Mexicans trying to cross the border illegally. Anytime she sees this, she calls the Border Patrol to report them. This is in direct contrast to her own past, where she crossed into the U.S. as an illegal immigrant. Her moment of "freedom" comes when she helps the fiancée of an employee. She breaks her leg trying to cross the river into the U.S. and Mrs. Cruz calls in a favor to a local doctor.
The romance between Sam and Pilar is the most controversial example of history colliding with present. Sam and Pilar were high school sweethearts and were reunited after Sam came back to Rio County. Through the course of his investigation into the murder of Charley Wade, Sam stumbles across some explosive history that could change their relationship permanently. This is controversial and sure to spark extreme opinions, but I think their final decision follows in the theme of the movie. They break free of the chains of history to try and forge ahead in the present.

The movie itself (up until the ending) was fantastic. It was hard to follow at first but after a while it became easier to understand. Each character was brilliantly complex and the chosen cast played them perfectly. The end was severely disappointing (I almost cried because I was so angry at it) and I would not recommed this movie if you like decent endings. I think the incest was a bit over the top and, in my opinion, made it too dramatic and unrealistic.

This movie really took me by surprise. Rented it not expecting much because I hadn't heard much about it. Low-key, no big car chases or explosions (so "Arnold fans" would be disappointed). This is just an extremely well written, well directed, believable mystery that keeps you guessing. Storytelling at it's best

...and one of my favorite films because of it's intermeshings of mood, plot and character. I have always considered that the American 'norm' is one frought with brutal people made into heroes because the history books tell us that they were heroes; also, that maybe's man truest nature is of brutality and cruelity...and history, again, washes things as clean as laundry done for Sunday morning. Anyhoo, that's what this movie speaks to, how brutality affects the Rio County area so much that many secrets have somehow bonded the folks living in this ant farm of a community. Note how there's a sub-theme of competition and struggle, man versus whatever (rattle snake skins, longhorn skulls, soldiers preparing for battle, the after hours gambling) where a 'winner' must be declared.' You will dig this one because it will have you thinking about it for a long time aferwards..

John Sayles is first and foremost, a writter and his screenplays are why his films are so compelling. Prior to his career as a director, actor, producer and screenwritter, John Sayles was a novelist and I became aqauinted with Sayles in 1977 when I read "Union Dues". Even then, Sayles possessed an uncanny ear for writting simple and elegant dialogue. Like Anton Chekhov, Sayles proves that a good writter is also a good listener. Sayle's dialogue has the ring of an everyday conversation, and is refreshingly free of the pretensions and historonics that many screenwritters fall prey to. Folks in Texas don't sit around diners chatting about the existential nature of reality. In "Lone Star" we are treated to John Sayle's best writting and an ensemble of accomplished actors who appear to delighted to be working on a rare project of artistic substance.

Chris Cooper's potrayal Sheriff Sam Deeds is compelling evidence of what a masterful actor can accomplish with a well written screenplay . A lesser screenwritter would have resorted to dialogue that fit Sam Deeds into the mold of a stereotypical screen cop. In Hollywood, the Sheriff Deeds role gets written as either a facist, a buffon, a flawed anti-hero, or the Sgt. Friday perfect role model. Chris Cooper's tender and heartbreaking conversations with Elizabeth Pena's character should be studied by students of film, as a rare moment when accomplished acting is supported by a well written screen play. Chris Cooper's triumph is that he authenticates his character by playing against the prevailing "wisdom" of who cops are. Over the years, Cooper has revelled in the challenge of playing roles which shatter stereotypes, like the closeted gay Ex-Marine father in "American Beauty", or the seriously demented but often charming orchid pirate, John LaRoche in "Adaption". I pray that Chris Cooper's new found success doesn't lead him away from his frequent collaborations with Sayles. Sayle's dialogue and Cooper's acting fit like a glove. Chris Cooper is an actor of astounding range and should be included among the great screen actors of this era.

The supporting cast of Kris Kristofferson, Francis McDormand and several Latino actors in secondary roles is impressive. Two actors merit special mention for their performances: Joe Morton is a long-time member of Sayles periodical ensemble of actors. His small role as Col. Delmore Payne is a painful reminder of how his prodigious talents are woefully under utilized. Morton a Tony Award winning stage actor appears to have been relegated to a character actor in supporting roles, since his astounding performance in another Sayle's movie "Brother From Another Planet". One hopes that a shrewd casting agent will realize Morton's untapped potential as an actor. The other performance of note is Matthew McConaughey's portrayal Buddy Dees. McConaughey was once the toast of Hollywood; but currently appears to be deadlocked by his own indecision on whether he wants to be a movie star or an actor. McConaughey has made some bad career decisions and in "Lone Star" we learn that he is capable of great things, if he doesn't let his pretty face get in the way.

The byazantine plot line is complex and the fine details of it's twin story lines may be alternatively fascinating and frustrating, to the viewer. One line involves a cast of characters in present-day and the other involves a separate cast that involves events 30 years prior to the present. For an attentive viewer, the rewards are great as Sayles skillfully merges, weaves, blends and resolves the dual story lines by the final credits. Along the way the viewer is treated to more murder, treachery, corruption, greed and incest than a Greek tradgedy.

It's safe to say that John Sayles will remain an outsider and renegade in the eyes of Hollywood. Sayles emerged from the counter-culture and stays at the margins, by choice. Hollywood doesn't like left leaning directors like Sayles or Oliver Stone. The fact that Sayles doesn't even make dogmatic films doesn't seem to matter, Sayles is "one of them" and it's unlikey that things will change. Oliver Stone for all of his huffing and puffing about the Establishment, still won an Oscar or two. Sayles is the better filmaker because he doesn't hammer the viewer with, overblown rhetoric, cartoonish characters and self-indulgent auteurism to make a politcal point. "Lone Star" managed tweak the establishment by being a favorite of critics who took the Academy to task for ignoring "Lone Star." Sayle's amazing legacy will be recoginzed with the passage of time. Perhaps when John Sayles is 85 years old and in an extended care nursing home, the Academy will finally wheel him out bestow a Lifetime Acheivement Award and soothe their guilt for never recognizing his artistry. I think Sayles would be more flattered by a National Book Award, if and when, he decides to write the Great American Novel.

Not only does this film unfold with the richness and complexity of a very well written short story (think William Trevor in a border town), no one here seems to have mentioned that it also contains echoes of Greek tragedy (or even the biblical sins of the fathers being visited upon the children). It is so subtle and its many little subplots reflect back on each other in such surprising ways -- okay, I'll admit it: I never thought Sayles was capable of such greatness. This screenplay ranks up there with Chinatown and Sunset Boulevard. It's that great. Oh -- and once again, it is a little film graced with a terrific, throwaway cameo from the always-wonderful Frances McDormand. But it needs to be said: Chris Cooper is the calm, sure anchor of this film, playing a man who has had wisdom and insight thrust upon him perforce by things over which he had no control. A masterful performance from a great, heretofore underrated (but now Oscar-winning) actor.

Anything I might say about the film will be redundant, considering the length and abundance of reviews already written here. The only reason I didn't give it a "5 star" review is that the DVD is lacking in extras that anyone who loves this film would want.

I can't say about enough about John Sayles or the cast, especially the horribly underappreciated Chris Cooper in the lead role. I only wish that the DVD included commentary from both director and cast. Still, it's worth owning, and worth watching many times.

Like Altman, John Sayles is able to maintain several interlocking story lines at the same time, which adds a richness to his films that you won't find in the run-of-the-mill schlock coming out of Hollywood. Unlike Altman, however, he utilizes flashbacks exceptionally effectively, and adds a moral dimension to his films that you don't find elsewhere. With Sayles, there are no easy answers to complex moral questions, which is one reason his films are so rich.

In that regard, "Lone Star" is his best (and for me, most enjoyable) film.

LONE STAR is a multi-layered drama, that unlike many other films of today, is rich with characters that seem real Like the other films of director John Sayles, this movie doesn't dumb down its audience, and once it's all over, you come away feeling very satisfied The story has many plotlines running at the same time. At its center, the movie is about the sheriff of Rio County, Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) trying to solve the 30 year old mystery of his father, Buddy's (Matthew McConaughey) death. There's also the relationship between Sam and his lover Pilar Cruz (Elizabeth Pena) that is anything but secondary in the film Kris Kristopherson, Joe Morton, and Frances McDormand round out this excellent cast. As the tale unmfolds, you will find yourself thinking that it will end up one way, when in fact, it travels somewhere different at every turn The screenplay, also from Sayles, so much deserved its Oscar nomination (it should have won). Anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet, get set for a true modern classic, that deserves your attention.

Sadly, there are no extras on the DVD, save for the theatrical trailer. Even though a "special edition" of LONE STAR is nothing but a distant wish, I Highly Recommend the film as a must see/have, for anyone's film collection. ***** stars

In my opinion the best american film of 1996, LONE STAR established at last John Sayles as the most interesting american writer-director in activity. This subtle allegory of the History of the United States features, in the same movie, the fights of the minorities and thoughts about the legendary icons that made the U.S.A.

If the screenplay of LONE STAR is complex and superb, one also appreciates the performances of Chris Cooper as a wry and disenchanted sherif and Frances McDormand as Cooper's neurotic ex-wife. Their performances alone should justify your investment.

A trailer and subtitles as bonus features. Meager. Sound and images OK.

A DVD zone your library.