Lonesome Dove (1989)

Why so much hype?

Crappy film

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

There are many people who consider "Lonesome Dove" to be the greatest Western saga ever created. While I can't quite go that far in my praise for it, I will say that it was easily worth watching for the iconic characters (bolstered by incredible acting) it cultivates throughout.For a basic plot summary, "Lonesome Dove" tells the story of Gus McCrae (Robert Duvall) and Woodrow Call (Tommy Lee Jones), two cattle ranchers who decide to leave their dusty Texas ranch and move the herd to Montana on the advice of fellow friend Jake Spoon (Robert Urich). Along the way, they deal with the harshness of the Old West territory, Indian warrior Blue Duck (Frederic Forrest), and (more importantly) cultivate new relationships. Lorena Wood (Diane Liane) is a prostitute who wants to turn over a new leaf and start a life with Gus, but first the old cowpoke must deal with his feelings toward old flame Clara (Anjelica Huston). A side plot sees a Sheriff, July Johnson (Chris Cooper), set off with his son Joe (Adam Faraizal) to hunt down Spoon, who murdered another in a dispute and must be given justice.The reason "Lonesome Dove" is such an iconic miniseries is because it creates characters that seem so real. Often, westerns can fall into the "stock character" trap where the participants are a bit too cut-and-dry, or black-and-white. The exact opposite happens here, as pretty much each and every character is given something to do and room to grow.That being said, the whole film pretty much revolves around Duvall's Gus, and fortunately that actor is up to the task. While the surrounding acting performances are also great, everyone else (as characters) are really defined by their relationship to Gus. I don't want to sound like I'm taking anything away from the film as a whole, but I was always invested when Gus was at the forefront (physically or emotionally) and that wasn't always the case otherwise.The only criticism I have of "Lonesome Dove"? I felt that some of the subplots didn't live up to the main emotional backbone of the whole thing. I was underwhelmed by the July Johnson angle, I didn't like Blue Duck's character at all (it felt to me as if he were shoe-horned in because the producers thought an Indian presence was needed), and I felt that a bit too much time was spent on Dish Boggett (D.B. Sweeney), a ranch hand on the drive. The one sub-angle that works in spades? Newt (Ricky Schroder), Call's unrequited son. There was some real emotion there. Other than that though, I felt that those other auxiliary pieces (even if they were still well-acted, for the most part) distracted me from Gus, Call, and the really good material taking place on the cattle drive.So, while I can't put "Lonesome Dove" at the tip top of my list, I enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to Western film fans. When Duvall, Lane, Jones, Schroder, and Huston were on center stage, this miniseries truly was as good as it gets. The interactions feel real, not derived, and there is real drama, both physical and emotional. It strayed down a few paths that didn't hold my attention (especially in the second and beginning of the third acts), but overall easily deserving of a solid 4-star ranking.

I love Westerns. The best ones (Naked Spur, The Searchers, Ride the High Country, Shane, etc.) told gritty tales of struggle and hardship, of man at war with nature, evil and himself. They are not alabaster saints, they are real people struggling with real temptation and real failures, but in the end they are redemption stories of people making amends and saving others from their mistakes.In "Lonesome Dove", however, the message is different: Life Stinks and Then You Die.8 hours of talk, talk, talk with no point but vanity and stupidity will get you killed. If that's news to anyone, just surf the internet for five minutes, it'll save you wasting a lot of time.

This is much more than a Western – it's a great story. Everything in this six hour epic is captivating – the characters, the settings, the music. There is an authenticity that is beyond reproach. It's got tenderness and pain (get the Kleenexes out for the last couple of hours). This is truly a magnificent performance by all. A must watch!I have watched it a few times since it was first released on TV in the late 1980's. I am still enthralled by it and so happy to see it now on the clarity of Blue-ray (still remember the crappy version I recorded on VHS)!Read the book too – it provides more depth to this awe-inspiring story!

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.