Howdy, folks! Well, Pork Day '09 was a regular blast. lol! More importantly, I'm gearing up to watch CMT's big 20th anniversary Lonesome Dove marathon. This award-winning, four-part miniseries first aired on CBS in the winter of '89 and has been a Waggoner family fave ever since. Based on the novel by Texan Larry McMurtry-- author of Terms of Endearment (another novel-turned-classic film)-- Lonesome Dove is the epic story of former Texas Rangers Capt. Augustus "Gus" McCrae (Robert Duvall) and Capt. Woodrow F. Call (Tommy Lee Jones)-- residents of the eponymous bordertown in the 1880s-- and a cattle drive that changes their lives forever. Below, I will comment on the series' four installments.
Pt. I: Leaving-- Here, we are introduced to the two principal characters. We also get to meet the supporting players. And they're an eclectic bunch! There's Pea Eye (Tim Scott), an old friend of the captains. Then, there's former slave Joshua Deets (Danny Glover). In addition, we meet Miss Lorena Wood (Diane Lane in her first grown-up role), a whore-with-a-heart-of-gold who loves Gus. Former child star Rick Schroder grows into adulthood as Newt Dobbs, a young cowboy whose paternity is questioned throughout the film. Is Capt. Call Newt's father? Stay tuned. The storyline really gets going when old friend Jake Spoon (the late Robert Urich) appears on the South Texas ranch and regales his buddies with tales of the "cattlemen's paradise" that is the Montana Territory a.k.a. "Big Sky Country." This sparks something in the ambitious Capt. Call, and he becomes tunnel-visioned about building the first cattle ranch in Montana. As for laid-back Capt. McCrae, he's interested for another reason: his former sweetheart, Clara, who is now married and living en route to Montana in Nebraska. There are various subplots brewing as well, including the bizarro marital situation of pushover Sheriff of Fort Smith, Arkansas, July Johnson (awesome name, BTW!), played by great character actor Chris Cooper, and his miserable-- not to mention preggers-- wife, Elmira (Glenne Headly)-- who still carries a torch for a former flame who also, incidentally, now lives in Nebraska. (Thanks to this subplot, we get a glimpse of a young and gloriously icky Steve Buscemi.) The greatest scene in Pt. I is the breakfast scene in which an intense, lively conversation provides us with insight into the main characters' psyches and sets the tone for the rest of the movie. One thing I find really intriguing is how Mexican cook Bolivar is an apparently minor character, but the story of life on the ranch seems to be told through his eyes. Also, the other characters view Bol as an equal.
Pt. II: On the Trail-- This episode opens with a funeral scene, one of several. Following the burial, Capt. Call tells the youngsters, Newt, Dish Boggett (D.B. Sweeney), and Jasper (who is that guy?), something like, "The best way to deal with death is to ride away from it."-- a fave line. (The deceased is a young Irishman about the same age as Newt, Dish, and Jasper. Side note: Young Sean's death scene used to give my little brother night terrors.) The best part of Pt. II, IMHO, is when Call and McCrae are in San Antonio and Gus rides down to a grove of pecan trees by a lil' creek that he calls "Clara's Orchard." Call finds him, and subtly hilarious-- and very revealing-- dialogue ensues. This scene is beautiful because we get to see just how much Gus loves Clara. From this point on, we'll be introduced to some rather unsavory characters, especially half-breed outlaw Blue Duck, menacingly portrayed by Frederic Forrest.
Pt. III: The Plains-- By far, this installment is the best. The crew finally makes it to the Great Plains, where Gus is reunited with the "still pretty and sassy" Clara, played to perfection by the incomparable Anjelica Huston. So much happens in Pt. III that I would have to write a full dissertation to share my feelings on it with y'all. I will say this, however: The awkward exchanges between Clara and Woodrow-- whom Clara openly "despises" for separating her from Gus, her true love-- are priceless. Huston delivers some of the best lines spoken by a female character in cinematic history. We also say good-bye to two characters, one beloved and the other we come to view with ambivalence.
Pt. IV: Return-- In the series' conclusion, what's left of the entourage enters the Montana Territory. Since I'm not one to supply spoilers, all I'll divulge is that we will ultimately bid farewell to one of our best-loved new celluloid friends. Warning: This is a tearjerker.
Alright, it's time for me to say, "Adios, y'all!" My movie marathon just started, and I want to enjoy every last bit of it.
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