Lone Star
 | Directed by John Sayles Starring: Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Stephen Mendillo, Stephen J. Lang, Oni Faida Lampley Turner Home Ent, 1996, DVD Customer Rating: 90 reviews Recommend |
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Everyone worships the late great legendary sheriff of a Texas border town, except his son who is the current sheriff solving a murder he suspects can
This complex and rich film by John Sayles stars Chris Cooper as the contemporary sheriff of a Texas border town still under the sway of his late, legendary lawman father (Matthew McConaughey, seen in flashbacks). The discovery of a skeleton and crusted-over badge — buried some 40 years — initiates an investigation into an old crime no one wants to talk about but which will determine for Cooper's character, once and for all, various truths about his father's life. Sayles ingeniously sets this mystery against the backdrop of a developing, multicultural community losing its economic base while haggling over a history of racism. The overall effect is of a complicated American tragedy mitigated by the possibility of personal redemption. A terrific experience. — Tom Keogh
Title: Lone Star
Sales Rank: 4705 in DVD
Actor: Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Stephen Mendillo, Stephen J. Lang, Oni Faida Lampley
Director: John Sayles
Studio: Turner Home Ent, 1999-12-21, Theatrical Release: 1996-06-21
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC, Acpect Ratio 2.35:1
Languages: English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language)
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Region Code: 1
Running Time: 135 minutes
Item Dimensions: 0.25 pounds
Package Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches, 0.15 pounds
- "Complex and rich..."
- I won't go into a deep analysis of the films theme. Amazon calls it, "Complex and rich." That's true. Problem is, there's just too much of it. They could have shaved at least twenty minutes off this film, leaving out some of the dragging dialogue in the third act which added nothing of substance to the film that hadn't already… More reviews
- rehash
- I had just watched a new movie, Staten Island, and thought, hey, this is a really solid, great all-around film. Not particularly groundbreaking, but it's really very nice to have a good up to par status quo, and it was quite enjoyable. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for groundbreaking. And I then I thought of this film, Lone Star, because that's… More reviews
- It's time to dust off this shining star and give it its due...
- I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I sat down to watch this film, but what I got was far more than I bargained for. One of those dusty western films that is far from dusty, `Lone Star' works more like a crime noir with a dash of thriller and volatile romance thrown in as apposed to a western by definition. It is rich with startling character… More reviews
- stereotypes
- the subject matter of this film is serious, it deals with race, murder and nationalism; but the characters in the film are simplistic and caricatured. it's unfortunate. the most upsetting thing for me as a viewer was the portrayal of the caucasian characters. many are shown as racists and neanderthals. it's very much a hollywood film with strong left leanings… More reviews
- The Peyton Plaza Movie
- The film opens with a view of a desert and cactus. Two men find a skeleton in a shallow grave. The sheriff arrives to take charge. Men hang out in the street (unemployed due to illegal immigrants?). There is talk in the restaurant among elder men about events from long ago. Did the old Sheriff take too much? [Is this scene… More reviews
