"Lonesome Dove" (1989) TV mini-series

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Director:

Simon Wincer

Writers (WGA):

Larry McMurtry (novel)
William D. Wittliff (teleplay)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

5 February 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Western

Plot:

Epic story about two former Texas rangers who decide to move cattle from the south to Montana. Augustus...

Plot Keywords:

Montana | Cattle | Texas | Texas Ranger | Cattle Drive

Awards:

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 14 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Robert Duvall

...

Augustus 'Gus' McCrae (unknown episodes)

Runtime:

384 min | Brazil:145 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Alamo Village - Highway 674, Brackettville, Texas, USA

Company:

Motown Productions

Trivia:

The first episode got a 26.8 rating and a 38 share when it first aired on CBS in 1989. According to executive producer Suzanne De Passe, CBS were optimistically hoping for a 23 share.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: During the scene where Captain Call is aboard the bucking "hell bitch" and the two come out of the round pen and head off through the yard past the house, it is easy to see that Call is falling off before the camera switches.

Quotes:

Janey: [to Joe] You ever ate a frog?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Howard Stern on Demand: Robert Duvall" (2006)

This is the finest Western film ever made, bar none.

The Lonesome Dove mini-series contains every core element of a classic story of the mythic Old West: romance, tragedy, courageous and independent yet very human heroes, vicious yet believable villains, plenty of action, and the overall grit and determination of frontier life. These elements are all woven into an enthralling story centered on an epic journey across the American frontier--a cattle drive from Texas to Montana undertaken shortly after the Custer massacre. The movie is extremely faithful (in plot, dialogue, and characterizations) to the excellent novel by Larry McMurtry, and especially benefits from McMurtry's genius at narrative and story construction. What makes the film even better are the truly exceptional performances by the first rate cast, that includes Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Ulrich, and Anjelica Huston, and the great musical score, which won a well-deserved Emmy. This is the kind of film about the Old West that only comes along once in a blue moon, and lovers of Old West stories and movies (as well as real-life cowboys) watch it over and over. In my view, it ranks above even the classics of Western film, including Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and Shane--and I love all of those films. Even though it is over six hours long, and technically a TV mini-series, it should be considered a great film.