Lone Star
AMG AllMovie Guide:
Top
Lone Star
Plot
Reminiscent of a fine novel in depth and complexity, writer-director John Sayles' acclaimed drama uses the investigation of a 25-year-old murder as the framework for a detailed exploration of life in a Texas border town. The nominal center of the film is Sheriff Sam Deeds (the superb, subtle Chris Cooper), the chief law officer of the town of Frontera. The low-key Sam is also the son of the late Buddy Deeds (played in flashbacks by Matthew McConaughey), who also served as town sheriff and still maintains a legendary status for ousting the vicious, corrupt Charlie Wade (a memorably vicious Kris Kristofferson). The discovery of Wade's decades-old skeleton, however, calls this legend into question, and forces Sam to begin an investigation. During this search for the truth, Sam must come to terms with his own troubled emotions about his father and his still-lingering romantic feelings for Pilar (Elizabeth Peña), a Hispanic woman that Buddy had prevented him from seeing as a young man. Lone Star's scope encompasses not only this story but the whole town, addressing Pilar's difficulties as a schoolteacher, the conflict between incoming immigrants and border patrol officers, and the troubles faced by the African-American commander of the local military base. Sayles expertly moves between past and present, weaving his stories together to illustrate, as in his earlier City of Hope (1991), how the seemingly disparate parts of a community are in fact intimately interconnected. Raising issues of race, politics, and identity, Lone Star nevertheless focuses most of its attention on its complex, believable characters, well-performed by an excellent ensemble cast. One of the most financially successful of Sayles' low-key movies, Lone Star received glowing notices and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. ~ Judd Blaise, RoviReview
A searing, thoughtful portrait of life in a Texas border town, Lone Star is one part history lesson, one part sociological study, one part murder mystery. A high point in the career of writer/director John Sayles, the film is a graceful balancing act: unshowy and low-key, it weaves together disparate stories into one compelling narrative, making even its minor characters into individuals of dimension and substance. Using the murder angle as a pretext rather than a plot, Sayles makes it a window through which subjects as diverse as border politics, racial prejudice, dark family secrets, and even a repressed, decades-old romance can be viewed. Lone Star was also Sayles' most successful film; unlike much of his previous work, it was embraced by a mainstream audience, and a number of critics hailed it as the best film of the year. Sayles' method of storytelling, which had occasionally gotten him into trouble for its novel-like complexity and density, served him well in this instance. Lone Star is the cinematic equivalent of a compulsive page-turner, a thoroughly engaging story filled with characters that are plentiful yet not shabbily rendered, and intrigue that is thought-provoking rather than sensational. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, RoviCast
- Chris Cooper - Sam Deeds
- Elizabeth Peña - Pilar Cruz
- Joe Morton - Delmore Payne
- Ron Canada - Otis Payne
- Clifton James - Hollis Pogue
- Kris Kristofferson - Charlie Wade
Credit
Kyler Black - Art Director, Jan Foster - Associate Producer, Avy Kaufman - Casting, Shay Cunliffe - Costume Designer, John Powditch - First Assistant Director, John Sayles - Director, John Sayles - Editor, John Sloss - Executive Producer, Mason K. Daring - Composer (Music Score), Mason K. Daring - Songwriter, Dan Bishop - Production Designer, Stuart Dryburgh - Cinematographer, Paul Miller - Producer, Maggie Renzi - Producer, Dianna Freas - Set Designer, Clive Winter - Sound/Sound Designer, John Sayles - Screenwriter| Lone Star (1951 Film), Lone Star (1916 Film) | |
| Lone Star Law Men (1942 Film), Lone Star Moonlight (1946 Film) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
Lone Star (1996 film)
| Lone Star | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | John Sayles |
| Produced by | R. Paul Miller Maggie Renzi |
| Written by | John Sayles |
| Starring | Chris Cooper Kris Kristofferson Matthew McConaughey Elizabeth Peña |
| Music by | Mason Daring |
| Cinematography | Stuart Dryburgh |
| Editing by | John Sayles |
| Studio | Castle Rock Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
| Release date(s) | June 21, 1996 |
| Running time | 135 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5,000,000 US (estimated) |
| Box office | $12,408,986 |
Lone Star (1996) is an American mystery film written and directed by John Sayles and set in a small town in Texas. It features Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, and Elizabeth Peña and deals with a sheriff's investigation into the murder of one of his predecessors.
|
Contents
|
Plot
In the film's opening scene, two off-duty soldiers exploring the desert shooting range near their Army base find a partially buried human skull. Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper), the Sheriff of Rio County, is called to the scene and arranges for a forensic examination. It soon appears that the remains are those of Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson), who had been Sheriff forty years earlier. Wade, a notoriously corrupt and violent man, had disappeared after a public confrontation with Buddy Deeds (Matthew McConaughey), Sam's late father and one of Wade's deputies. Buddy Deeds succeeded Wade in office and was a popular and respected civic leader until his death 30 years later. It was on the strength of Buddy's reputation that Sam later became Sheriff, although it is clear that Sam's relationship with his father was a tense one. The county's new courthouse is about to be dedicated to Buddy Deeds in a public ceremony. Now it falls to Sam to investigate the killing of Wade, in which Buddy may have been involved.
Some of the older residents of Rio County, who knew both Wade and Buddy Deeds, warn Sam that investigating Wade's death may uncover things that are best left hidden. Despite these warnings Sam presses on. In the process, he reconnects with a former high school sweetheart, Pilar Cruz (Elizabeth Peña), now a widow and schoolteacher with two teenage children. Buddy had forbidden Sam to see Pilar when they were teenagers; Sam had assumed that racial prejudice was the reason for Buddy's attitude, although Buddy had always enjoyed cordial relations with the county's Hispanic population. In a flashback scene, it is revealed that Pilar's mother Mercedes was widowed when her husband Eladio was murdered in cold blood by Wade, as Wade and Hollis were performing what Hollis assumed was routine questioning on a county road that was frequently used to smuggle Mexicans into Rio county.
Sam is convinced that Buddy killed Charlie Wade, but after a discussion with Otis Payne, a local bar owner, and Hollis, the current mayor and a former deputy for both Wade and Buddy, it is revealed that Hollis shot Charlie to prevent him from murdering Otis. The reason for Mercedes dislike of Sam are revealed when Sam realizes that Buddy and Pilar's mother, Mercedes, had an affair that resulted in Pilar. In the end, Sam and Pilar decide to continue their relationship in spite of knowing they are half-siblings.
Although the film is a murder mystery, interwoven within it are several other stories, each of which helps to reveal the complexities of ethnic relations within the town.
- Delmore Payne (Joe Morton), the new commander of the local army base, must come to terms with a father (Otis) (Ron Canada) who abandoned him and a son (Eddie Robinson) who does not wish to follow in his footsteps.
- Mercedes Cruz (Míriam Colón), a prominent member of the Hispanic community, is forced to deal with a past that she thought was long forgotten.
Cast
- Kris Kristofferson as Charlie Wade
- Matthew McConaughey as Buddy Deeds
- Chris Cooper as Sam Deeds
- Elizabeth Peña as Pilar Cruz
- Clifton James as Hollis Pogue
- Ron Canada as Otis Payne
- Joe Morton as Delmore Payne
- Míriam Colón as Mercedes Cruz
- Eddie Robinson as Chet
- Stephen Mendillo as Sgt. Cliff
- Jesse Borrego as Danny
- Tony Plana as Ray
- Frances McDormand as Bunny
- Oni Faida Lampley as Celie
- Eleese Lester as Molly
- Tony Frank as Fenton
- Gordon Tootoosis as Wesley Birdsong
Critical reception
The film received highly positive reviews with Rotten Tomatoes reporting that 35 out of 38 reviews were positive for a score of 92% and a certification of "fresh".[1] Two years after release, Jack Mathews of the Los Angeles Times declared it "critically acclaimed and darn near commercial".[2] In retrospect from 2004, William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said that the film was "widely regarded as Sayles' masterpiece", declaring that it had "captured the zeitgeist of the '90s as successfully as "Chinatown" did the '70s".[3]
Writing at the time of release, Janet Maslin of The New York Times said, "This long, spare, contemplatively paced film, scored with a wide range of musical styles and given a sun-baked clarity by Stuart Dryburgh's cinematography, is loaded with brief, meaningful encounters... And it features a great deal of fine, thoughtful acting, which can always be counted on in a film by Mr. Sayles."[4] "All the film's characters are flesh and blood", Maslin added, pointing particularly to the portrayals by Kristofferson, Canada, James, Morton and Colon.[4] Film critics Dennis West and Joan M. West of Cineaste praised the psychological aspects of the film, writing, "Lone Star strikingly depicts the personal psychological boundaries that confront many citizens of Frontera as a result of living in such close proximity to the border."[5] Ann Hornaday for the Austin American-Statesman declared it "a work of awesome sweep and acute perception", judging it "the most accomplished film of [Sayles'] 17-year career".[6]
However, not all contemporary critics were completely positive. While The Washington Post writer Hal Hinson characterized it as "a carefully crafted, unapologetically literary accomplishment", he suggested that Sayles' "directing style hasn't grown much beyond that of a first-year film student", declaring that the director was "stagnant".[7]
Awards
- Wins
- Lone Star Film & Television Awards: Best Actor, Chris Cooper; Best Director, John Sayles; Best Film; Best Screenplay, John Sayles; Best Supporting Actor, Ron Canada; Best Supporting Actress, Frances McDormand; 1996.
- Independent Spirit Awards: Independent Spirit Award; Best Supporting Female, Elizabeth Peña ; 1997.
- Bravo Awards: NCLR Bravo Award Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film, Elizabeth Peña; Special Achievement Award Outstanding Feature Film; 1997.
- Satellite Awards: Golden Satellite Award; Best Motion Picture Screenplay - Original, John Sayles; 1997.
- Society of Texas Film Critics Awards: Best Director, John Sayles; Best Screenplay, John Sayles.
- Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards: SEFCA Award; Best Director, John Sayles; 1997.
- Nominations
- Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, John Sayles; 1997.
- Bravo Awards: NCLR Bravo Award; Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film, Tony Plana; 1996.
- British Academy of Film and Television Arts: BAFTA Film Award; Best Screenplay - Original, John Sayles; 1997.
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards: BFCA Award Best Picture; 1997.
- Casting Society of America: Artios; Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama, Avy Kaufman; 1997.
- Chlotrudis Award: Chlotrudis Award, Best Actor, Chris Cooper; 1997.
- Golden Globes: Golden Globe; Best Screenplay - Motion Picture, John Sayles; 1997.
- Independent Spirit Awards: Independent Spirit Award; Best Feature, R. Paul Miller and Maggie Renzil; Best Male Lead, Chris Cooper; Best Screenplay, John Sayles; 1997.
- Satellite Awards: Golden Satellite Award; Best Motion Picture - Drama, R. Paul Miller and Maggie Renzi; 1997.
- Writers Guild of America: WGA Award (Screen); Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, John Sayles; 1997.
See also
References
- ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1074022-lone_star/
- ^ Mathews, Jack (March 13, 1998). "Movie Review; Sayles Again Goes His Own Way With Effective 'Guns'". Los Angeles Times: p. F14. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/27173050.html?dids=27173050:27173050&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+13%2C+1998&author=JACK+MATHEWS&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Movie+Review%3B+Sayles+Again+Goes+His+Own+Way+With+Effective+'Guns'&pqatl=google. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
- ^ Arnold, William (September 16, 2004). "John Sayles' timely political lampoon aims squarely at George W. Bush". http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/John-Sayles-timely-political-lampoon-aims-1154322.php#ixzz1oQxc3Ryn. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
- ^ a b Maslin, Janet. The New York Times, film review, "Sleepy Texas Town With an Epic Story", June 21, 1996. Last accessed: February 22, 2008.
- ^ West, Dennis and Joan M. West. Cineaste (magazine) v22, n3 (Summer, 1996):34 (3 pages). Last accessed: February 22, 2008.
- ^ Hornaday, Ann (June 28, 1996). "`Lone Star' shines brightly". Austin American-Statesman: p. E1. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AASB&p_theme=aasb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EA21383C44FB99D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM.
- ^ "`Lone Star': Stagnant Sayles". The Washington Post: p. F6. July 12, 1996. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/21826813.html?dids=21826813:21826813&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+12%2C+1996&author=Hal+Hinson&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=%60Lone+Star'%3A+Stagnant+Sayles&pqatl=google. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
External links
- Lone Star at the Internet Movie Database
- Lone Star at AllRovi
- Lone Star at Rotten Tomatoes
- Lone Star essay at Bad Subjects magazine by Tomás Sandoval (historical aspects of film)
|
||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
TV listings
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Movie Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
Read more
Mentioned in
Crusader Rabbit vs. the State of Texas
(1949 Children's/Family Film)
Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, Inc.
(Private Company)
Where the Fast Lane Ends
(1990 Album by Fred Koller)
True Love & Other Short Stories
(1991 Album by Pat Alger)
» More