X
- 1996
- TV-MA
- 2 h 15 m
- 1996
- TV-MA
- 2 h 15 m
Summary The unearthing of human bones and a rusty sheriff's badge on a rifle range in a Texas border town resurrects painful memories for a young lawman (Cooper), drawing him into an intricate, fascingatingly woven web of ethical, familial, and intercultural conflicts.
Directed By: John Sayles
Written By: John Sayles
- 1996
- TV-MA
- 2 h 15 m
- 1996
- TV-MA
- 2 h 15 m
Lone Star
78
7.5
Where to Watch
Summary The unearthing of human bones and a rusty sheriff's badge on a rifle range in a Texas border town resurrects painful memories for a young lawman (Cooper), drawing him into an intricate, fascingatingly woven web of ethical, familial, and intercultural conflicts.
Directed By: John Sayles
Written By: John Sayles
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 22 Critic Reviews
78
82% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
14% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 22 Critic Reviews
78
82% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
14% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
The performances are uncommonly fine...Lone Star isn't built to ride trends. It's built to last.
Even one-scene characters are unforgettable, but Sayles really gets under the skin of his struggling-to-be-heroic leads, Sam and Pilar. Long after this summer's crop of action flicks is gone, you'll watch this for the third or fourth time and see fresh material. Outstanding.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 32 User Ratings
7.5
75% Positive
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
16% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
9% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 32 User Ratings
7.5
75% Positive
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
16% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
9% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
This manages to be several movies in one: a murder mystery, a drama about fathers and sons, a romance, and a look at the evolving racial & cultural situation in South Texas. And it all works together nicely, even if things go a little too far at the very end imo. Sayles was never a great visual filmmaker but here at least he is an excellent storyteller. It is interesting to note that this could very well be Sayles's best flick, which is a little ironic, given that this is very much a Texas picture and he is very much a northerner. There are a number of excellent supporting performances here (e.g. Ron Canada), and keep an eye out for **** Frances McDormand(!)
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Lone Star is an absolutely brilliant film that totally snuck up on me. I expected your typical crime mystery film, but I did not get that. Instead, I get a beautiful film that examines divisions, parental relationships, and the complexity of the individual. Incredibly written and directed by John Sayles, Lone Star is poetry in motion with numerous intertwining subplots that all connect and unite at one point: the death of the old sheriff. This death reveals many things and leads to changes for the town residents who must solve the mysteries of the past to fix themselves. With a terrific leading performance from Chris Cooper, the film has an incredibly strong supporting cast that really add to the feel of this Texas border town. Lone Star is so poetic and cinematic that even its setting reveals more of the film's thematic elements and really plays into what the film is attempting to communicate. Overall, Lone Star is far more than a crime film. Instead, it is a brilliantly poetic and moving examination of life, the past, and the future.
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Leisurely yet intense (Sayles does the editing himself), Lone Star reveals a director whose mastery does nothing but increase. Perhaps now his audience will as well.
The biggest problem with Lone Star is that colorful Charley Wade isn't the center of the movie -- it's bland Sam Deeds. Cooper isn't a compelling enough movie star to carry us along some of the film's more languid twists and turns.
John Sayles's offbeat western shows how public controversies often overlap with private grudges and conflicting memories.
The script is a tidy work of carpentry, in several time planes and with a tart finish. Tense moments abound, fights and shootings and near-drownings, but they seem items drawn from casework files. [5 Aug 1996, p.26]
Sayles speaks the language of cinematic formula so automatically -- his reunited lovers slow dance to a jukebox in a dark, deserted cafe and wait unannounced outside each other's workplaces when they want to talk -- that he's forgotten that real people don't do this stuff.
Lone Star, asks who did what to whom? John Sayles movie is best suited to people with good memories for names. Over the longish course of its 2hrs + run time it moves back and forth through two lifetimes (very smoothly done) as a Texan Sheriff attempts to ascertain if his father may have killed his corrupt lawman boss. The rather pensive script is quite good --a bit more accessible than some of Sayles other works-- give him credit where due, many other directors might have sensationalized various aspects of this tale but Mr Sayles has kept it in perspective and available to a broader audience. It features good performances from an interesting cast, classy location cinematography, and some enjoyable Tex/Mex songs, and should please patient viewers with mature tastes.
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If anything I found this one a little too complex; there were several threads that seemed totally unrelated to the main thrust of the story. It’s also, I felt, a little too long; the filmmakers are asking quite a lot for an audience to concentrate for two hours and fifteen minutes. It is slow paced, but I didn’t particularly mind that; I’m used to the noir style and it is usually quite a slow burner. Some great performances with Chris Cooper coping well with the leading role and Kris Kristofferson playing the villain of the peace with gusto. Also we have Elizabeth Peña, who did an excellent job as the female lead and a small part for Matthew McConaughey as Buddy Deeds. Although it does have its problems I still found it an excellent watch; definitely one to look out for for all you noir fans out there.
SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED
My score: 7.5/10.
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What starts out as a murder mystery, slowly -- and I mean slowly -- expands itself into a thin, unfocused portrait of an border town with so many prejudices dwelling within its inhabitants, yet so little at stake overall. If I only had a nickel for every time I looked at the TV screen after a character explained the implications of some event and asked, simply, "so?" There's just no urgency at all here, and though some of the political undertones are undoubtedly relevant and timely, a political ensemble piece isn't the movie I was sold by the film's logline or first few minutes. This is a watchable, competently performed, yet ultimately droll, sluggish, and forgettable, low-energy drama with a poorly-realized, thinly veiled mystery at its center.
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Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Lone Star Film & Television Awards
• 6 Wins & 6 Nominations
