Lone Star

Title: Lone Star
Director: John Sayles
Cast: Chris Cooper, Matthew McConaughey, Elizabeth Peña
Year: 1996
MPAA: Rated R for brief language, sex and violence.
Date of Review: May 22, 2006

John Sayles' intricate character study Lone Star, is reminiscent of the classic whodunit murder mystery, but injects life and feeling into the story and the characters that rarely any movie of any genre can claim to have achieved. Not only is Sayles' direction beautiful and intricate, weaving past and present storylines seamlessly throughout single scenes, but the acting from every performer is so natural - from the stars of the film to the brief but equally important bit parts - that it feels as if it is a real story simply being documented by Sayles.

Frequent Sayles collaborator Chris Cooper stars as Sam Deeds, the sheriff of a small Texas border town, living in the shadow of his father's legendary status. The film begins with a bang, as the bones of an unknown individual are found by treasure hunters, and the case is given to Deeds, who creates an obsession over how these bones got where they are, and the history of all the people involved in the story. The story spans two time periods, and jumps between them frequently and easily, often within the same set piece and scene. The audience is introduced to a whole town full of characters involved with the finding of this body, and they are played by such actors as Kris Kristofferson, Elizabeth Peña, and Matthew McConaughey.

Despite the main plot of discovering the whole story behind the skeletal remains, Lone Star spends most of its time getting to know the characters and the town. Sayles examines the racial conflicts which arise between the predominantly Mexican population, and the whites and blacks which also try to make a living there. All of these people use historical conflicts as an excuse to take out their own frustrations on each other - which is best shown in a heated argument between parents and teachers in a classroom. Sayles' wonderfully intelligent and character-fitting dialogue is able to bring to life the hatred and prejudice felt by these people much more effectively than any gun battle, fist fight or gang war ever could - which probably would have been the route taken by many other writer/directors tackling such a story.

With Lone Star, John Sayles truly has said something about the human condition, which is universally considered to be the goal of any artist. While it is important to know of our past and to be respectful of history, we - as individuals and as a people - cannot allow ourselves to live in the past, and to allow it to overshadow who we are and what we want to be and do with our lives. Lone Star is a movie that entertains with the writing and rich characters and dialogue, rather than flashy action or break-neck speed, and that's what sets it apart and makes it such a joy to see.

9/10