Shenandoah (1965)

In Shenandoah, Virginia, the widower farmer Charlie Anderson lives a peaceful life with his six sons - Jacob, James, Nathan, John, Henry and Boy, his daughter Jennie, and his ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writer:

James Lee Barrett

Stars:

James Stewart, Doug McClure, Glenn Corbett

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Stewart	...	Charlie
Doug McClure	...	Sam
Glenn Corbett	...	Jacob
Patrick Wayne	...	James
Rosemary Forsyth	...	Jennie
Phillip Alford	...	Boy
Katharine Ross	...	Ann
Charles Robinson	...	Nathan
Jim McMullan	...	John (as James McMullan)
Tim McIntire	...	Henry
Gene Jackson	...	Gabriel (as Eugene Jackson Jr.)
Paul Fix	...	Dr. Tom Witherspoon
Denver Pyle	...	Pastor Bjoerling
George Kennedy	...	Col. Fairchild
James Best	...	Carter, Rebel Soldier

Storyline

In Shenandoah, Virginia, the widower farmer Charlie Anderson lives a peaceful life with his six sons - Jacob, James, Nathan, John, Henry and Boy, his daughter Jennie, and his daughter-in-law and James' wife Ann Anderson in his farm. Charlie does not let his sons to join the army to fight in the American Civil War that he considers that it is not their war. Meanwhile Jennie marries to her beloved Lieutenant Sam, but they do not have honeymoon since Sam has to go to the front. When Charlie's youngest son Boy is mistakenly taken prisoner by soldiers from the North. Charlie rides with his sons to rescue Boy, while James and Ann stays in the farm. But it is time of violence and war, and tragedy reaches the Anderson family.

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Plot Keywords:

virginia | farm | widower | fight | violence | 

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Taglines:

Two Mighty Armies Trampled Its Valley... A Fighting Family Challenged Them Both!

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Genres:

Drama | War | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 June 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Mann vom großen Fluß

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (as Technicolor®)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was turned into the stage musical under the same title in 1975 starring John Cullum.

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Goofs

The bare hills and arid-climate flora in this film obviously indicate that it was shot in Southern California, not the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, which has a wetter and more temperate climate.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jacob Anderson: They come closer every day, Pa.
Charlie Anderson: They on our land?
Jacob Anderson: No, sir.
Charlie Anderson: Then it doesn't concern us... does it?

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Connections

Edited from Gone with the Wind (1939)

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Soundtracks

"A Mighty Fortress is Out God"
Lyrics and Music by Martin Luther
Translation by Frederick H. Hedge
Sung in the last scene at the church

User Reviews

Not my kids and stay off of my land.

This is a classic. A real beauty of a film. Produced during the nightmare period of racial integration in the Southern United States, and the Vietnam War. The story plays out in one main location, a Large farm in the Shenadoah Valley during the American Civil War. The history of the valley is crucial to an understanding of the two central themes of the story, Man against man and man against God, so I recommend a basic understanding of the history of the valley in conjunction with viewing the film.

We are taken on a journey of faith, and strength of family, by a family surrounded by the madness of war. Considering the epic nature of both the themes and the war, this film manages to navigate a very clear and coherent path from beginning to end. The family's patriarch, played very convincingly by James Stewart, is trying to successfully resolve three conflicts.

He is at odds with God for taking his wife from him. This inner conflict is beautifully captured by his handling of grace at the family supper, and his retreating to the grave of his wife and speaking to her spirit in heaven while he maintains his anger with God.

He is also faced with the conflict of protecting his property while the two armies virtually destroy the valley around him.

And, he is faced with the conflict of saving his sons from senseless slaughter in a losing war to protect the right to own slaves. This is the film's central conflict and forms the main plot. The issues of terror and inhumanity are handled with subtlety, tact, and diplomacy. Many will enjoy watching this film simply because it tells a great story beautifully and raises important issues without graphic violence. This is a great film and a good vehicle for generating family discussions about racism, family, God, faith, and inner strength.

For the thicker skinned and more mature among us, another wonderful movie that loosely parallels this one would have to be The Patriot (2000), Directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Mel Gibson