"Dead Man's Walk" (1996) TV mini-series

Director:

Yves Simoneau

Writers (WGA):

Larry McMurtry (novel)
Larry McMurtry (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

12 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Western

Plot Keywords:

Expedition | Texas | Survival | Grizzly Bear | Mexican

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins

Cast

F. Murray Abraham	...	Col. Caleb Cobb
Keith Carradine	...	Bigfoot Wallace
Patricia Childress	...	Matilda Jane 'Mattie' Roberts
Brian Dennehy	...	Maj. Randall Chevallie
Edward James Olmos	...	Capt. Salazar
Eric Schweig	...	Buffalo Hump
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Shadrach
David Arquette	...	Augustus McCrae
Jonny Lee Miller	...	Woodrow F. Call
Ray McKinnon	...	Long Bill Coleman
Jennifer Garner	...	Clara Forsythe
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Johnny Carthage
Alastair Duncan	...	Capt. Billy Falconer
Brad Greenquist
Kieran Mulroney	...	Jimmy Tweed

Also Known As:

Larry McMurtry's Dead Man's Walk

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and thematic elements involving the frontier experience.

Runtime:

272 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Australia:PG | Germany:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Alpine, Texas, USA

Company:

De Passe Entertainment

Trivia:

Jonny Lee Miller plays a role previously played by Jon Voight in the unofficial sequel _"Return to Lonesome Dove" (1993) (mini)_. At the time of this film's broadcast, Miller was married to Voigt's daughter Angelina Jolie.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: This film is set in 1841 but presents Charles Goodnight as an adult. Goodnight was born in 1836, making him only a child at the time.

Quotes:

[the rangers dig side-by-side graves for two of their dead comrades]
Long Bill Coleman: Josh and Zeke were pards. I don't guess they'll mind bunking together in the hereafter.
Bigfoot Wallace: If anybody knows a good scripture, let 'em say it. We got to skedaddle. I don't fancy another fight with Buffalo Hump.
Long Bill Coleman: There's that scripture about them green pastures...
Bigfoot Wallace: So say it then, Bill!
Long Bill Coleman: Well... them there's green pastures... that's all I recall.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Comanche Moon" (2008)

Great Prequel to "Lonesome Dove"

In this prequel to "Lonesome Dove" based on the book by Larry McMurtry, we find a young Woodrow Call and Augustus Macrae just starting out as Texas Rangers and beginning to become men.

David Arquette is fantastic as the young Macrae and really captures the gestures and mannerisms that Robert Duvall put too such good use in Lonesome Dove. I was very impressed with his performance and had no trouble believing that he was the young Gus Macrae.

Johnny Lee Miller does not fare as well as the young Woodrow Call and it is hard to believe that this is the character that Tommy Lee Jones played in the original as there is little that ties their acting styles to the same role.

Visually, this is quite well done and comes the closest to Lonesome Dove in grittiness and open plain shots. The young Rangers are surrounded by eccentric characters played with great aplomb by the likes of Brian Dennehy, F.Murray Abraham, Keith Carradine, Harry Dean Stanton and Edward James Olmos.

Strong acting throughout and a crackling good story hilight this worthy sequel and it makes a fine addition to the lore that is Lonesome Dove.