Lone Star (1996)

When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town.

Director:

John Sayles

Writer:

John Sayles

Stars:

Stephen Mendillo, Stephen J. Lang, Chris Cooper

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 15 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stephen Mendillo	...	Cliff
Stephen J. Lang	...	Mikey
Chris Cooper	...	Sam
Elizabeth Peña	...	Pilar
Oni Faida Lampley	...	Celie
Eleese Lester	...	Molly
Joe Stevens	...	Deputy Travis
Gonzalo Castillo	...	Amado
Richard Coca	...	Enrique
Clifton James	...	Hollis
Tony Frank	...	Fenton
Miriam Colon	...	Mercedes Cruz
Kris Kristofferson	...	Charlie Wade
Jeff Monahan	...	Young Hollis
Matthew McConaughey	...	Buddy Deeds

Storyline

John Sayles' murder-mystery explores interpersonal and interracial tensions in Rio County, Texas. Sam Deeds is the local sheriff who is called to investigate a 40-year-old skeleton found in the desert....As Sam delves deeper into the town's dark secrets, he begins to learn more about his father, the legendary former sheriff Buddy Deeds, who replaced the corrupt Charlie Wade. While Sam puzzles out the long-past events surrounding the mystery corpse, he also longs to rekindle a romance with his old high-school flame. Sayles' complex characters are brought together as the tightly woven plot finally draws to its dramatic close.

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Plot Keywords:

sheriff | texas | skeleton | badge | bar | 

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Taglines:

John Sayles invites you to return to the scene of the crime.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brief language, sex and violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

21 June 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Estrella solitaria

Filming Locations:

Del Rio, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,845,000 (USA) (19 July 1996)

Gross:

$13,269,963 (USA) (10 January 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Castle Rock Entertainment, Rio Dulce

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joe Morton plays Ron Canada's son, despite being over 18 months older than him.

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Goofs

When Col. Payne enters Big O's bar, the birds (Eagles denoting full colonel rank) on his shoulders are upside down.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Cliff: [cataloging the flora] We got cenizo, that's purple sage, agave, nopal... What's that stuff? Yeah that's it, that's whatchamacallit. That's horse crippler.
Mikey: This place is a gold mine.
Cliff: Lead mine.

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Connections

Features Black Mama, White Mama (1973)

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Soundtracks

"Mi Unico Camino"
Written by Rubén Méndez (as Ruben Mendez)
Performed by Conjunto Bernal

User Reviews

The sins of the fathers come back to haunt

John Sayles' direction of this film reminded me of Hitchcock in that I was always aware of the director's style and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the acting and the story. Like "Godfather," this is a tale of families and how the sins of the fathers cast their shadows over the generations. To illustrate the connection, Sayles will slowly track his camera from a conversation in one part of a room to another part of the same room where characters who lived 25 years earlier are conversing. The years have passed, we realize, but all the characters, even the dead ones, are in this together. The technique may sound strange, but it works magically. And another thing: I've always thought Kris Kristofferson was a better singer than actor, and a better songwriter than singer. But in this film he turns in an outstanding performance as a very very bad Texas border town sheriff who disappeared years ago and whose bones have just turned up in the desert. At least we think those are his bones, and to solve the puzzle, the current sheriff, son of the man who became sheriff when Kris disappeared, must dig further than he wants into the town's secrets. And once again, knowing how the film ends makes subsequent viewings just as fascinating as the first.