This just ran tonight on HBO. I haven't watched it in a few years now. Lone Star has, if anything, improved with each viewing, which is really saying something because I remember how truly riveted and fulfilled I was on its first viewing in the theater. This is film-making at its very best.
This must be one of the all time greatest pieces of writing for the cinema. Period. So many characters are here and they're all richly developed and mined to make you think even more about the film's many themes. The story just hooks you right from the start and is utterly absorbing, and the layers of subplots and meanings reach dizzying heights of complexity and poignancy without sacrificing entertainment value. You practically walk away from the film saying "yes, for once someone has something to say and it's said so eloquently". To me, Lone Star is one of the masterpieces of American movies.
This has one of the greatest final lines that I've ever seen in a movie. That last line illuminates everything that has come before it in a way that is both shattering and ironic. The performances are uniformly superb, and you can just imagine what the cast was thinking, with the opportunity to perform this piece. All the technical aspects are first rate, which makes you truly wonder why movies cost so much in Hollywood. The music is outstanding. But at the end of the day, it's the incredible writing here that lingers. The second half of the movie pays off in spades due to the development of the many characters and sub plots that are so brilliantly interwoven. The movies Lone Star reminds me of most are The Last Picture Show, Chinatown, and Nashville. Take my word; if you like any of those pictures and haven't had the distinct pleasure of seeing Lone Star, please give it a chance. You will not be disappointed.
