![[box cover]](../reviewimgs/l/lonestar.jpg)
Lone Star
In Rio County, Texas, some secrets are buried very deep -- including the remains of former Sheriff Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson), a rough-and-tumble redneck who extorted protection money from folks for years before his mysterious disappearance in 1957. Local legend held that his successor, Sheriff Buddy Deeds (Matthew McConaughey), was involved in a plot to eliminate Wade for good, but his long tenure as sheriff was a popular one, and everybody who loved him didn't want to find out just what happened those many years ago. But when a skeleton and badge are discovered buried on a old Army rifle range, Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper), the late Sheriff Deeds' son, is the only person willing to investigate the murder, and in the process re-open old wounds that kept himself and his iconic father at odds over the years. John Sayles' 1996 masterpiece Lone Star is at once complicated and engrossing, weaving together a variety of characters and families against a tapestry of multicultural south Texas, where whites, blacks, and Latinos struggle to coexist in a world where secrets and lies foster mutual distrust. But Sayles extends his theme beyond social observations, illustrating how societal pressures have broken down family units, and particularly the relationships between parents and children. Pilar Cruz (Elizabeth Peña), a schoolteacher who had an illicit affair with the younger Deeds many years ago, is emotionally distraught over his return to the town, and she has trouble communicating with her mother (Miriam Colon), a local restaurant owner who appears to have turned her back on her Latino roots. Otis Payne (Ron Canada), who runs the local black roadhouse, is estranged from his Army officer son (Joe Morton), and thus from his grandson (Eddie Robinson), who wants to learn more about his family's history. And as Sam's investigation continues, he gradually learns things about these other families, as well as his own, in his single-minded attempt to revive the ghosts of the past, leading to a bittersweet, uplifting conclusion. Good transfer, 2.0 Dolby surround, trailer.
