TV, Movies, and Games
Talk about TV, Movies, Gaming or anything entertainment related.
Cold Mountain
bracomadar
Visit this Community
Arkansas, United States
Member Since: March 01, 2003
entire network: 410 Posts
KitMaker Network: 0 Posts
Posted: Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 06:08 PM UTC
My mom got this on DVD and I watched it for the first time today. I don't know how historically accurate this is, but I do know this was loosely based on an actual story and my own family has a Civil War story similar to this. Anyway, I have to say it was a very entertaining film. It's not something you would want to show, or watch in front of your kid (nudity and strong sexual content). It had a little bit of everything, action, humor, sad parts, happy parts, love scenes, great acting, good music (if you like that Bluegrass and folk), beautiful settings, and a great story line. The story is what makes a movie and I thought it had the best story line of any movie I've seen in a long time. It was set entirely in the South during the war. I was beginning to think they were just showing the Southerners, mainly in a bad light, but there was one scene with some Union soldiers that seemed to balanced it out. It's later on into the film, so don't judge until you watch the whole thing. That was my main concern was if it was going to be a "blaming" movie. I personally thought it was balanced and really showed the good and bad in people on all sides. You could call this an anti-war movie, but I think instead of showing the horrors of war, it shows the insanity and cruelty people can sink to during war. Renee Zellweger who plays Ruby did an awesome job on that character. She's like the crazy glue that holds this film together She gets all the good lines and scenes. So out of a rank of 5 stars (1 being bad and 5 being good) it gets 5 stars. Like I said, I don't know how historically accurate it was, but it was just a great entertaining movie. Just be sure to watch the whole thing before you begin to judge it.
blaster76
Visit this Community
Texas, United States
Member Since: September 15, 2002
entire network: 8,985 Posts
KitMaker Network: 2,270 Posts
Posted: Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 06:23 PM UTC
CHICK FLICK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AJLaFleche
Visit this Community
Massachusetts, United States
Member Since: May 05, 2002
entire network: 8,074 Posts
KitMaker Network: 2,574 Posts
Posted: Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 08:01 PM UTC
Potential Chick Flick, but with some excellent attention to detail and relatively true to the book, though much abrieviated with fewer ecounters for Stillman in his Odyssey. Muzzle loaders are treated like muzzle loaders, it really does take time to fire another round. The "Battle of the Crater" was very well done, though some background knowledge of the event would nelp in explaining the why of this. The book describes Stillman as having a Lamat pistol, a six shot revolver with a second barrel below for a shot gun shell and he carries one until he's captured.
bracomadar
Visit this Community
Arkansas, United States
Member Since: March 01, 2003
entire network: 410 Posts
KitMaker Network: 0 Posts
Posted: Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 08:06 PM UTC
Well, it may be a chick flick, but it's the best one I've seen
blaster76
Visit this Community
Texas, United States
Member Since: September 15, 2002
entire network: 8,985 Posts
KitMaker Network: 2,270 Posts
Posted: Friday, July 16, 2004 - 08:12 PM UTC
Can't disagree with you there friend. I was mightily disappointed because the ads led me to believe it had more battle scenes in it. Thank God for Gods and Generals and the venerable Gettysburg. Fast forward through all the "speculative talk" that JL Chamberlain diarrehia mouthed in that movie (about 90 percent fiction) and you still can't top Gettysburg (maybe because there are about 10 reinactors I knew). Just my opinion oh did I forget to mention I was a reinactor for 5 years and am a graduate of the VMI
Moezilla
Visit this Community
Texas, United States
Member Since: June 01, 2004
entire network: 1,161 Posts
KitMaker Network: 533 Posts
Posted: Friday, July 16, 2004 - 11:54 PM UTC
I rented this movie a couple of weeks ago when it first came out and I was rather disappointed in it. I was expecting a Civil War movie with a love story in it and instead I got a love story during the Civil War. lol

The acting was great, Renee Zelweger was VERY good in the movie and I think had the most interesting role. I didn't mind having to look at Nicole Kidman for a couple of hours though, she's not hard on the eyes at all. The Civil War battle scene was well done but too little was paid attention to about the war IMO and instead it turned into a mini Lifetime Channel movie I felt.

I agree with ya about G&G and Gettysburg Blast, both are excellent movies and I hope Maxwell goes ahead with the third movie.
AJLaFleche
Visit this Community
Massachusetts, United States
Member Since: May 05, 2002
entire network: 8,074 Posts
KitMaker Network: 2,574 Posts
Posted: Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 09:24 PM UTC

Quoted Text

) The Civil War battle scene was well done but too little was paid attention to about the war



The source novel pays little attention to actual combat as well and tells the story of the developing relationship between the women, Kidman's character's growth and Stillman's trek home. The war is a backdrop, rather than the central focus.
Moezilla
Visit this Community
Texas, United States
Member Since: June 01, 2004
entire network: 1,161 Posts
KitMaker Network: 533 Posts
Posted: Monday, July 19, 2004 - 12:29 PM UTC
Ahh, that would explain it. I've not read the book so it would then fit the way the movie was done.
earwig61
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Member Since: June 26, 2004
entire network: 188 Posts
KitMaker Network: 0 Posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 07:14 AM UTC
Not enough combat, exceptional acting, class flick that tries hard and touches you. Saw it on the big screen, which wasen't essential, like for say, "The Titantic" or a movie like that.