If Texas couldn't tame 'em ...could she?

Starring: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Martha Hyer, Michael Anderson Jr., Earl Holliman, Jeremy Slate, James Gregory, Paul Fix, George Kennedy, Dennis Hopper, John Doucette, Sheldon Allman

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"Ever since i got home, somebody's either asking me to leave or pulling a gun on me." - John Elder

Why watch this? This is a fine Western with an interesting plot and memorable moments.

Plot Summary: The oldest three sons of Katie Elder: John, Tom and Matt, have been away from home a long time. They finally reunite at their mother's funeral in their Texas home of Clearwater. One is a gunfighter, one a gambler, and the town's folks don't really want them around. But John, the eldest, wants some answers about why she sold the ranch... and why their father, Bass Elder, was shot in the back after a card game. All questions seem to point to the town's richest resident, Morgan Hastings.

Dad's Preview: There is a lot to love in this film: the rough-and-tumble way the brothers get reacquainted, their capture and betrayal, the film's explosive climax. It's one of the Wayne's best efforts, and Dean Martin plays a great supporting role. Duke insisted on doing his own stunts literally four months after having one lung and two ribs removed due to lung cancer. Now I call that gettin' back in the saddle! 

Wallis-Hazen; Paramount Pictures

Some passions can never be tamed.

Starring: Matt Damon, Henry Thomas, Lucas Black, Penélope Cruz, Ruben Blades, Robert Patrick, Bruce Dern, Sam Shepard

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"I guess the country lasts forever... people ain't but for a little while." - John Grady Cole

Why watch this? A beautiful, at times brutal, Western with a tragically doomed romance.

Plot Summary: After the death of his grandfather, a young Texan cowboy, John Grady Cole, finds himself without a home. Seeking adventure and a fresh start, he and his friend Rawlins head to Mexico, aiming for a life of cowboys. Along the way, they meet a mysterious boy named Jimmy Blevins and become entangled in events that lead to a forbidden love affair and their imprisonment in a Mexican jail.

Dad's Preview: One thing that I always heard growing up in Texas: under no circumstance do you ever want to end up in a Mexican prison. Set in 1949, this film follows two Texas cowboys, John and Lacey, who head to Mexico "because it's there" and they are lucky to escape with their lives. Within this Mexican border tale, the performances are superb, as are the harsh landscapes of Mexico's interior. But be wary, Mexico can be harsh on the unprepared.

Columbia Pictures; Miramax Films

They stood firing until they could stand no longer...156 MEN AGAINST A RAGING ARMY OF 7000!

Starring: John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Laurence Harvey, Frankie Avalon, Linda Cristal, Chill Wills, Ken Curtis, Joseph Calleia, Patrick Wayne, Jester Hairston, Richard Boone

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"There's right and there's wrong. You got to do one or the other. You do the one and you're living. You do the other and you may be walking around, but you're dead as a beaver hat." - Davy Crockett

Why watch this? It don't get more Texas than this.

Plot Summary: In 1836, the Mexican army, led by General Santa Anna, is invading Texas. General Sam Houston needs time to build his army to stop them, so he orders Colonel William Travis to defend the Alamo mission at all costs. Travis' small troop is joined by reinforcements led by Jim Bowie and the famous Davy Crockett. They must prepare to defend the fort against the vastly larger Mexican forces.

Dad's Preview: In elementary school, we learned Texas history, and no single event carried more weight, or heroism, than the 1836 battle for the Alamo mission. The Duke created his own independent film company, Batjac, so he could tell this epic story. He threw everything he had into this project, which was also his directorial debut. It's massive, emotional and one of my favorites. Duke is perfect as the famous, coonskin-cap-wearing, Tennessee Senator Davy Crockett.

The Alamo Company, Batjac Productions; United Artists

A man with a hard-driving fist, and a barbed-wire soul...who never stopped himself from taking anything!

Starring: Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal, Brandon deWilde, Whit Bissell, Crahan Denton, John Ashley, Val Avery

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"That's the shame of it because you don't value anything. You don't respect nothing. You keep no check on your appetites at all. You live just for yourself." – Homer Bannon

Why watch this? I applaud Paul Newman's role choices. This one fits him to a tee.

Plot Summary: This Texas tale follows a clash of generations within a ranching family, focusing on the principled patriarch Homer, his self-serving son Hud, and Hud's impressionable teenage nephew Lonnie. The family's dynamics intensify when a crisis threatens their cattle herd, forcing a confrontation between Homer's moral compass and Hud's unscrupulous drive. Amidst this conflict, Lonnie navigates his own moral awakening, torn between his grandfather's values and his uncle's charisma.

Dad's Preview: Paul Newman's performance in this film is vintage Windham. The Windham's were on my grandmother's side. The men were handsome and blue-eyed-charming. Some where my heroes growing up. Others, especially when they were younger, scared me. They could also be mean, tough-acting and very much like the title character. The film is very realistic regarding the plights of folks in West Texas, right down to the scene where they have to kill their entire cattle herd because of foot-and-mouth disease. My family had to perform that grim task, too. Newman's portrayal of Hud is not likeable, but that's just how some men are.

Salem-Dover Productions; Paramount Pictures

Dare to Live

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Steve Zahn, Denis O'Hare, Michael O'Neill, Steve Zahn, Dallas Roberts, Griffin Dunne, Kevin Rankin

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Sometimes I feel like I'm fighting for a life I ain't got time to live." – Ron Woodruff

Why watch this? The performances by McConaughey and Leto both won Oscars.

Plot Summary: This biographical drama tells the true story of Ron Woodroof, a Texas electrician diagnosed with AIDS in the 1980s. Faced with a bleak prognosis and limited treatment options, he begins seeking out alternative therapies and smuggling unapproved drugs into the United States. Woodroof's journey leads him to establish a "buyers club" to distribute these treatments to other individuals with AIDS, challenging the medical establishment and fighting for the rights of patients.

Dad's Preview: This is the film that will hold your attention like few do. This fact is enhanced by two stellar acting performances. The first is Jared Leto, as a young trans woman who is also a drug-addict and HIV-positive. Just wow. The second is McConaughey, who transforms, both mentally and physically, into a man whose body is dying. His performance is captivating. You will cringe, cheer, and scream with rage. Some of you may even find some empathy for those who suffer from this terrible scourge. That is my hope, anyway.

Truth Entertainment, Voltage Pictures; Focus Features

For justice. For loyalty. For friendship.

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper, Dwight Yoakam, January Jones, Julio Cesar Cedillo, Melissa Leo, Levon Helm, Mel Rodriguez

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You try to run away again, and I'll kill you. I guess you know that by now." - Pete Perkins

Why watch this? A memorable Texas border tale about murder, penance and retribution.

Plot Summary: When an undocumented Mexican ranch worker is mistakenly killed and improperly buried, his friend, a Texas ranch foreman named Pete Perkins, remembers his promise to bury him in his hometown. Taking matters into his own hands, Pete kidnaps the border patrol agent responsible for the death and exhumes the body. With his captive and the deceased tied to a mule, Pete embarks on a long, arduous journey across the border to fulfill his vow.

Dad's Preview: This powerful neo-Western is both compelling on it's own, and as an allegorical tale, as it wanders through a young man's racism, crime and torture... and eventual redemption - all at the hands of a hard Texas man. After the murder of his friend, Melquiades, Pete Perkins is hell bent on justice and keeping a promise he made. Jones and Pepper deliver wonderful performances in this grueling film, which was Jones' first hand at directing. Pretty darn good job, Tommy Lee. 

EuropaCorp, Javalina Film Company; Sony Pictures Classics

Robert Duvall is Mac Sledge, His fight for respect was just beginning.

Starring: Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Betty Buckley, Wilford Brimley, Ellen Barkin, Allan Hubbard, Lenny von Dohlen, Paul Gleason

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Is there a reason that happened? And Sonny's daddy died in the war, my daughter killed in an automobile accident. Why? See, I don't trust happiness. I never did, I never will." - Mac Sledge

Why watch this? Duvall finally gets an Oscar for this bittersweet tale of redemption.

Plot Summary: Mac Sledge is a washed-up, alcoholic country singer at rock bottom, who finds himself working off a debt at a run-down Texas motel. He builds a new life with the motel's widowed owner, Rosa Lee, and her son, but his past soon comes calling, threatening to unravel his newfound stability. Mac is then forced to confront his demons and choose between the life he once had and new life he's acquired.

Dad's Preview: Robert Duvall never ceases to amaze. At first, I could not understand all the hubbub; he doesn't appear to be acting at all. But slowly I began to get it. He's so good, so natural, that it appears he's not acting. He takes on the role, and makes it his own. Here he plays a former country singer/songwriter who has lost his way to pain and alcohol. He finds a little salvation in a loving woman's arms and her son's need for a father figure. But does he really deserve a second chance in the music business? Will it bring back all the demons? Duvall learned to play guitar and sing, solely for this part.     

EMI Films, Antron Media; Universal Pictures, Associated Film Dist. Corp.

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

Starring: Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, Ron Canada, Elizabeth Peña, Joe Morton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I remember Charlie Wade came to my father's hardware store once... The man winked at me. I peed my pants." – Ben Wetzel

Why watch this? This Texas mystery centers on a cold-case murder and secret relationships.

Plot Summary: Sheriff Sam Deeds is notified to investigate the discovery of skeletal remains in a Texas border town. The bones belong to a notoriously corrupt sheriff who mysteriously disappeared decades earlier. As Sam delves into the past, he uncovers long-buried secrets involving his own legendary father, the town's former sheriff, Buddy Deeds.

Dad's Preview: I didn't expect to like this film, back in the 90's. I was not a huge fan of either McConaughey or Kristofferson, but man, they both won me over with these great performances. That said, the rock of this south Texas crime drama is Chris Cooper. He's calm and quiet, yet complex. The tale follows several seemingly unrelated stories, working through old mysteries being revisited due to new information. It all leads to a rewarding revelation. This is fine film-making by director John Sayles. The plot layers, and outstanding scene segues, give this masterpiece a richness. Then there is Kristofferson, as Sheriff Charlie Wade - he leaves quit an impression.

Castle Rock Ent., Columbia Pictures, Rio Dulce; Sony Pictures Classics

Blood always follows money.

Starring: Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham, Marin Ireland, Dale Dickey, William Sterchi, Buck Taylor, Kristin K. Berg

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I am a Comanche. Do you know what it means? It means 'Enemy to everyone'." - Bear

Why watch this? This is one, brutally great Texas crime film.

Plot Summary: After their mother's death, two brothers, a divorced father and an ex-con, desperately resort to bank robberies to prevent the foreclosure of their family ranch. Two Texas Rangers, one close to retirement and his loyal partner, investigate the crimes and pursue the brothers across West Texas. This creates a compelling cat-and-mouse narrative exploring themes of desperation, family loyalty, and societal injustice.

Dad's Preview: Texas, with its sparse, angry-poor landscapes, is such a great setting for the crimes that poverty breeds. Hell folks, this is where I grew up. I recognized the signs to Coleman, I've walked those small town streets. Pine and Foster are stellar as the hard-scrapple brothers. However, it is Jeff Bridges, as the seasoned Sheriff Hamilton, who delivers another career-defining performance.

CBS Films, Sidney Kimmel Ent., OddLot Ent., Film 33, LBI Ent.; Lionsgate

The border is just another line to cross.

Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio del Toro, Jon Bernthal, Maximiliano Hernández, Victor Garber, Daniel Kaluuya, Julio Cesar Cedillo

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You should move to a small town, somewhere the rule of law still exists. You will not survive here. You are not a wolf, and this is a land of wolves now." - Alejandro

Why watch this? It will help you understand the brutal drug war border states faces every day.

Plot Summary: This intense film follows a female DEA officer who wants to make a difference. She is assigned to an experienced team working on a big drug bust. She quickly learns that things work very differently than the black and white world she's used to. She's also in way over her head.

Dad's Preview: Del Toro once again chews up every scene with his ability to portray the tough guy with a touch of heart. The scene where they infiltrate the drug tunnel at night using infrared goggles is heart-stopping! The driving, suspenseful soundtrack is beyond powerful, as is the stark desert backdrop. If you want an education on the real war on drugs, this is it.

Black Label Media, Thunder Road; Lionsgate

A deeply moving story of a remarkable family and a wonderful homely old yellow dog!

Starring: Dorothy McGuire, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, Jeff York, Chuck Connors, Beverly Washburn, Spike the dog

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"If that don't beat all. I never saw such a dog." - Katie Coates

Why watch this? Because, every once in a while, a grown man needs a good cry.

Plot Summary: In late 1880's Texas, teenage Travis Coates is left in charge of his family's homestead while his father is away on a cattle drive. A stray yellow dog, initially unwanted by Travis, befriends his younger brother, Arliss, and slowly wins over the entire family through its bravery and loyalty. However, the family's bond with Old Yeller is challenged by the threat of rabies spreading through the area.

Dad's Preview: In the 1970s we tuned our TV's to The Wonderful World of Disney once a week on Sunday night. That is where I first saw this wonderful Western film about a flop-eared yellow dog. Old Yeller soon becomes the family's loving pet and protector. This is a family film treasure - You will be inspired. You will fall in love with that dang dog. This flick will make even the toughest of macho men bawl like a baby. But it's worth every mangy flea.

Walt Disney Productions; Buena Vista Dist.

A Super Thriller!

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Walter Brennan, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Dean Jagger, John Ericson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I think somethin' kind of bad happened here, somethin' I can't quite seem to find the handle to." – John J. Macreedy

Why watch this? With a sparse desert backdrop, this is one tense film, a real nail-bitter.

Plot Summary: A stranger arrives in the small, hostile desert town of Black Rock, searching for a Japanese-American farmer. The townspeople are suspicious and want to keep a secret hidden, creating a dangerous situation for the stranger. As the stranger investigates, the hostility escalates into a fight for survival against the town and its leader.

Dad's Preview: There is a way that Spencer Tracy handles himself - Quiet. Purposeful. Cautious. The common everyman. Here he visits a small arid town, and the residents are not very welcoming. He does, however, have a reason for coming to Black Rock, and he must see it through to the end. This film has tension you can cut with a knife. Special recognition goes to Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin as two local thugs. The always dependable Walter Brennan delivers a great performance, too.

Dore Schary; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

HOPE COMES ALIVE

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez, Lucas Black, Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw, Ivory Jackson, Connie Britton, Connie Cooper

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #46 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Friday Night Lights

"Gentlemen, the hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders." - Coach Gaines

Why watch this? High school football is one of America's great, unique experiences.

Plot Summary: The Permian Panthers, a high school football team in the football-obsessed town of Odessa, Texas, faces the pressures of the community's intense expectations to win a state championship. After a significant setback in their opening game, the team and their coach must navigate a challenging season, confronting their own aspirations, personal struggles, and the intense scrutiny of the townspeople.

Dad's Preview: Glory Days. The band playing. Cheerleaders. The crack of contact. This film follows a Texas team's season. We see the glory, but also the price it exacts. Injuries. Toxic masculinity. Demanding school boards. Obsessed Coaches. Pressure to win. As a former player, I've seen it all. Still, Texas football also saved a fat little kid, taught him the value of hard work, and put him on the path to becoming a good and decent man and father. This gritty film captures all that and more.

Imagine Entertainment; Universal Pictures

The story of a woman fighting for her children, for her land, for the greatest dream there is...the future.

Starring: Sally Field, Lindsay Crouse, Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, John Malkovich, Danny Glover

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You took a no-account piece of land and a bunch of people that didn't know what they were doin' and you farmed that land better than anybody could - colored or white. You're the one that brought in the first bale of cotton this year. Don't you ever forget that." - Edna Spalding

Why watch this? ... two reasons, 1) it's about Texas country folk, and 2) Elsie loved it.

Plot Summary: In Depression-era Texas, a newly widowed woman, Edna Spalding, struggles to save her family's farm from foreclosure. Facing immense hardship, she takes the advice of a Black handyman, Moze, and decides to plant cotton, a crop she knows nothing about. To make ends meet and keep her children, Edna also reluctantly takes in a blind boarder, Mr. Will.

Dad's Preview: My mom, Elsie, lived through the Great Depression on a dirt farm in Texas. People today have no concept of a hard life. Oscar-winner Sally Field carries the story as a mother forced to take charge of her farm after the death of her husband. Amid all the hardships to run a 40-acre cotton farm, she enlists help from a kind black man, Mose. A tornado hits the small town, then the Klan attacks her farm and try to murder Mose. You will stand up and cheer at the courage and determination inside this little lady a she fights to defend and protect her own.

Delphi II Productions; Tri-Star Pictures

Work sucks.

Starring: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root, Gary Cole, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, Diedrich Bader

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #45 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review of Office Space

"Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements!" - Peter Gibbons

Why watch this? ... a whole generation of US workers filled corporate buildings... this is for them...

Plot Summary: Peter Gibbons, a disgruntled software engineer at the soul-crushing company Initech, feels trapped in the monotonous cycle of his unfulfilling job. After a series of misfortunes, including his hypnotherapist's unexpected demise, Peter finds himself in a state of blissful indifference towards his work. This newfound apathy leads to a series of unexpected events that challenge the oppressive corporate structure, including a blossoming romance and a daring plan concocted with his equally frustrated coworkers, Samir and Michael.

Dad's Preview: For 40 years I slaved away at the oars of this ship. Don't get me wrong, corporations aren't all bad - they do pay well and provide adequate retirement funds for millions. But they are far from perfect. This comedy nicely sums it up in a neat little package. Corporations are chock full of comedic fodder, and this film hits it all: stupid initiatives, bad managers, lay-offs, even that one guy with too much affection for his red stapler... you know that guy!

Judgmental Films; 20th Century Fox

A Story Of An Extraordinary Journey.

Starring: Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford, Rebecca De Mornay, Kevin Cooney

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

DML Top 50 #36 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Trip to Bountiful

"I guess when you've lived longer than your house and your family, then you've lived long enough." - Mrs. Carrie Watts

Why watch this? ... this Texas tale captures our hearts as a woman longs see her home place.

Plot Summary: Carrie Watts is an elderly woman trapped in a cramped Houston apartment with her over-protective son and bossy daughter-in-law. Longing for the simpler times and peace of her childhood home in Bountiful, Texas, Carrie sets out on a journey despite her family's objections and attempts to stop her.

Dad's Preview: My sister looked sternly at me and said, "You need to watch this movie". "Why?" I asked? "You'll see..." she replied. I could not believe it... Geraldine Page's performance literally is my mother, Elsie. Mrs. Watts is an elderly Texas woman living with her only son and his uppity wife in Houston. Times are hard so they're living on Mrs. Watts' social security checks. She begs them to take her back to her hometown, Bountiful, just one more time. When they won't help her, she sneaks out and catches a bus in that direction. This heartbreaking film is about aging, regret and longing for home. They say you can never go back, but that doesn't mean you still don't miss it. Geraldine Page won the Oscar for Best Actress.

Bountiful Film Partners, FilmDallas Pictures; Island Pictures

A Simple Man... A Difficult Choice.

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Dwight Yoakam, John Ritter, Natalie Canerday, James Hampton, Robert Duvall, Brent Briscoe

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #30 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Sling Blade

"Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a Kaiser blade." - Karl Childers

Why watch this? Thornton's first film is tender, simple, and brilliant on every level.

Plot Summary: Karl Childers is a man with an intellectual disability who is released from a psychiatric hospital after spending decades institutionalized for a childhood murder. He returns to his childhood town in Arkansas and befriends a young boy named Frank, forming an unexpected bond as Karl works as a mechanic. However, Frank's home life is troubled by his mother's abusive boyfriend, Doyle.

Dad's Preview: This film rings so true that the audience has no choice but to believe it's based on real people. Sling Blade was Billy Bob Thornton's personal creation: he wrote the story, directed the film and stars as Karl. Thornton's immersion into the simpleton character is legendary (and oft impersonated by me and way too many TikTokers). There are some intense moments, but at its heart, this movie has a sweetness to it. It's an achievement within its own simplicity. John Ritter and Dwight Yoakam deliver incredible supporting performances, as well. 

The Shooting Gallery, Miramax Films

There Are No Clean Getaways

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Barry Corbin, Beth Grant

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #16 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of No Country For Old Men

"If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?" - Anton Chigurh

Why watch this? This tour de force examines the dangers surrounding the Mexican drug world.

Plot Summary: While hunting in the West Texas desert, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and finds a briefcase containing millions of dollars, which he takes. His decision sets in motion a violent chase with a ruthless and enigmatic killer, Anton Chigurh, pursuing Moss and the money across the landscape. Meanwhile, a jaded, tired Sheriff Ed Tom Bell investigates the mounting casualties, grappling with the escalating violence and the unsettling nature of the criminals involved.

Dad's Preview: This Texas story's backdrop is the harsh scrub-brush lands near the Mexican border, where life is cheap, especially when you are entwined within the drug trade. The great performances by the film's cast are almost too many to mention. Jones, Bardem and Brolin certainly own the film, but the supporting actors and actresses also contribute, injecting tons of realism. Every time I watch this, it feels fresh, cutting-edge, and pertinent in its masterful simplicity.

Paramount Vantage, Scott Rudin Prod., Mike Zoss Prod.; Miramax Films

The Biggest, Roughest, Toughest ...and Most Beautiful Picture Ever Made!

Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood, John Qualen, Olive Carey, Henry Brandon, Ken Curtis, Harry Carey Jr.

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #8 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Searchers

"Seems like he never learns there's such a thing as a critter that'll just keep comin' on. So we'll find 'em in the end, I promise you. We'll find 'em. Just as sure as the turnin' of the earth." – Ethan Edwards, referring to the Indians who kidnapped Debbie

Why watch this? Basically to watch the greatest Western ever made.

Plot Summary: Confederate veteran Ethan Edwards has returned to his brother's Texas homestead only to find it raided by Comanches, his family massacred, and his niece Debbie abducted. Fueled by a complex mix of hatred and a desire for vengeance, Ethan embarks on a years-long search with Debbie's adopted brother, and half-breed, Martin.

Dad's Preview: This is by far the most complex character in John Wayne's long, storied career. Set in the stark, beautiful desert landscape of Monument Valley, famous director John Ford masterfully delivers this Western odyssey filled with danger, tragedy, and two lost men - determined to rescue a kidnapped family relative, young Debbie. After years of making movies together, Ford knew Wayne could create a compelling, conflicted character, and not just play himself. Throw in our history's racism towards Native Americans, and you've got a powerful film. The final scene forever belongs to cinematic history. Wayne deserved the Oscar for Best Actor, in my opinion.

C.V. Whitney Pictures; Warner Bros.

An Epic Film as Big as The West

Starring: Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover, Diane Lane, Robert Urich, Frederic Forrest, D. B. Sweeney, Ricky Schroder, Anjelica Huston, Chris Cooper, Barry Corbin, William Sanderson, Steve Buscemi

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #4 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Lonesome Dove

"By god, it ain't dyin' I'm talkin' about, it's livin!" - Gus McCrae to Captain Woodrow Call

Why watch this? An American masterpiece that perfectly balances Western myth and Western realism.

Plot Summary: Two aging former Texas Rangers, Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, now running a small cattle company near the Texas-Mexico border. Dissatisfied with their routine life, they embark on an ambitious cattle drive to establish a new ranch in the Montana territory, a land described as a cattleman's paradise.

Dad's Preview: This epic saga is unforgettable, with its wonderful characters, converging story lines and brutally honest plot points. Capt. Call is a hard, determined leader. He's kept in step by his more laid-back partner, Gus, whose warm smile reminds me of my grandfather, Charley Straley. Charley was a lifelong Texas rancher... humble, hard-working, intelligent, apolitical. He loved to joke, smoke his pipe and partake in an occasional sip o' whiskey down at the barn's tackroom. He and Gus would have been good buddies, for sure.

Motown Productions; CBS