"Streets of Laredo" (1995) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers (WGA):

Larry McMurtry (novel)
Larry McMurtry (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

12 November 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

Captain Woodrow Call, now retired from the Rangers, is a bounty hunter. He is hired by an eastern rail baron to track down Joey Garza...

Plot Keywords:

Man Hunt | Child In Peril | Child Murder | Child Burning | Sharpshooter

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

James Garner	...	Capt. Woodrow F. Call
Sissy Spacek	...	Lorena Parker
Sam Shepard	...	Cpl. Pea Eye Parker
Ned Beatty	...	Judge Roy Bean
Randy Quaid	...	John Wesley Hardin
Wes Studi	...	Famous Shoes (Kickapoo tracker)
Charles Martin Smith	...	Ned Brookshire (railroad accountant)
George Carlin	...	Billy Williams
Alexis Cruz	...	Joey Garza
Kevin Conway	...	Mox Mox
James Gammon	...	Charles Goodnight
Tristan Tait	...	Deputy Ted Plunkert
Sonia Braga	...	Maria Garza
Miriam Colon	...	Estrella
Anjanette Comer	...	Beulah

Also Known As:

Larry McMurtry's Streets of Laredo

Runtime:

300 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | Australia:M (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Alamo Village - Highway 674, Brackettville, Texas, USA

Company:

De Passe Entertainment

Trivia:

James Garner had been offered the roles of both Gus and Call in _"Lonesome Dove" (1989) (mini)_, but had to decline for health reasons.

Goofs:

Continuity: After leaving Joey at the ladies house and heading to the saloon to see John Wesley Hardin, Maria is chased by the pig. She turns and shoots it and it falls on its left side. When she gets to the saloon and is talking to John Wesley, the camera shows the area behind her. The pig is lying on its right side and is still on its right side when she gets back to the house. When she takes her horse to bring it to the house, it is again on its left side.

Quotes:

Capt. Woodrow F. Call: I will not tolerate rude behavoir!

Movie Connections:

Follows "Return to Lonesome Dove" (1993)

A solid,if downbeat chapter in the magnificent series

Granted, both the original Lonesome Dove novel and film are unique works of extremely fascinating classic story telling. Streets of Laredo obviously has a great deal to live up to and, when viewed or read in conjunction with Dove, it does suffer in the sense that our familiarity is slightly snubbed. Of course not much can measure up to the original, and so obviously this is something that cannot be helped. This sequel is far more brutal and violent that its predecessor. Violent death or at least the threat of it is an ever present character awash on Laredo's landscape much more than Dove.That said, Streets of Laredo as a film stands firmly upon its own merits which are quite impressive.Firstly, the cast is sublime. James Garner, always a vastly underrated actor, creates a stoic yet tragic Call. His final scene is at once heart breaking and resonating with strong quiet hope. His performance is all about what film acting aspires to become: he moves mountains without words.The rest of the cast is on equal footing with Garner. Playwrite Sam Shepard's Pea Eye, although losing much of Tim Scott's original Bentonesque forlorn rube, is filled with earthy heroism and and poetry. Sissy Spacek, as the whore re-incarnated as a schoolmarm Lorena produces the tough backbone needed to survive the Texas prarie. Comedian George Carlin's finely drawn panhandle scamp solidifies the theory that the border between comedy and tragedy is narrow at best. These are just a few of the excellent standouts in the sound ensemble.Secondly, there is the very narrative itself. It plays like a Sunday funeral dirge-ever aware of the passing of an era, yet peering into a glimmer future of simple optimism and hope. In McMurtry's frequently brutal world, everyone has a shot at redemption. Grace isn't free but it is availble to all willing to run the gauntlet, as long as they have a pure heart. In this film, pure of heart may not necessarily mean pure of deed, but at least evil is evil and good is good.This film bravely balances the aformentioned violence with scenes of wry humour and gentleness. In that regard, Laredo comes the closest anyone has come to honoring Peckinpah's greater works.The film, because it was produced for television is already mostly forotten by the minnions, but richly deserving of an audience. Enjoy and Savor.