Customer Reviews

The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Albert Woolson, the last veteran of the Union army in the Civil War died in Duluth, Minnesota in 1956, and every time I drive by the Depot I see his statue. So when I saw the title, "The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams," I naturally thought that this movie was about Woolson's rebel counterpart (I am sure "The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All" was contributing to my interpretation as well). The film is indeed about a real person, but Robert Adams did not live to see the 20th century let alone be in the running for the title of the last Confederate (which turns out to be an extremely disputed title given Confederate war records were largely destroyed at the end of the war). However Adams did serve and fight in the Civil War, whereas Woolson was a drummer boy for an artillery regiment that never saw action. The film was originally entitled "Strike the Tent," which Civil War buffs might recognize as being the last words purportedly spoken by Robert E. Lee, but would leave most people without a clue that this is about the Civil War. So at least "The Last Confederate" is a more obvious clue.

But what you cannot tell from either title is that what makes this independent film rather unique is that it was made because of the efforts of Adams' descendant. Julian Adams, who co-wrote the script, co-produced the film, co-directed it, and plays the title role, is the great-great-grandson of Robert Adams. Julian's father Weston, the family history, gets a story credit, plays the older version of great-grandfather (so Julian co-plays it as well), and does the film's narration. The movie was filmed mostly in South Carolina and the Adams home is the one owned by Robert's brother and has been in the family since before the Civil War. When the character of Robert takes out his watch that is the actual watch of the real Robert, and the piano music that we see Tippi Hedren playing was owned by Robert's wife, Eveline. The story of anyone who went off to fight in the Civil War will have its moments, but Eveline McCord Adams makes this story even more interesting because she was a Yankee, who came to South Carolina to be a governess and teach the piano and who fell in love with a Southerner on the eve of the Civil War.

Such a relationship might be the stuff of melodrama, but one thing "The Last Confederate" has going for it is a sense of dignity. Robert and Eveline are both portrayed as being solid and serious, no more prone to start yelling as they are to engage in copious weeping. They might be in love, but they have no romantic illusions about the coming war. Robert goes off to war to protect his land and the life he knows, but we also get the sense that he a much more realistic idea of what is going to happen to the South. Adams is a planter, but we get no real sense of slavery on the family plantation, and it is the sense of inevitable death and destruction that the war brings that casts a shadow between Robert and Eveline. The story is more like "Cold Mountain" than it is "Gone with the Wind," which is probably the best way of identifying the potential audience for this 2005 independent film.

Gwendolyn Edwards (who wrote some of the songs and music in the film) co-stars as Eveline, with co-screenwriter Joshua Lindsey as her brother Nelson McCord and Amy Redord as his wife Sylvia. In addition to Hedren as Grandmother Adams, the Adams were able to get Mickey Rooney to play grandfather David McCord. Eric Holloway plays Benjamin Young, who is Robert's companion through most of the war, including the time they spent in a Yankee prison in Elmira. The film is co-directed by another first time filmmaker, A. Blaine Miller, and the production is able to take advantage of filming Civil War reenactors at play and incorporating such shots into their narrative (maybe it was stock footage, but I have yet to see a Civil War go wrong just pointing a camera at reenactors). The film won several awards at various festivals and the fact that the Adams family not only got the film made but managed to make one that is pretty good has simply captivated a lot of viewers. The DVD includes a documentary, "Once Upon a Time in the South: Behind 'The Last Confederate'" that fills you in on the family history and ends with shots of the graves of Robert and Eveline Adams, underscoring one final time that this movie is a most unusual family affair.

The fact that this movie was made is probably a small miracle, but the Adams family was determined to tell the story of their ancestors Robert and Eveline and The Last Confederate shines as a labor of loving testament to their memory. It is a tapestry into which are woven the values of love, honor, duty, courage, perseverance, loyalty and sacrifice. Those of Southern heritage will appreciate their recognition of nuances mostly overlooked or ignored in Hollywood feature films about the Civil War. Weston and Julian Adams are real-life father and son. They portray Julian's Great-Great Grandfather Robert Adams who met and fell in love on the eve of the War with Eveline McCord, a lady from Philadelphia who came to South Carolina as a governess. During the War, Robert was a captain in a South Carolina regiment. Weston Adams has a cameo role; his son has the lead role and he bears an uncanny resemblance to his ancestor. They play courtly Southerners well for they are courtly Southerners in real life. There are no fake accents and melodramatic unsympathetic renderings here. Julian's acting is understated and he lets the story shine through. He is a handsome, sensitive actor and makes a memorable screen presence in his first major acting role and I look forward to seeing him in future roles. Gwendolyn Edwards plays Eveline as an intelligent and accomplished young woman caught between two worlds and the struggle of mind and heart.

The cinematography is striking and the soundtrack scored by Alti Orvarsson is very nice and now available. There are some good fighting sequences that capture the bitter agonies of war without being excessive or gruesome. The love scenes are romantic, tender and sweet. The supporting cast is very good and they work well within the framework of the story. The documentary about the making of the film is interesting and reveals the Adams' passion to share the remarkable story of their ancestors. They have done what many of us who are fascinated by our family histories wish we could do.

This little movie can hold its own among other films of the Civil War genre, but it is above all a story not so much about war, but love in war. I liked it very much and highly recommend it.

"The Last Confederate" is more than "just another Civil War movie" or biography. Julian Adams plays his ancestor Robert Adams with a depth of emotion and sincerity that no paid professional actor could ever hope to match.

Behind the stories of glorious courage under fire and battle flags bravely flying were very human men and women who lived with hearts aching from the separation, constant fear of death and injury, the grief of loved ones lost. Robert and Eveline's story is that of so many who lived in that dreadful time. The true face of this war has been lost in dry history books and increasing attempts to politicize and narrow the conflict down to "slavery as the sole cause". Thanks to the Adams family for bringing back the human element!

I highly recommend this movie over Hollywoodized tripe like "Cold Mountain." If you want to experience the true feel of war and the suffering on the home front, then you won't want to miss this one. Descendents of war veterans will need a box of tissues. Five stars.

Hollywood would love to maintain their monopoly, uh, stanglehold on film-making with multi-million dollar budgets and big name stars. The problem of course is their cultural marxist worldview and moral filth continue to debase everything it touches.
This is an independent film with a different point of view which is skillfully done and beautifully presented. The female love interest is drop-dead gorgeous. Whoever she is she makes the plastic bimbos we are usually forced to see look comical by comparison. The setting is realistic, the costuming exacting and the historical research that went into dialogue is convincing.
The male lead is a devoted Confederate patriot who is an excellent archtype of the men in gray who served with devotion and sacrifice. Certain to raise the hackles of PC nazis everywhere it has managed to fly largely under the radar (just like Ang Lee's Ride with the Devil). Any publicity it gets now will just drive people to see it and HORRORS, they might get enough of the truth to cast doubt on their brainwashing, uh, education.
Give it a try and see for yourself. And to those out there who had the courage to make it, THANK YOU!! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

First of all I am shocked with the few reviews I have read here. I think this family has accomplished a monumental project. I give them full support and congratulations for using their own money, resources and family to undergo such a project.

Anyone who is such in tune with their family history would be very proud to have this type of film made. Just as books are written, there are those that will appeal to only a certain region. South Carolina and it's citizens are very proud of this film.

I can not believe that anyone could be so cruel to heavily attack this film with such heavy criticism. I was describing this film yesterday to my son and remember telling him that this is not a film about the Civil War, it is a film about a real Southern family. The photography was stunning and the use of the light from the magic hour provided a warm sense of mood.

I really do not think anyone in the world could have produced a much better film on their first attempt. I clearly give them a thumbs up for their accomplishment. No, I do not know the family at all. Yes, I do understand the film, it projects a feeling that most southern born descendants of Confederate soldiers have. Most Confederate soldiers service history is minimum and the families that are fortunate to have personal items and stories handed down are very fortunate. One reviewer remarked that there was not enought story to make a movie, that is shallow thinking...If you know your history and the history of the unit such as Butler's Cavalry, all you have to do is plug in one Captain Adams to know his experience as well as those of whom he fought with.

I saw other criticise the use of re-enactors and stock film footage. I was personally involved in the 125th Anniversary Re-enactments of the Civil War and on nearly every event there were cameras rolling by a company called Classic Images as well as other companies. This was a film makers paradise. Where else could you every have to opportunity to have thousands of background actors equiped with authentic uniforms, weapons, horses, tack, camps, artillery, etc and spend nothing more that what it would cost to send out a film crew for some location shooting? Every re-enactor purchases his or her own equipment and that amounts to well over $2000.00 for each person down to the black powder used in their guns. There is probably not a film company in Hollywood that would spend that kind of money to outfit such a large army for background. In the movie Glory, soldiers in background carried rubber rifles and other arms, canvas was painted black to make straps and belts, etc. In the Patriot, most of the background action of the thousands of soldiers in the British Army were Computer Generated Graphics.

As for authenticity, ok, someone missed a re-enactor who was wearing a bold wristwatch, but that particular re-enactor should have been better prepared and he should have known better that to wear the wristwatch. Even at the large re-enactments, it is always tough to make sure that everyone is "in period" one reason is because not everyone is educated properly to present themselves in the field before an event.

I enjoyed the epic movie Gettysburg, but I could spend a lot of time criticising the authenticity and acting of some of those in that movie. I enjoyed it for what is was and it was one of the best attempts Hollywood has produced in making a documentary entertaining. There was a lot of carboard actors delivering lines in that movie.

Well, I could go on, but I will stop here. I will say thank to the Adams Family and Congratulations for a job well done. This film is a family treasure and another nicely recorded remembrance of another one of South Carolina's faithful soldiers who did his duty.

This film was one of the "suggested" Amazon movies and looked interesting, so I sent for it. I had expected a neat little story, but was truly impressed at how professional this movie was. As a person who is becoming in-depth in Civil War History, I found the situations believable. As a "hobby writer", I found the story wonderfully romantic, acted out with the charm and glamour of that time. A great job was done in keeping the story unpredictable, which was a delight to me since I have a tendency to guess where story lines are headed. I am a Christian and appreciate the delicacy of the romantic scenes and would say it was in no way offensive. The connection of the actors to the story add so much to my own enjoyment.
I am raving about this picture to my friends and family.

This has to be one of the most authentic films along with Wicked Spring, Gods and Generals, and Gettysburg. I would compare this film to Cold Mountain. Based on a true story. With passion of film making and the telling of a ancestors story to the screen by Julian Adams who writen, directed and produced the movie. This is definitly one of my favorite Civil War movies. If you are a civil war buff or any kind of a history buff and like good action, drama, and love story this is it. Boy cot Cold Mountain that movie was terriable. This is the only comparision I can put this movie to. This was way better than Cold Mountain. I just hated CM. I am glad this movie is finally out I have been waiting for the last 3 years for it to finally come out. filmed in 2003. They went to film festivals for the last 3 more years to help market and produce the movie to get it on DVD and get awards it did very well. The battle scenes are excilent. film at reenactments and stage combat. One of my favorites!

Beautifully and powerfully done: exquisite cinematography; infused with a sense of history and drama; great momentum; charged with passion. And, as a bonus, surely Julian Adams does his great-great grandfather proud. Even without that family connection (excuse the understatement: see the "making of" dvd bonus documentary) it's a fantastic film; with the knowledge of that connection, it gives a very fine film an added richness. Surely Captain Robert Adams smiles down on his great-great grandson, Julian Adams (lead actor, script writer, co-director, co-producer). Superb. Well worth seeing, well worth owning.

A "gem" of an honest film with excellent acting by actors both new and seasoned. Strong love story set amid Civil War. Beautiful production with added feature of being true story of one of America's most historic families--written, acted, and produced by Adams' Family members.

Very good story line, but the acting for the staring acters is not so good. Excellent performance by Mickey Rooney.