Product Details

• Actors: Tom Selleck, Suzy Amis, Rachel Duncan, Haley Joel Osment, Keith Carradine
• Directors: Dick Lowry
• Writers: Elmore Leonard, Ronald M. Cohen
• Producers: Mary Ann Braubach, Matthew David Hensley, Michael Brandman, Steven J. Brandman, Thomas John Kane
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Turner Home Ent
• VHS Release Date: January 13, 1998
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304441630
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,625 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Tom Selleck shows a harder side of his persona as a disillusioned Confederate who returns home in the waning days of the Civil War in this adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel. His wife, Suzy Amis, isn't ready to forgive him for leaving his family behind for the "adventure" of war, and his children hardly remember him. Haunted by his actions in the war and caught in a power struggle in the Arizona territory, Selleck's soul-scarred survivor makes a last stand to protect the only thing left that matters to him--his homestead and his family. The film has its share of gunfights, showdowns, conspiracies, and Civil War rivalries, and even a runaway stagecoach, but its power lies in the somber exploration of how misunderstandings and conflicts tear at a marriage during such a volatile time, when ideals are set against duty to family. Director Dick Lowry's lean style makes the most of the gorgeous landscapes, and he creates a strong dramatic tension in the bubbling undercurrent between Selleck, who leaves behind the jovial character of his Louis L'Amour Westerns for a man hardened and embittered by war, and Amis, an excellent actress who brings to life a woman who shoots, speaks her mind, and harbors resentment just as well as any brooding male hero. Keith and David Carradine costar as Union wranglers who hold a grudge against the Confederate veteran. One of the most mature TV Westerns ever made. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who Says Westerns are Dead?, July 10, 2005

By 

kone "kone" (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Last Stand At Saber River (DVD)

The age of the Hollywood western had its apex in the middle of the 20th century, then with the change of modern society in the 1960's, the western genre lost its allure and Hollywood abandoned westerns for other fare. Thanks to Ted Turner and his love for American Western film making, the long lost western has been reborn in a big way. Tom Selleck continues to impress audiences as a true western hero in the tradition of John Wayne. Selleck is more than adequate for the part, big in body and big in acting skill. He takes the part of Paul Cable, and turns his character into someone we can believe, like, and respect.

Cable comes back from the Civil War months before its official end. He is tired of war and killing, and wants to return home to raise cattle in his home state of Arizona. In trying to escape his wartime experiences, Cable runs into more trouble at home. He finds his wife terribly embittered by his absence, and his home farm is now run by former union soldiers who are naturally hostile to a returning Confederate soldier. Cable must not only fight to regain his farm, but he must also try to rekindle the love that has been lost in his marriage.

The story by Elmore Leonard is a solid one and very believable. There are no dull or boring scenes, the picture grabs you and holds you throughout. Selleck is terrific as Paul Cable, fighting for his family, his woman, and his life. Selleck once again establishes himself as a solid western actor in the mould of John Wayne. He is every man's western hero. Selleck carries the picture on his broad shoulders with ease. He is supported with a fine ensemble cast, including Suzy Amis as his embittered gritty wife, and Haley Joel Osment (of "The Sixth Sense" fame) in a minor role as Selleck's son. Amis portrays a western pioneering woman in perhaps one of the most realistic role ever portrayed. Too many times we see western wonmen portrayed as prissy and prim, dressed in their long skirts and blouses without a scuff or mark of western sand or dirt. Amis' portrayal as Mrs. Cable breaks the mould; we see her with dirt and dust on her face, with sweat dripping in lines across her face, and with a surprising ability to hold her own with wagon reins in her hands, or for that matter, a rifle. I personally welcome this portrayal of western women, as it is undoubtedly more realistic than the western wife sitting pretty in her muti-layered petticoats. David and Keith Cariidine are fine antagonists in the fight for the family farm. Harry Carey Jr. plays a small role as Selleck's father-in-law.

As a collector of fine western films, I intend to keep "Last Stand at Saber River", as it is an excellent western film in the tradition of the great Hollywood westerns; it's not an epic, but it is fine film-making and will please those craving for a fine western drama. I recommend it.

James "Konedog" Koenig

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Western, June 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Last Stand at Saber River [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Tom Selleck does an excellent job as a disillusioned civil war veteran determined to bring his family back together on their own land after he is wounded in the war. This is a western as westerns were meant to be made, not the Young Guns type of violence laden shootfest. If you are Western fan that enjoyed Alan Ladd, Jimmy Stewart, Glenn Ford, Gary Cooper or John Wayne, this is a Western you will enjoy.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It Should Have Been More!, March 15, 2006

By 

John A Lee III "jal3" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Stand At Saber River (DVD)

Tom Selleck does a great job in westerns. He plays the gritty, no-nonsense type well and does so with a sense of style and determination reminiscent of the Duke. He does so in this film. It's a shame, it not better than it is.

Selleck plays a confederate officer near the end of the war. He knows the war is a lost cause and he has been disillusioned. He heads back to Texas to pick up his family with a mind of taking them back out to their homestead in Arizona. Everyone is surprised to see him. They all believe he is dead. He is in turn surprised to find that his youngest child is dead. The news had not gotten to him for years. Meeting up with the wife is a strain. They have some personal issues to deal with and each has a generous share of emotional baggage. Dealing with the baggage, though takes time and there are other issues to deal with.

Selleck's spread in Arizona has been taken over by people who thought he was dead. They are Union sympathizers and have no use for a former Confederate. Selleck, though, just wants to get on with his life and repair the damage to his family. This is easier said than done. The Union folk see him as a threat to their lives and their profits. There is also a diehard Confederate who runs the dry goods store. He runs guns for the Confederacy and tries to suck Selleck into his machinations. When the war does end, he is unable to let it go and continues to stir up trouble for which Selleck is blamed. It is only when the Yankees and Confederates begin to work together that healing begins to take place in both the community and the family.

This film is mostly well done. The characters are strong and the production values are good. The problem is that it is utterly predictable in most places and that there is little sense of excitement. It was worth watching but not worth owning. That is a disappointment. It could have been more.

As an additional note, other reviewers have reported problems with the disk. I too had a problem. After the introductory screen, the tv went black and a menu never came up. The movie did start when I pushed "play" and it displayed without problems. When the show was over, the menu was accessible. Reloading the DVD yielded similar results. The screen would go black but the movie would play when you hit the "play" button. It seems to be a coding defect.