Customer Reviews

Last Stand at Saber River [VHS]

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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

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.

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.

It is truly a pity that the western has died off. They are rare and far between these days. A few years back Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot made a few together and separate. They are all worth seeing. This one has Tom playing Cable, a confederate soldier who has left the war early because he knows it is over and the South has lost. It just hasn't been declared yet. His family and friends thought him to be dead, and the reunion seems a bit shaky. His wife played by Suzy Amis, is a tough as nails no nonsense frontier woman that knows guns well from her fathers gunsmithing business.

Eventually she works things out with her husband Cable and it is a good thing he has her to back him since she is great with a gun. Even though Cable believes the war is over he finds sympathizers trying to enlist his aid in the confederate cause but he shuns them. When he is accused of murdering a retired Union officer he must track down the real murderer and bring him to justice. The production values are excellent and the acting, directing, sets, and music are all top drawer. Good DVD quality but no extras. If you enjoy westerns you should find it very entertaining. If you like it be sure to see "Crossfire Trail" and "Conagher".

I must say, this is one of my favorite Westerns of all time. Sort of like "Shane", it is full of emotion, and mood. When Cable comes home from the "Struggle", his wife is still resentful of his leaving her and the children, even though they had heard he had been killed. I love Harry Cary Jr's line, "Well I'll Bow" when he sees Cable riding up. And Cable's comment to his wife, I don't want to live with someone that doesn't like me, "I'll take you back to Texas if you want". Their struggle with their relationship, and the local Union Sympathizers is a great tale. I recommend this movie to all. Very true to life. Good Acting, Great Story.

Tom Selleck takes on a serious role in this made for TV western. He stars as Confederate soldier Paul Cable, realizing the war is lost, returning to find his wife and family...hoping to pick up the pieces of a life he left behind. His wife Martha(Suzy Amis) isn't so happy to see him..she had thought him long dead..and was trying to get on with her life. With family, daughter Clare and son Davis(Haley Joel Osment), they leave Martha's father(Harry Carey Jr.) in Texas and head for Arizona and their ranch home. Upon arriving in Arizona, they find that the Union sympathizers(Keith and David Carradine) have confiscated their land..everyone still thinking he was dead. This requires them to fight for their home and for their acceptance in the rebuilding of life after the Civil War.

This is a well put together movie with good continuity. Not only does it have the western action but it also effectively shows the rebuilding of the marriage relationship between Cable and his wife. Susy Amis does a great job in portraying a wife that is ready to make her stand for family and home. Selleck puts in one of his better performances and shows that he can seriously act. Well worth adding to any western collection.

And I do not say that lightly. This is a one of his finest works. One I prefer over Monte Walsh ( 4 stars ). This is a gritty movie without all of the Hollywood enhancements. Coming back from the war, Cable finds himself disillusioned with the Confederacy cause, but ready to start his life fresh. But he finds it's not easy to start where he left off, due to Union loyalist and Confederate sympathizers. His primary problem comes from his own wife, who has her own issue with him leaving the family to go off to war and has yet to forgive him. This is a keeper. I hope Tom keeps up the great work!

"Last Stand at Saber River" was the first of three excellent Westerns that Tom Selleck made for TNT between 1997 and 2003 (and I'm still hoping there'll be at least a fourth one some day). Selleck has starred in five made-for-TV Westerns total, three of which are based on Louis L'Amour stories. This one, however, is based on a book by Elmore Leonard, and the difference is obvious in both the lack of idealism and in the extreme violence.

Selleck is Paul Cable, a Confederate cavalryman who has come home from the Civil War (only slightly) early. He knows the war is lost for the South, he is worn out, and he only wants to take his family back to their homestead in Arizona to live a normal life. His wife, who was told that he was dead, is less than thrilled to have him back home because she is resentful that he left to fight in the war in the first place. Suzy Amis does an excellent job as Martha Cable. She is not the stereotypical beauty who runs around in a bustle under fancy dresses. She is a tough frontierswoman who has experienced many hardships and gets her husband out of some tight spots as the movie progresses.

While the majority of the movie is good at depicting the divisions between North and South that caused the Civil War and which the Civil War then exacerbated, the subplot of the inner struggles that Paul and Martha Cable face is far more interesting. It's a great movie until the end, when we get the additional time-worn subplot of a Confederate soldier who just can't give up the Lost Cause. No, it's not Selleck's character who has this problem, but Selleck already had covered this territory in 1982's "The Shadow Riders" (though it wasn't his character who wanted to keep fighting in that movie either); John Wayne's "The Undefeated" is another well-known film with the Lost Cause plotline.

In spite of the needlessly melodramatic ending, this is a strong Western. Selleck and TNT kept getting better and better with "Crossfire Trail" and "Monte Walsh". Check out all three, and you'll join me in wishing for number four.

To see a woman who learned her father's craft of gun smithing, and hey, she can shot the darn thing!
Loved the fact that she was not squemish about useing a gun and was ready to fight for her husband and family.

In their trip from Texas to the Arizona territory we got to see [in theory] some rugged, beautiful country.
Had to chuckle at Carradine's smart-alec daughter thinking she could seduce Cable. [The little hussy] Three cheers for Cable's restraint.

Great action and more to the true life and living for that period. Was greatly appreciated.
Although I surely did like Selleck in Quigley Down Under with that rifle and his besting of that up-start.

I did find it hard to understand how the teams of horses broke away from the wagon at the last minute [no explanation] In reality they probably would have gone over with the wagon.

Awesome characters - great exchanges - wonderful emotions - great action.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - belongs with the other great westerns!

I saw this TNT a few years ago and was wondering when it was coming out on dvd and I'm glad they finally did!! This is well made with a great cast and well-paced..Tom Selleck is the perfect choice in this role and he's excellent throughout...They should make more of these westerns written by Elmore Leonard and Tom should star in every one of them!!! It's THAT good!!