Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Who Says Westerns are Dead?, July 10, 2005
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
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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Western, June 1, 1999
By A Customer
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.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Last Stand of Westerns, March 28, 2006
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".
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