The Virginian

This smoky dark western is filled with wonderful music designed to carry the mood from the beginning with the cello theme repeated in various forms throughout the movie as well as some very interesting pieces that were indicative of the times. The scenery and vistas are a delight. Some of the "Virginians" witticisms are quite noteworthy and I'm tempted to make use of some of them in my every day speech. It was fun to see a short appearance from James Drury (the actor as the Virginian in the TV series).

As many movies have set a tempo to our image of westerns, so has this wonderful movie in its own unique way. This is not the old shoot-um up western but a great drama lead by Bill Pullman and Diane Lane and their interaction with the other characters in the movie.

I'm still hoping that my only copy of this movie as a VHS will be replaced by a DVD someday.

Just about the time I think Bill Pullman couldn't do any better.......along comes another diamond.....this one not the least bit in the rough. Beautiful authentic adaptation of Owen Wister's book...marveously cast, and the scenery a feast for the eyes. Even though the Canadian scenery was extraordinarily beautiful, I would have liked to have had the movie filmed in the U.S.A.

The female lead was a bit wooden, but she can be credited with giving a passable performance. I venture to ask.....why would a Vermont straight laced, proper lady venture out into the wilds of the untamed West and still demand an eastern gentleman's manners? A cowboy's manners are every bit as appropriate as any other gentleman's for a lady....and Bill Pullman's Virginian was every bit a gentleman. He needed no educating from Molly 'in that regard'.

I do take pleasure viewing Bill's father-in-law as an extra in Bill's films. A nice gesture.....typically Pullman. His children must have had fun being in Dad's film also. What a guy!!!!!!!!!!!

I've always liked Bill Pullman as an actor, so I was anxious to rent this movie when it came out on video (it was originally a TNT production). I wasn't expecting it to be quite this good, however, and I was very impressed by Pullman's superb directing (he directed, produced, and acted). The cinematography (it has that late-90s western hue and tone to it) was excellent, and the music was also very good.

There were several aspects of the film that were very much like "Lonesome Dove" (it even co-starred the lovely Diane Lane), which can only be taken as a compliment. Anyway, this was an extremely enjoyable modern western.

If you like an honest and touching western-like movie, you really got too see this one! Be warned however,this is not your usual all-shooting all-dancing big budget western movie ! Nothing has been exaggerated or romanticized like 98% of all other Western movies do,if you know what I mean... My English writing is not good enough to explain what I really mean, I can only urge you to read the user comment of Elizabeth (Feb-17-2003) ,that explains my thoughts about this little gem the best... If you're not blinded by hollywood standards and want to see an off-beat western, give this one a try,you won't be disappointed ! Go see it now,...hurry !! :)

...but quite different from the book. I saw this film first, then read Wister's novel, which was reminiscent of the better Zane Gray tales, in their portrayal of the real West and what westerners were like.

Bill Pullman did a fine job, as star and director, but I have to wonder why they made a number of pulp western-y changes. The shootout in the book was simple and powerful, compared to the film's version. The book had examples of rude horseplay and one-upmanship that was the basis of Trampas' hatred for the Virginian, and went deeply into what kind of a man you had to be to survive out in the West of that time.

In some way this gives you the best of both media: see the film first, for the enjoyment it provides, and then dig up a copy of the novel for an interesting, considerably different version of the story.