Hatfields & McCoys

I have to say I was skeptical to say the least when I first heard of this TV-show. A western with Kevin Costner sounded like something we have all already seen, so many times. I even considered not to watch it just because it sounded little lame to me. Well because there are so few shows about civil war the and time after that I decided to watch it anyway. And oh boy I am glad I did.

As I said there is so few good shows or movies about this era. In my opinion this is one of the best. A good dose of action and drama! There is romance and there is some good old western shooting and riding. Tho the thing I like best about this mini show is that it really feels authentic. Its like I am there watching the rebuild of the south after a long civil war. So all the history fans out there I am pretty sure you will like it a lot. I think all the actors do a great job! The characters are quite deep and interesting. Some of them also little comical. My favorite is Bill Paxton as Randall McCoy! The father and head of the family and a man full of so much agony and bitterness. I like Kevin Costners performance too!

The fact that I like this genre so much might affect my review but I still think this is a show well worth watching.

With its roots in the civil war in the Kentucky Virginia area, the Hatfields and McCoys feud is as epic as any in the literary world. That's why this series works so well. If Shakespeare is alive today, he would definitely write a play about them. This is iconic American history.

Two veteran big name actors anchor this series. Kevin Costner plays the leader of the Hatfields, 'Devil' Anse Hatfield. Bill Paxton plays the McCoys elder Randall. By placing such steady hands at the helm, the foundations is set solid. This History channel production is shocking because of its great production value. It sets a new bar for the standard that we must expect from now on.

As a descendant of the Hatfield clan I found everything shown in this mini series mostly true. As a young teenager I did a report on it for school. The Johnse/Rosanna romance was true. As for Johnse being a romancer of women Rosanna even mentions that in part 1. The stolen pig is true along with the all of the killings that took place. The only parts I haven't confirmed in my time on earth is the part where Devil Anse takes Johnse fishing to find out if he told Nancy where the Hatfields were and Devil Anse being baptized. It's by far the best movie production by far about the feud. A lot of the little things like the 2 guys cutting the tree on the down hillside which isn't the way to cut a tree doesn't bother me. The major points of the feud were brought out n now a lot more know about history of the Hatfield & McCoys.

Really well done mini-series. Acting is phenomenal by so many people. Look up "Hatfields and McCoys" on IMDb and there's a very long line of productions on this topic. Rightly so since it is such an incredible piece of history on so many levels. But, none of those productions comes anywhere near this mini-series with Kevin Costner totally in his element. Gorgeous country/nature, too. The plot follows the history well-enough. It's a dramatization not a documentary. If I were a McCoy, perhaps, I would be a bit upset because - honestly, for me - I sided with the Hatfields. Perhaps, that could be a criticism but bible thumping and righteousness gets me annoyed every time and Randall McCoy is heavy-handed with it. One of my favorite lines in the mini-series was when Devil Anse Hatfield said to the ever-righteous Randall McCoy: "....you're just a huckleberry above a persimmon..." Can't wait to use that quip. The writing and the authenticity of language was realistic enough - although, admittedly, I am no expert.

HATFIELDS & McCOYS is well-acted and well-filmed. According to some other reviewers, many of the historical fine points are inaccurate. Nevertheless, it relates the basic story very well, and, most importantly, gives an impartial dual-focus of the two clans and the complex nature of their snowballing feud.

The whole flavor of the film is that of a very good made-for-TV Western--or perhaps "Eastern" is the proper term. By necessity, of course, it's repetitively violent and full of shoot-'em-ups, hangings, and such, and is often rather depressing, with little humor or any other form of relief. Many may find this 290-minute TV miniseries a bit hard to watch in one or two nights. Still, it's a very captivating story whose beautiful scenery provides excellent contrast with its grim plot. Actually filmed in the Carpatian Mountains of Romania (!), but, aside from some stagey-looking buildings, it could have fooled me into thinking I was looking at authentic Appalachia.