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Let me start by saying to all those that want to hate...GET OVER IT! In other reviews I have reminded those that love to tear down, go get a camera, write something prolific and do it yourself. If you think you can. Now, to the review.

It's very hard for me to throw around the word 'cowboy' and direct it to anything that we see in film (movies or television), but this is fairly close. Life in the 19th century USA was no picnic and Mr. Sheridan seems to have captured the essence of what life might have been like. People struggled just to live but were motivated by something better just beyond the horizon...that horizon being west. So, he takes the Dutton Family west, chasing dreams. Since I have come to appreciate the incredible cast that makes up Yellowstone, I had my doubts he could do the same for 1883. I stand corrected. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are more than adequate as James and Margaret Dutton, as they are able to play characters off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. They don't have to be stellar performances, but instead, solid performances that lend realism and help ground the series into something that will keep us coming back. And it's obvious that Mr. Sheridan knows his actors and write to that effect. Then there is Sam Elliott. I read some reviews that he plays the same brooding character in everything he's in. For you shortsighted people out there, he does more acting with his eyes than any other actor I know. He didn't need dialogue because his expressions told the story. Not many actors can do that. He does it effortlessly. LaMonica Garrett is another delight in this cast. His Thomas is a man of few words but the insight we see is deep. But the best part of this hour is Isabel May. As Elsa Dutton, Mr. Sheridan has chosen her to be the rock. We are watching this through her eyes as she sees the unfolding and uncertain future ahead of her. Again, someone complained about her narration. Her narration opens the story up for all of us.

In summary, for all intents and purposes, this is a western. It's also about 'cowboys' and I feel comfortable using the word here. It's also about dreams and a hope for the future. A hope for ourselves and those that come after us. It just happens to be the Dutton Family sans Yellowstone, not what is now, but the journey there. It's also television at its best and how this medium can educate us, entertain us...move us.

What an incredible film! I have always been a fan of Mr. Kilmer's work but I set that aside to see the man behind those incredible characters he gave us. At times the film is unflinching and brutal, exposing the soul of a man battered by the industry, personal conflict and serious illness. Warts and all, he is courageous in showing us the real Val. At one point, when he wept over his mother, I had to walk out of the room and compose myself to finish the film. At other times, there is a whimsical, lightheartedness about Val that shines through, especially, toward the end of the movie, playing a little joke on his son, Jack. I laughed out loud. We are all dealt hands in our life, some good and some bad. Watching this, the hand that Val was dealt is one he's worked with, soaring to great heights while coping with the lows that were part of the hand. This is one of the most courageous films I have ever seen, and if you see nothing else this year, make sure you see VAL.

I just watched this on TCM. Being am a fan of old Hollywood Musicals, and this did not disappoint, I found that I had tears in my eyes by the final number. Maybe it was the nostalgia for that time or when a circus was the thing to go to, but I had just a great feeling at the end of the movie. Everyone was cast perfectly (except for Mr. Boyd, who I am a big fan of, but he seemed out of his element). Jimmy Durante was marvelous as Pop Wonder, Martha Ray a hoot and Doris Day, beautiful as always. But, for me, the real star was Jumbo. A soft spot in my heart for elephants, building the old musical around the prized pachyderm worked wonderfully. It is sad that this was Day's last musical (it seemed box office decides everything) and critics were not kind. No spoilers here, just a recommendation to watch this when you get the chance. In the divided world we find ourselves living in now, this throwback to a gentler time is worth the investment. You too, might find tears in your eyes at the end.