Women - Do you love it like we love it?

Aargh! I just wrote a long reply only to lose it! Let's try it again....

Yes, this movie is absolutely up my alley. It is in my top 3 favorite movies of all time (and might be number one - period). I watched it when it first aired and loved it. A few years later, my girlfriends and I got together for my birthday and had a Lonesome Dove marathon. That was one of my best birthday memories ever. My one friend named her cats Gus and Call. We used to quote the movie all the time. I still do, but nowadays I'm surrounded by people who haven't seen the movie so they have no idea what I'm talking about.

I have watched this movie many, many times. I taped it from TV. Then I purchased it on VHS. Then I purchased it on DVD. I own the book and the prequels and sequel. In fact, I'm rereading the books this summer. I'm reading LD right now. I listen to the soundtrack quite often. Whenever I see it while channel-surfing, I have to stop and watch it regardless of where the movie is at that point. I never get tired of it. I laugh at the witty lines, I cry at the poignant scenes, I get excited when the movie swells during the scene where they are driving the horses from Mexico to Texas, every time I watch it.

While I've always loved the Western culture, I've never been a huge fan of the stereotypical Westerns (both movies and books). A movie has to have more than the cliched "cowboys and <insert your bad guys>" storyline to make it interesting to me. Lonesome Dove has that. It has friendship (dare I say, bromance?), action, wickedly clever humor, memorable dialogue, interesting and endearing characters, stellar acting, gorgeous cinematography, soul-stirring music, an interesting blend of storylines, and haunting and surprising death scenes. How often do you see a Western where a hero dies?

I can't speak for all women, but for me what draws me to it is the story of friendship - not just between Gus and Call, but between Gus and Lorena, Gus and Clara, Call and Deets, Deets and Newt - and the joys and heartaches that accommpany these friendships. It is rooted in reality in that it shows how hard life was in this time period in this setting. People died. There wasn't always a "happily ever after." No trite happy endings here.

I wouldn't wait for a woman to express an interest in watching it. Just suggest watching the first part and I guarantee that the woman will want to watch the rest (so be sure to start watching early!). I have yet to meet a woman who could resist the charms of Gus McCrae (although I'm partial to Call as well). I'd be surprised if someone - woman or man - can watch Part 1 and not be drawn into the story almost immediately.

I'm a girl and I adore this mini series. I have every one of the Lonesome Dove Mini series. I love the story and all of its characters.

Back in '89, when this was first broadcast, I worked evenings, and so used the VCR to record this. My wife watched the broadcast while I worked. I knew the story, having read the book several years earlier, so she would talk to me about the evening's episode when I got home. On the night of the final episode I got home about 1:30 am, and she was waiting for me.



SPOILER ALERT!!!!


The death of Gus had so moved her that she was STILL red-eyed with tears two and a half hours after she watched Gus die. She loved the mini-series, watched it with me several times over the next year, and still watches it with me now and then when I break out my DVD set. Oh yeah, she loved Lonesome Dove, more than most films she's seen.

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae

I LOVE this movie. I agree with you that it's one of the best films ever made.


"If a movie makes me cry, I know it's a good movie." Martin Scorsese

You're right that typically action films aren't my favorite--though by the same token, I usually don't like romantic comedies either, so I'm not a stereotyped female movie-goer. But I
just love LD on so many levels. For one, I think the casting, of the leads in particular, are flawless. Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones couldn't have been better cast. Another strength is the script following McMurty's story as faithfully as it did because this is really such a fine piece of literature. What a coup the project developers decided to make it a mini-series instead of a feature. That gave them the considerable leeway to take the time needed to use so much of LM's novel, to develop the characters w/ more nuance and dimensions, to include as many of the characters and as much as the splotlines and splendid dialog as they did. That was a courageous decision for both the developers and LM. He might have held out for the big screen and turned his nose up at a mini-series. LD is among my top favorite books of all time, and I adore the series. I can't imagine any male being a more devout fan than I as a woman am.

I've read several of the comments on here and most have already given the same reasons this is one of my favorite movies of all time, not just one of my favorite westerns.

The characters make you care for them as if they are real people, even Call. I know he tries hard to stay hard and act like he doesn't care about anyone but he does.

This movie hits all of your emotions. You will smile, laugh and cry as well as feel anger and disgust in particular scenes.

I especially like they way you can't really decide if you would want Gus to end up with Clara or Lorie. He loves them both but is honest with both of them about how he feels. The relationship between Lorie and Clara could have been handled differently but not any better.

If you haven't seen True Women, you should check it out. It stars Dana Delaney, Anabeth Gish and Angelina Jolie. If you loved Lonseome Dove I bet you will love True Women too.

One of my favorite movies, if not my favorite western, & my favorite book.

I love everything about it, could watch it over & over. In fact, my hubby rolls his eyes AT ME, when I see it on tv and turn it on. I have to go in the other room to watch the DVD. It just never gets old to me, such a great story & a cast to match. I wouldn't change a single person, EXCEPT maybe blue duck - or maybe blue ducks nose.lmbo What was up with that prosthesis anyway?lol Seriously though ive seen FM in lots of other stuff and I don't recall his nose looking like that.

There will never be another western novel or movie quite like this one. But if they want to try to top it, then I'll be obliged to read & watch to see if they can. I'd be tickled if they could come close to being the same great quality, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.



The sweetest joy, the wildest woe is love. ~ PJB

Most certainly it is! It's my favorite western. Gus is the main reason I like Lonesome Dove. I know that there are limited parts for women in westerns - they're either whores or wives and Lonesome Dove isn't much different in that area; however, Gus respects women no matter what they do and I tend to like his philosophy and sense of humour.

I think she's the saddest girl ever to hold a martini.