MovieChat Forums > Lonesome Dove (1989) Discussion > Most moving moments in the series...

Most moving moments in the series...

posted 15 years ago by jukebox_lucky
63 replies | jump to latest

Sorry if it's been done before on this board... but what moments in the series are the most emotionally moving for you? The top three for me...

1) Gus and Xavier are sharing one last drink in the little saloon in Lonesome Dove. Xavier says, "I would have given her money, bought her clothes. I love her." Gus replies, "Hell, we all love her." To which Xavier replies, "Yes. But I would have married her." Holy smokes. Makes me cry every time!

2) Gus has just gotten Lorena back and they're camped out at the adobe walls for the night. They play cards and Lorie starts to cry. She says, "They shouldn't have took me, Gus," and then breaks down completely. Wow. Such a powerful scene.

3) July cries when Clara tells him about his wife. I like how Clara's daughters react to seeing a man cry, "But he's a man." Clara replies, "Men got tears in them, same as you."

There are a ton of others that make me tear up. Share some of yours!

GK: Every show is your last show. That's my philosophy.
Rhonda: Thank you, Plato.

[–] dvw444 15 years ago

When Gus tells Woodrow as he is dying, My God Woodrow, it's be one hell of a ride...don't know if that is the exact quote but close.

When Deets shows up after he died to lead Pea Eye Parker back to the cattle drive.

Jake sitting on his horse about to die and says goodbye to everyone then kicks the horse out from beneath him. The look on Gus's face and the others....

Someone tell me the last two lines of the ending of the movie. I can't remember the exact words but the last 2 lines between the reporter and Woodrow and then the flashback scenes were very powerful to me.

[–] efs2 15 years ago

Reporter: They say you're man of vision.

(Call experiences horrific flashbacks)

Call: A man of vision, you say?

(pause)

Yeah, a hell of a vision.

Windmills do not work that way!

[–] stephenrjaffe 8 years ago

Last 2 lines are:

REPORTER: They say you are a man of vision.

CALL: A man of vision, you say? [pause] "Yeah. A hell of a vision."

[–] angelosdaughter (158) 4 years ago

,,,especially after the viewer is shown the visions that are passing through Call's mind.

[–] rickmeister95 15 years ago

You picked three of the best, "jukebox".
I'll go with these three:

1) Lorena's mourning of Gus through his coffin; "I won't never forget you Gus...not ever...Darl'in"

2) Newt and Call's last exchange as Call leaves the Montana ranch; "I ain't nobodies kin, Pea"

3) The entire river/snake-bite sequence and the following "funeral", is pretty horrific. Newt's first taste of hard loss.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jukebox_lucky 15 years ago

Ooooh, yeah... I almost forgot about that one.

GK: Every show is your last show. That's my philosophy.
Rhonda: Thank you, Plato.

[–] kramwizzy680 15 years ago

my favorite scene is when gus says goodbye to clara and lori. the main score is played as he rides off, and it makes me tear up every time.

[–] jimgerran-1 14 years ago

That is the scene.

It all happens so fast, I didn't know I was so attached to Gus, until you are like saying good bye to him, (though Lorena), knowing it was the best for everyone. Life sucks sometimes.

That is when I realized this is one of the best movies I've ever seen.

[–] gunslingerdpt 12 years ago

i agree with you...considering what happens after he leaves those two lol...his voice cracks a little bit and he takes his hat off to them...thats some heartbreaking stuff

[–] cjsop1 15 years ago

The scene where July finds Ellie. After his long search and journey, in the end he doesn't really know what to do now that he found her.

He tells her about Joe's death, and her only reaction is to tell him about her loss of Dee Boot.

I think in that moment July realizes he wasted his time. It is rather heartbreaking.

[–] rickmeister95 15 years ago

You're right "cjsopl" - after everything that July had been through at this point in the story...that was pretty bad.

[–] crickenbergerr 15 years ago

My three are:
1. Gus' last lines and Woodrow's reaction
2. The last scene of the movie with the reporter and Woodrow's realization
3. Gus reading Deets' gravestone

[–] scruffyface 15 years ago

I'm suprised nobody has mentioned when Call buried Gus. When He said"there you Gus. I guess that will teach me to be carefull what I promise in the future" then he starts to cry. Another one I liked that wasn't in the film but in the trailer was when Newt tells deets that he wished they never left lonesome dove to many people died already. I wish that was in the film.

what do you want legs for? You don't do nothin but sit on the porch and drink whiskey. W.F.Call

[–] Iridescent_Phantom 15 years ago

Good picks, all.

My favorite is Gus McCrae's death scene, five of the most riviting minutes in cinema history.

Call places his hand on Gus's heart and Gus looks up for the last time: "By God, Woodrow, it was quite a party." Call can barely reply: "Yes, sir, it was."
Gus closes his eyes, takes a few breaths and is gone. Call then sits in the chair and the camera descreetly withdraws through the window as snow falls outside.

To that I echo Call's words: Yes, sir, it was.

To God There Is No Zero. I Still Exist.

[–] dlsimon1 15 years ago

Just watched this series for the first time, so it's all fresh in my head. Bar none, the most moving scene was the death scene of Gus. Wow - I'm not a crier at movies, but I felt moved to tears on that one. You've got a lot of character attachment invested in Gus and Woodrow at this point, and Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall make it seem very real. Watching Woodrow watch his long-time best friend die and the way that scene is played out is perfection.

Some honorable mentions include the death of Deets and the reading of the grave marker of Deets.

[–] fokker55 15 years ago

With Deets' and Gus' passing, perhaps Call, and vicariously ourselves, were witnessing the passing of the better part of themselves.