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A box-office hit when released in 1994, this sprawling, frequently
overwrought familial melodrama may get sillier as its plot
progresses, but it's the kind of lusty, character-based epic that
Hollywood should attempt more often. It's also an unabashedly
flattering star vehicle for Brad Pitt as Tristan--the rebellious
middle son of a fiercely independent Montana rancher and military
veteran (Anthony Hopkins)--who is routinely at odds with his more
responsible older brother, Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and younger
brother, Samuel (Henry Thomas). From the battlefields of World War
I to his adventures as an oceangoing sailor, Tristan's life is
full of personal torment, especially when he returns to Montana
and finds himself competing with Alfred over Samuel's beautiful
widow (Julia Ormond), whose passion for Tristan disrupts the
already turbulent Ludlow clan. Under the wide-open canopy of Big
Sky country, this operatic tale unfolds with all the bloodlust,
tragedy, and scenery-chewing performances you'd expect to find in
a hokey bestselling novel (in fact, it's based on the acclaimed
novella by Jim Harrison), but it's a potent mix that's highly
entertaining. Not surprisingly, John Toll won an Academy Award for
his breathtaking outdoor cinematography. --Jeff Shannon
Credits:
Actors: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond,
Henry Thomas
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Special
Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
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