86R870 JGH-D
By: Raymond H.R. No. 14
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The 30th anniversary of the first broadcast of the
television miniseries Lonesome Dove provides a welcome opportunity
to celebrate the iconic performances of its two stars, the actors
Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones; and
WHEREAS, Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by
Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove is the saga of an epic cattle drive
from South Texas to the mountains of Montana in the late 1870s;
originally aired in four episodes between February 5 and February
8, 1989, this beautifully written and directed narrative features
more than a dozen vividly rendered major characters, but at the
center of the story are two legendary cattlemen, Woodrow F. Call and
Augustus McCrae; and
WHEREAS, These two former captains in the Texas Rangers are
partners in the Hat Creek Cattle Company in the small border town of
Lonesome Dove; Captain Call is a stern leader with an unflinching
code of honor, and in the powerful performance of Tommy Lee Jones,
he is a man of few words, immense dignity, and a great deal of
repressed emotion; Gus McCrae is a much livelier gentleman, fond of
drinking, gambling, and the company of women, and Robert Duvall's
portrayal constitutes an actor's master class in homespun wit,
physical grace, and effortless charm; and
WHEREAS, Lonesome Dove teems with character and incident,
ranging from the comic to the violent to the heartbreaking, but the
soul of the story is the often contentious but always unbreakable
bond between Woodrow and Gus, and thanks to the skill of these two
gifted actors, Lonesome Dove represents one of the most moving
evocations of lifelong friendship ever committed to film; any
viewer who does not weep during their final parting at Gus's
deathbed is surely made of stone; and
WHEREAS, Among the finest actors of his generation,
Mr. Duvall has enjoyed a long career encompassing roles in such
classics as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Godfather, Apocalypse Now,
and Tender Mercies; the equally revered Mr. Jones, a native Texan,
has turned in magnificent performances in such films as Coal
Miner's Daughter, The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men, and
Lincoln; and
WHEREAS, Acclaimed by critics and viewers alike at the time
of its airing, Lonesome Dove has gone on to become the unofficial
"national epic" of the Lone Star State, and its indelible place in
the hearts of Texans and audiences around the world is due in large
part to the brilliance and charisma of these two great American
actors; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first
broadcast of Lonesome Dove and commend Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee
Jones for their masterful performances; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared
for Mr. Duvall and Mr. Jones as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.