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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The 30th anniversary of the first broadcast of the |
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| 6 | 7 | | television miniseries Lonesome Dove provides a welcome opportunity |
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| 7 | 8 | | to celebrate the iconic performances of its two stars, the actors |
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| 8 | 9 | | Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by |
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| 10 | 11 | | Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove is the saga of an epic cattle drive |
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| 11 | 12 | | from South Texas to the mountains of Montana in the late 1870s; |
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| 12 | 13 | | originally aired in four episodes between February 5 and February |
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| 13 | 14 | | 8, 1989, this beautifully written and directed narrative features |
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| 14 | 15 | | more than a dozen vividly rendered major characters, but at the |
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| 15 | 16 | | center of the story are two legendary cattlemen, Woodrow F. Call and |
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| 16 | 17 | | Augustus McCrae; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, These two former captains in the Texas Rangers are |
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| 18 | 19 | | partners in the Hat Creek Cattle Company in the small border town of |
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| 19 | 20 | | Lonesome Dove; Captain Call is a stern leader with an unflinching |
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| 20 | 21 | | code of honor, and in the powerful performance of Tommy Lee Jones, |
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| 21 | 22 | | he is a man of few words, immense dignity, and a great deal of |
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| 22 | 23 | | repressed emotion; Gus McCrae is a much livelier gentleman, fond of |
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| 23 | 24 | | drinking, gambling, and the company of women, and Robert Duvall's |
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| 24 | 25 | | portrayal constitutes an actor's master class in homespun wit, |
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| 25 | 26 | | physical grace, and effortless charm; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Lonesome Dove teems with character and incident, |
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| 27 | 28 | | ranging from the comic to the violent to the heartbreaking, but the |
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| 28 | 29 | | soul of the story is the often contentious but always unbreakable |
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| 29 | 30 | | bond between Woodrow and Gus, and thanks to the skill of these two |
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| 30 | 31 | | gifted actors, Lonesome Dove represents one of the most moving |
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| 31 | 32 | | evocations of lifelong friendship ever committed to film; any |
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| 32 | 33 | | viewer who does not weep during their final parting at Gus's |
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| 33 | 34 | | deathbed is surely made of stone; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Among the finest actors of his generation, |
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| 35 | 36 | | Mr. Duvall has enjoyed a long career encompassing roles in such |
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| 36 | 37 | | classics as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, |
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| 37 | 38 | | and Tender Mercies; the equally revered Mr. Jones, a native Texan, |
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| 38 | 39 | | has turned in magnificent performances in such films as Coal |
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| 39 | 40 | | Miner's Daughter, The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men, and |
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| 40 | 41 | | Lincoln; and |
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| 41 | 42 | | WHEREAS, Acclaimed by critics and viewers alike at the time |
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| 42 | 43 | | of its airing, Lonesome Dove has gone on to become the unofficial |
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| 43 | 44 | | "national epic" of the Lone Star State, and its indelible place in |
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| 44 | 45 | | the hearts of Texans and audiences around the world is due in large |
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| 45 | 46 | | part to the brilliance and charisma of these two great American |
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| 46 | 47 | | actors; now, therefore, be it |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 48 | 49 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first |
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| 49 | 50 | | broadcast of Lonesome Dove and commend Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee |
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| 50 | 51 | | Jones for their masterful performances; and, be it further |
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| 51 | 52 | | RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared |
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| 52 | 53 | | for Mr. Duvall and Mr. Jones as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 53 | 54 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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