Aging ex-Captain Woodrow Call (James Garner) from Texas Rangers , is hired by a railroad chief (Charles Martin Smith) to hunt a ruthless murderer called Joey Garza (Alexis Cruz) , only a boy , who kills mercilessly . He joins forces with an Indian scout (Wes Studi) and Pea Eye (Sam Shepard) , whose wife (Sissy Spacek) , a school teacher and ex-whore , is reluctant his husband to follow Woodrow . Both of them decide to leave their quiet life for a last adventure against a savage renegade Mexican and another brutal killer named Mox Mox (Kevin Conway) who burns people . But the past, in the form of Maria Garza (Sonia Braga) and other sad events emerge , taking pace fateful consequences . Later on , Pea Eye's wife (Sissy Spacek) leaves her farm and children and sets out in looking for her husband with unexpected results .
This handsome TV miniseries is a finely detailed evocation of the Old West with an awesome casting and equaly fine production . Including appearance of famous historical characters , such as Judge Roy Bean/Nead Beatty ¨Justice of the Peace , Law West of the Pecos¨ and the notorious gunslinger : John Wesley Hardin : Randy Quaid . However , some changes were made , but the novel and miniseries don't match . Classic Western saga with outstanding and wonderful performances in which a long ride to south Texas and the Mexican side of the border takes place . As James Garner gives a very good acting as Woodrow Call , an ex-captain , now retired from the Rangers, and actually working as a bounty hunter . He is hired by an Eastern rail baron and being joined by his old compadre Pea Eye marvelously performed by Sam Shepard . Sonia Braga as killer's mother who haunts Call provides a splendid interpretation . Alexis Cruz plays a new kind of killer, only a young boy who kills relentlessly from distance with a rifle . And a great support cast who sometimes steal the show : Sissy Spacek , Wes Studi , Charles Martin Smith , Vanessa Martinez , George Carlin , James Gammon , Kevin Conway , Ned Beatty , Randy Quaid , among others . Based on Pulitzer prize-winner Larry McMurtry's novel , whose books about Woodrow Call have been well adapted in ¨Lonesome Dove¨ 1989 by Simon Wincer with Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones , Angelica Huston , Danny Glover , Diane Lane , Robert Urich . Followed by ¨Return to Lonesome Dove¨ 1993 that picks up after the burial of Gus by his friend Call , now played by John Voight , and with William H Petersen , Barbara Hershey, Edward James Olmos , Keith Carradine , Rick Schroeder , Oliver Reed , Nia Peeples , Luis Gosset Jr , being directed by Mike Robe . And a prequel : ¨Larry McMurtry's Dead man's walk¨ 1996 which focuses on the teenaged Gus , David Arquette , and Woodrow , Johnny Lee Miller , along with Harry Dean Stanton , Brian Dennehy , Jennifer Garner , Joaquin De Almeida , F Murray Abraham . An Tv series 1995-96 : 22 episodes with Scott Bairstow as Call , Eric McCormack , Paul Lee Mat , Tracy Scoggins , Paul Johansson , Molly Parker and several others .
This nail-biting and heart-pounding Western was compellingly directed by Joseph Sargent , without a doubt one of the best miniseries of the 90s . Sargent directed as TV as cinema films with enjoyable results . Desperate , swift , nimble realization from Sargent who has made some of television's finest hours , he's been a monster hit in the 70s , 8os and 90s . Joseph made all kinds of genres , such as Comedy : ¨Coast to coast¨, ¨Tribes¨; Court-room drama : ¨Never forget¨ ; Sports : ¨Golden girl¨ ; Sci-Fi: ¨Colossus the forbidden Project¨ ; Biography : ¨MacArthur¨ , ¨Abraham¨, ¨Manions of America¨, ¨Mandela and Klerk¨ , ¨Arturo Sandoval story¨ , ¨WWII when lions roared¨ ; Terror : ¨Nightmares¨, ¨Jaws, the revenge¨ ; Drama : ¨The incident¨, ¨A lesson before dying¨ , ¨Passion Flower¨ ; Novels adaptation : ¨Dostoevsky's Crime and punishment¨ ; action : ¨While lightning¨ and this Western : ¨Streets of Laredo¨ . Rating : Above average . Essential and indispensable watching for Western lovers .
