Legends of the Fall Movie Review 1994

Sweeping, meandering, melodramatic family saga set in Montana (though filmed in Alberta, Canada). Patriarch William Ludlow (Hopkins), a retired Army colonel, is raising three sons: reserved Alfred (Quinn), idealistic Samuel (Thomas), and wild middle son Tristan (Pitt). In 1913, Samuel returns from Boston with a fiancee, the lovely and refined Susannah (Ormond). Only problem is Alfred and Tristan take one look and also desire her--a passion that will carry them through some 20 years of heartbreak. Film loses the spare toughness of the Jim Harrison novella but is a visual feast (and not just because the camera seems to drool every time Pitt appears on screen.)

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 134 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Romantic Drama, Brothers & Sisters, Romantic Triangles, Period Piece: 20th Century, Tearjerkers, Hearts!, Books to Film: Jim Harrison, Bears, World War I, Family Drama, Montana

Screenplay

Susan Shilliday, William D. Wittliff

Cast

Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond, Anthony Hopkins, Henry Thomas, Gordon Tootoosis, Tantoo Cardinal, Karina Lombard, Paul Desmond, Kenneth Welsh

Cinematography

John Toll

Director

Edward Zwick

Music

James Horner

Producer

Edward Zwick, Bill Wittliff, Marshall Herskovitz, Patrick Crowley, Bedford Falls/Pangaea, Tri-Star Pictures

Awards

Oscars 1994: Cinematog.