Ten Favorite American Civil War Movies

Every week, I watch a movie with my teens over lunch.  During the school year, they take turns picking the movie to watch each week, but during the summer, I get to choose them.  This summer, I chose to have us watch all kinds of movies set during the American Civil War.  I realized while out at the Manassas Battlefield on a field trip last spring that, when I was a kid and teen, I had a really great grasp of the major events of the American Civil War because I had seen quite a few movies set during it, particularly the mini-series The Blue and the Gray (1982), which encompasses the whole war.  And my kids didn't have that because we simply hadn't watched those movies yet.  Sure, we had studied the war repeatedly during school over the years, but it's harder to envision how everything fits together when you are reading about it.

So, we spent the whole summer watching movies set during that war, plus a few that take place shortly after it but are strongly influenced by it.  I eventually added a couple more to the list above as we went, and we didn't manage to watch quite all of them, but my teens now have a good grasp of the basic sequence of events in the American Civil War.  

Inspired by our summer viewing, I decided to share my list of my Top Ten Favorite American Civil War movies.  Here they are!

1. The Blue and the Gray (1982) Yeah, yeah, technically a miniseries.  Anyway!  This is a masterful piece of storytelling that focuses on a young Virginia artist (John Hammond) who has abolitionist leanings and family on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.  He and his extended family and friends end up mixed up in just about every major piece of the war, from John Brown's execution to the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse.  It delves thoroughly and entertainingly into the difficulty of a war fought between brothers, cousins, and friends.  I grew up watching it every year or two, and I absolutely credit it with giving me a thorough grasp of the main sequence of events of the war.  Also, nobody but Gregory Peck should ever be allowed to play President Lincoln.

2. Gettysburg (1993)  A talented ensemble cast shows many of the events leading up to and during the battle that is now considered the turning point of the American Civil War. Jeff Daniels turns in a particularly wonderful performance as Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, one of my personal heroes.

3. Little Women (1994)  Four sisters grow up in New England under their mother's guidance while their father is away with the Union Army.  People don't tend to think of this as a Civil War story, but the war influences everything in their daily lives, sometimes more overtly and sometimes subtly.

4. How the West was Won (1962)  A sprawling saga tracing the lives of two sisters (Debbie Reynolds and Carroll Baker) who move west as young women, and the lives of their husbands and children.  The Civil War is technically only shown onscreen briefly, but its echoes sound out across the rest of the movie as it follows the son of one sister, a veteran who heads west and uses his experiences in the war to inform his decisions from then on.

5. Shenandoah (1965)  A Virginia farmer (James Stewart) insists on his large family never getting involved in the Civil War that rages around them, but there is no way for him to keep them isolated from it forever. 

6. Friendly Persuasion (1956)  A Quaker family tries to remain neutral during the Civil War, but there is no way for them to remain uninvolved forever.  Anthony Perkins is so likeable in this.

7. The Horse Soldiers (1969)  A Union Cavalry colonel (John Wayne) sneaks his troops deep into Confederate territory to destroy the railroads and hasten Union victory, but he has this pesky medical officer (William Holden) along who keeps causing problems.

8. Harriet (2019)  Biopic of Harriet Tubman (Cynthia Erivo) that portrays her escape from slavery and courageous rescue of so many others.  I ended up not watching this one with my teens this summer because it is pretty stern stuff and I think my youngest won't be ready for it for another year or so, but it's an excellent movie.

9. Gone with the Wind (1939)  Eating radishes straight out of the ground after drinking whiskey on an empty stomach convinces a spoiled Southern belle (Vivien Leigh) that she will do anything necessary to avoid repeating that sensation.

10. The Undefeated (1969)  A former Union cavalryman (John Wayne) teams up with a former Confederate officer (Rock Hudson) to get a herd of horses and a wagon train of people safely to Mexico.  Technically takes place just after the war, but the war echoes all through the film, so I say it counts, and it's my list, so there ;-)

Have you seen any of these?  Do you have other favorite Civil War movies?  Are you aghast that I left Gods and Generals (2003) off this list?  Do tell!

My Ten Favorite Movies About Writers

My being a writer probably explains my fondness for movies about writers.  Today, I'm sharing the list of my ten favorite movies about or involving writers -- some authors of fiction, some screenwriters, some columnists or newspaper reporters, but all writers!

1. Laura (1944)  While solving the murder of beautiful Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney), Detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) falls in love with her memory, mainly thanks to the worshipful reminiscences of Laura's mentor, venomous columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb).

2. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)  Author P. L. Travers (Emma Thompson) struggles to let go of her specific vision for her book Mary Poppins as Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) works to make it into a movie.  My favorite description of what writers do ("We restore order.  We instill hope, again and again.") comes from this movie.

3. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) needs money. And he needs his career to stop fizzling. And he needs these grumpy characters in his head (especially Scrooge, played by Christopher Plummer) to cooperate. And he needs people to stop pestering him so he can just write his next book. A completely charming, relatable look at the writing process!

4. The Gazebo (1959) A playwright (Glenn Ford) gets blackmailed over some scandalous old photos of his actress wife (Debbie Reynolds) and decides to kill the blackmailer rather than keep paying him. Which leads to very dark comedy that has me in absolute stitches, though my husband didn't find it nearly so funny because he said that Glenn Ford was too good at portraying fear and worry, and so my husband just kept feeling afraid and worried for him. YMMV.

5. Romancing the Stone (1984) Bestselling romance novelist Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) sets out to rescue her kidnapped sister from the South American drug lords who kidnapped her.  A disillusioned mercenary (Michael Douglas) reluctantly helps her out in exchange for a treasure map Joan's sister sent to her before she was kidnapped.  Romance and adventure and some pretty funny dialog ensue.

6. Moulin Rouge! (2001) An aspiring novelist (Ewan MacGregor) falls in love with a consumptive courtesan (Nicole Kidman) and courts her with the help of Toulouse-Latrec (John Leguizamo) in 1890s Paris, while singing and dancing to modern 20th-century music because director Baz Luhrmann can make that work.

7. Paris When it Sizzles (1964) A screenwriter (William Holden) tries to cure his writer's block and write his next smash hit with the help of a typist (Audrey Hepburn) with quirky and funny results. I feel like Alex and Emma (2003) is basically a remake of this movie, though I suppose they might both just be inspired by the true story of Fyodor Dostoyevsky writing a book under a tight deadline with the help of a stenographer that he fell in love with and subsequently married.

8. Miss Potter (2006) Beatrix Potter (Renee Zellweger) falls in love, writes stories, paints cute pictures, publishes books, and refuses to let anyone stop her from doing any of those things. It's a sweet, fun mix of cuteness and determination.

9. Roman Holiday (1953) Bored and lonely Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) runs off alone in Rome to have a taste of what life is like for ordinary people.  American newspaperman Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) takes her under his wing before anything bad can happen to her, and he thinks he's got the scoop of a lifetime once he realizes who he's rescued. 

10. Knives Out (2019) A wealthy mystery author (Christopher Plummer) dies, and everyone in his large and weird family (Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, et. al.) suspects everyone else of having killed him. Only an enigmatic private detective (Daniel Craig) has any inkling of the truth for a long time. 

Are there any movies about your particular profession?  Or, are there any jobs you really love to watch movies about?

This has been my second entry for the On the Job Blogathon hosted by myself and Quiggy at the Midnight Drive-In this weekend!

"The Big Country" (1958)

Everything in this movie is big.  The scenery, the characters' egos and ideas and desires -- even the names of the stars.  And the filmmakers don't let you forget it, either.  They crammed the movie with sweeping vistas, outsized sets, and characters caught up in larger-than-life struggles.  If you like Hollywood Epics with a capital E, this is the movie for you!

Wealthy sea captain Jim McKay (Gregory Peck) leaves his sailing ships and heads for Texas to meet the family of the girl he fell in love with back East, Patricia Terrill (Carroll Baker).  Her father, Major Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford), welcomes Jim McKay with an enormous party, during which everyone from miles around shakes Jim's hand and reminds him that Texas is a Big Country.  He dares to tell one of them that yes, he has seen something just as big before: the ocean!  They don't believe him.  Nothing could be bigger than Texas.

Patricia is headstrong, spoiled, and bossy.  Somehow, remarkably, she's acquired the friendship of a sensible, clear-sighted, and intelligent woman named Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons).  Maybe it's because they're just about the only unattached young women in the area, or maybe Patricia likes that Julie gives her good advice and doesn't defy her bossing.  Much.

Jim McKay soon learns that Major Terrill has an arch-enemy, Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives).  The Hannasseys and the Terrills have been feuding for a long time now.  Why?  Mostly because they're the two biggest landowners in the area, and because the heads of both families are ornery and mean.

The only reason the area has had any semblance of peace is that there's only one good water source, the Big Muddy.  And neither Terrill nor Hannassey controls the Big Muddy.

Julie Maragon does.  For decades, she (like her father before her) has allowed both the Hannasseys and the Terrills to water their stock in the river on the condition that they keep the peace.  The first to break that uneasy truce will lose all rights to use the vital water.  This puts a lot of pressure on Julie from both sides, but she bears up under it with grace and conviction.  She's going to keep the peace in this land if it kills her.

Now, Major Terrill and Patricia decide that, because Julie is Patricia's best friend, Julie can be convinced to give Patricia her land and all the water rights as a wedding present when Patricia marries Jim McKay.

However, Rufus Hannassey's oldest boy, Buck (Chuck Connors) has decided that Julie fancies him.  Buck is a crude, cowardly bully, so used to getting his own way that he thinks he can get Julie to marry him just by telling her she wants to.

As you might imagine, Julie Maragon is very tired of being pulled and pushed back and forth by these people.  She'd like nothing better than to find someone to sell her land to, someone that she could trust to continue the agreement that the Hannasseeys and Terrills have to play nice in order to use the water.

And then she finds someone who's willing and able to take on that task:  Jim McKay.

The funny thing is, everyone else in the movie is utterly certain that Jim is an inept tenderfoot who's scared to do anything manly.  They've marked him as a timid greenhorn who couldn't stand up to a medium-strong wind.  That's especially true of Steve Leech (Charlton Heston), Major Terrill's sort-of-adopted-son who runs his ranch for him.  He tries to trick Jim into riding a bronc, but Jim won't do it, so he decides Jim's a coward.  He and everyone else in the film think if a man won't show off what he can do, then he can't do it.

Everyone except Julie Maragon.  She sees Jim McKay for what he is -- so comfortable in his own skin, so confident in his own abilities that he has no need to parade them before others.  So Julie sells Jim her ranch, and they get the transaction all properly deeded and recorded.  Just in time, too, because Buck has convinced Rufus that Julie's willing to marry him.

So the Hannasseys kidnap Julie and tell her she can't go free until she's either signed over her land or married Buck.  By this time, Buck doesn't much care about the water anymore, he just wants Julie, any way he can get her.  And he almost does get her, though happily he's too dumb to be quiet about it, and his attempt on Julie's virtue comes to nothing.

Julie's kidnapping is all the excuse Major Terrill needs to go riding out to the Hannassey homestead, looking for blood.

Meanwhile, Jim has seen Patricia for what she really is: selfish.  He's broken with her for good.  Now he offers to ride into the Hannasseey camp alone to see if he can rescue Julie without bloodshed.

Also, he wants to find out if she might regard him as highly as he does her, though he doesn't mention that as one of his reasons.

The two sides engage in a mighty battle, and you'll be happy to know that murderous, would-be-rapist Buck Hannassey gets what he deserves.

Now, why do I dig this movie so much?  Partly it's the cast, as I really like Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, and Charlton Heston.  They've all been among my favorites since I was a teen.

But a lot of it is because this is a fish-out-of-water story where the ocean fish, Jim McKay, doesn't just survive perfectly well in the waterless world of Texas, he thrives.  And not by conforming to the local customs.  He goes about things his own way, he solves problems without being asked, and he generally behaves beautifully to everyone involved.  He's a hero in every way, and I love that he ends up with a woman he can respect.  A woman who appreciates him for who he is, not for how he makes her look.  And a woman who's not afraid to work hard and wait a long time to make her dreams come true.

EDIT: I forgot to mention the music!  Jerome Moross's score for The Big Country is one of my absolute favorite soundtracks of all time.  It's magnificent.  I wrote vast chunks of my book Cloaked and its short sequel "Blizzard at Three Bears Lake" while listening to it.  You can hear it here on YouTube in its entirety, or just the (brilliant) main title theme here, also on YouTube.

Is this movie family-friendly?  Well, there's quite a lot of violence, but '50s-Hollywood violence, so lots of punching and kicking and shooting, but nothing more gory than a little red paint for blood.  Drinking and smoking occurs.  There's a little very mild bad language.  There are two instances of a man forcing a kiss on a woman, plus quite a few scenes of people kissing and enjoying it.  I mentioned that there's a rape attempt, though kids will probably see it as just a sneaky attack of violence, as all rapey intentions are implied.  Fine for kids 10+, especially if they watch a lot of old westerns and understand that the violence is just pretend.

This has been my contribuition to the 90 Years of Jean Simmons Blogathon hosted by Phyllis Loves Classic Movies and The Wonderful World of Cinema.  Visit either of those blogs for the complete list of the blogathon entries!

Would You Rather: Classic Movie Edition

Boy howdy, now that the super-busy part of my summer is over, I'm just full of blog posts, aren't I?

Cordy over at Any Merry Little Thought is hosting a delightful classic movie blog party ALL MONTH LONG!  I'm hoping to contribute a post or two, but for right now, I'm going to fill out this charming little "would you rather" questionairre she posted here.

~Would you rather dance with Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly?~ 

Gene Kelly, no questions ask.  He's a dear favorite of mine!  I love his energy and vitality and cheerful smile.  He always looks like dancing is fun, even when he's serious.

~Would you rather star opposite Cary Grant or Gregory Peck?~ 

Gregory Peck, for sure.  I mean, I do enjoy a lot of Cary Grant movies, but... but... Gregory Peck.

~Would you rather be serenaded by Howard Keel or Bing Crosby?~ 

Der Bingle, please!  His voice makes me think of melted chocolate.

~Would you rather share an airplane ride with Danny Kaye or Donald O'Connor?~ 

Ummmm.  Neither of them would be flying the plane, right?  If you just mean sit next to one of them on an airplane, then I'll say Danny Kaye.  He's always struck me as sweet and intelligent and a bit melancholy beneath the silliness.

~What classic movie outfit would you steal?~ (No you cannot say all of them! ;)) 

I have ALWAYS wanted to wear this pink dress from White Christmas (1954).

~Would you rather be cast in a classic noir film or a classic western?~ 

A classic western.  Though, could it be a noir-esque western like 3:10 to Yuma (1957)?

~Would you rather go on a shopping spree with Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly?~ 

Ouch.  That is a REALLY hard choice.  I love their styles so much!  But I'll have to choose Audrey Hepburn because she has more functional perkiness to her look than Grace Kelly does, so I'd be more likely to wear things we shopped for together.

~Would you rather solve a mystery with William Powell or Myrna Loy?~ 

MYRNA LOY!!!!!!!  I absolutely adore her -- she's one of my favorite actresses.  She's always playing these sensible, sweet characters with a great sense of humor.  Also, hey, it was her birthday earlier this month!

~Would you rather imitate Jimmy Stewart's voice in front of Jimmy Stewart, or imitate Maureen O'Hara's "temper" in front of Maureen O'Hara?~

Haha!  I think both of those would be really fun.  I choose Maureen O'Hara cuz she's my absolute favorite actress and she'd probably think it was quite funny if I imitated her, since I'd likely do it badly.  Maybe I could do a rendition of her yelling at Jamie Boy in The Black Swan (1942) and threatening him with a pistol!

This was an excessively diverting game, Cordy!  I can't wait to see what else people post for the Month of Classics Blog Party :-)

A Period Drama Tag

Rachel at A Girl's Place tagged me with this recently.  Thanks, Rachel!  (You have a great name, by the way.  Just sayin'.)

1. What's your favorite Period Drama movie? 

It's also my favorite movie of all time:  The Man from Snowy River (1982), which is set in the Australian Outback sometime in the Victorian era, I'm guessing 1890s.  I've reviewed the film here, and also wrote about it here.

2. What's your favorite Period Drama series? 

The Granada Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, and first David Burke and then Edward Hardwicke as Dr. Watson.  It is beautifully done -- such attention to detail, such love for the original stories!  And Brett is by far the most Holmes-like Holmes I have ever seen.

3. Which Period Drama do you dislike the most? 

I don't know?  I don't keep track of movies and shows I dislike, really.  Hmmm.  Thinking.  Okay, I really don't like The Wild Bunch (1969) at all, so let's go with that.


4. Anne of Green Gables or Little Dorrit? 

Anne!  Always Anne.

5. Your favorite Period Drama dresses? 

I love just about every dress in White Christmas (1954), especially these:

6. Who's your favorite Period Drama character? (Okay, pick at least five) 

Sherlock Holmes, as portrayed by Jeremy Brett in the aforementioned Granada series, Nicholas Rowe in The Young Sherlock Holmes (1985), and Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC's Sherlock (2010-) (Yes, I know the latter is not a period drama, but it IS one of my favorite portrayals, and I must include him).

Jane Eyre, as portrayed both by Zelah Clarke (1983) and Ruth Wilson (2006).

Robin Hood, as portrayed by Errol Flynn (1938), Richard Todd (1952), and the animated version voiced by Brian Bedford (1973).

Zorro/Diego, as portrayed by Tyrone Power (1940), Guy Williams (1957-59), and Duncan Regehr (1990-93).

The Lone Ranger/John Reid, as portrayed by Clayton Moore in the TV series (1949-57) and Armie Hammer in the new film (2013).

7. If you could join a royal ball, which dress would you wear? (Pick a Period Drama dress) 

Since it is my life's ambition to be a fairy godmother, I choose this dress from Cinderella (2015):

8. What's your favorite Jane Austen movie? 

Emma (1996), with Gwyneth Paltrow.  It's one of my less-favorite Austen novels, but man alive, do I love that movie.

9. Downton Abbey or Call the Midwife? 

I've seen like 5 eps of Downton Abbey and none of Call the Midwife, so... neither.


10. Sybil Crawley, Jenny Lee, Emma Woodhouse or Marian of Knighton? 

Even though she's probably my least-favorite Austen heroine, I'm gonna have to go with Emma Woodhouse on this one.  What I've seen of DA hasn't impressed me with Sybil (though I liked her better than Mary), and if we're talking the Marian from the BBC Robin Hood, I'm honestly not a fan of her either.  Haven't seen Jenny Lee, so yup, going with Emma.

11. Which couples of a Period Drama do you like the most? (Pick at least four) 

Jane Eyre (Zelah Clarke) and Edward Rochester (Timothy Dalton) of Jane Eyre (1983).

Anne Shirley (Megan Follows) and Gilbert Blythe (Jonathon Crombie) of Anne of Green Gables (1985).

John Thornton (Richard Armitage) and Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe) of North & South (2004).

Ringo (John Wayne) and Dallas (Claire Trevor) of Stagecoach (1939).

12. And last, which Period Drama villain do you like the most?

So here's the thing... I almost never *like* villains.  I mean, I can count on one hand the villains I actually like.  Happily, some of them are actually from period dramas!  Including my favorite, namely Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) from 3:10 to Yuma (1957), which I reviewed here.

Okay, this doesn't say you need to tag anyone, but I'm going to tag a few people because I'm curious to see their answers:

Annie of The Western Desk
Birdie of Lady of the Manor
Cordy of Write on, Cordy!
DKoren of Sidewalk Crossings
Eva of Coffee, Classics, and Craziness
Heidi of Along the Brandywine
Kara of Flowers of Quiet Happiness
Miss March of Sunshiny Corner
Rose of An Old-Fashioned Girl
Quiggy of The Midnite Drive-In (but you don't have to choose a ball gown -- maybe men's formalwear instead?)

Play if you want to!  (And if I didn't tag you and you want to play, go ahead!)