"History's 'Hatfields amd McCoys' a bleak depiction of famous feud"

[Rowdyboy]

Four hours into the six hour miniseries I'm quite impressed. From the few reviews I've read they appear to have stayed at least marginally close to the truth of rhe story. Whiule the violence can be mind-numbing its a very thoughtful depiction of a different time not so far removed from the violence experienced during the Civil Rights movement in the 1950's and 1960's.

Its worth the time....




http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/23/3623630/historys-hatfields-mccoys-a-bleak.html

In "Hatfields & McCoys" - a grim three-part, six-hour History miniseries that has no heroes - Costner and Paxton get a couple of their darkest roles yet as, respectively, Devil Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy, patriarchs of the infamous feuding families. Hidden behind forests of facial hair, the actors manage the neat trick of playing deadly serious roles and yet looking like they're enjoying tearing into them.

And why not? These are meaty parts that provide plenty of excuses for scenery-chewing, with the characters' backwoods backgrounds and unforgiving natures, their weariness and near-madness stemming all the way back to the Civil War, when Hatfield sows the seeds for bitterness by deciding that he's had enough of fighting and deserts to start a lucrative lumber business. The anger between the two men infects their families, and when killings start happening, the factions begin having a civil war of their own, straddling the Kentucky-West Virginia border with the McCoys to the west and the Hatfields to the east.

In fact, all the veteran actors here - Mare Winningham as McCoy's increasingly drained wife, Tom Berenger as Anse's amoral and bloodthirsty Uncle Jim, Powers Boothe as Anse's brother, a judge trying to stay above the fray while remaining loyal to his family - bring a lot of gravity to their roles. History is sliding this minseries in right before the May 31 deadline for 2011-2012 Emmy eligibility, and Berenger's lusty performance and Winningham's heartbreaking one would seem to make them good bets for supporting-actor nods.

This is a multigenerational story, though, and when the younger actors show up, it risks becoming a CW version of the feud - especially when we get to the Romeo-and-Juliet plot line of Johnse Hatfield ("One Tree Hill's" Matt Barr) and Roseanna McCoy ("True Blood's" Lindsay Pulsipher), who fall for each other in seemingly less time than it takes to load one of the families' many rifles. And as Roseanna's cousin Nancy (Jena Malone) becomes increasingly manipulative, it looks like we're steering into soap-opera territory.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/23/3623630/historys-hatfields-mccoys-a-bleak.html#storylink=cpy

[Irishonly]

1. My husband has been glued to the TV

He doesn't usually sit still that long. I have been closing my eyes during the violent part which are pretty gruesome.

[Rowdyboy]

2. I'm really ignorant of the details of the feud and have deliberately avoided most reviews because I

want the series to unfold on its own. When its done I'd be interested to know exactly how accurate the storyline is but regardless it is riveting. My partner and I have been glued to the series and while thats not too unusual for me, it is for him.

Mare Winningham and Kostner/Paxton certainly at least deserve consideration for Emmys this year (I think Emmy competition ends 5/31).

[MicaelS]

3. Friend of mine who is the history buff tells me..

That the feud really started over a pig.

Wikipedia supports this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield%E2%80%93McCoy_feud

The second recorded instance of violence in the feud occurred thirteen years later, in 1878, after a dispute about the ownership of a hog: Floyd Hatfield had it but Randolph McCoy said it was his. The pig was only in the fight because some of the Hatfields believed that since the pig was on their land, it was theirs. Some of the McCoys objected, saying that the "notches" (markings) on the pig's ears were McCoy marks, not Hatfield marks. The matter was taken to the local Justice of the Peace, and the McCoys lost because of the testimony of Bill Staton, a relative of both families. Presiding over the case was Anderson "Preacher Anse" Hatfield. In June 1880, Staton was killed by two McCoy brothers, Sam and Paris, who were later acquitted on the grounds of self-defense.

[Irishonly]

4. What I know about the feud could be put in a thimble with a lot of room left over

Perhaps I should have said the head of a pin. I only know Hatfield/McCoy represented a feud. While we were watching I checked Wiki and it was interesting to read. The article doesn't give a lot of detail but it seems like the series is following closely to what Wiki says. I believe Kosner probably did a lot of research. I thought it interesting to see that some ancestors of both clans have been politicians, musicians and what not.

I agree with you about the Emmy nominations. I had no idea Paxton was such a wonderful actor.

[ellisonz]

5. I think it's pretty well done...

...The narrative is mostly accurate except for the opening depiction. Both were actually deserters...

The accents need some work, and it would be better received if it had been filmed in the US and not in Romania.

Took me like an hour to figure out that Johnse was not Chauncey.

[47of74]

8. I've filed away some of the insults that were used for future use

[Generic Other]

6. It was Deadwood without the cussing

[Lars39]

7. Could there have been a medical reason for the short tempers? Article:

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/magazines/vanderbilt-magazine/2007/11/tumors_may_have_fueled_hatfieldmccoy_feud/?utm_source=vuhomepage&utm_medium=vuhomeslider&utm_campaign=0608-hatfield-mccoy