9 thoughts on “The Highwaymen”

  1. I watched that two nights ago and thought very highly of it. I was amused by the difference between Woody Harrelson as an aging Texas Ranger and his role in “Natural Born Killers” (1994).

      1. I really like him in that, too. I also thought he should’ve been the focus of “Solo: A Star Wars story”.

        1. That could have made more sense as a young man needs a mentor but they wouldn’t have been able to resist including the elements that made Soylo a terrible movie.

  2. The lovely and talented KfK and I watched this on March 29. I had seen the Netflix notice, and watched the trailer. It was so intriguing that I showed it to KfK, and we made it a point to watch.

    We were completely blown away, not just by the attention to period detail, but by the complex morality of the film. It did not glamorize Bonnie and Clyde, but did acknowledge their celebrity. Each of the important characters (including Clyde Barrow’s father) had a moral position, and each was so well considered in light of their experience – yet, none was unbelievable. The expositions were incredibly well-written, and so (I don’t have a better way to express it) human that it formed a very natural flow to back up and round out the story.

    The casting and performances were stellar, as well. About the only thing I could criticize is that the characters Costner and Harrelson portrayed were both much younger, and Harrelson’s character was in fact younger than Costner’s. The film portrayed them as kind of an Over The Hill Gang. KfK pointed out that people aged more quickly back then. I can concede some ground on that point.

    KfK also came from relative poverty (though she never knew it until she was an adult). She could see why Bonnie and Clyde were held in such high regard by the average person – despite the fact that average people were very often their victims. On this point, she and I have to agree to agree that I’m right.

    This is perhaps the best movie I’ve seen in 50 years. I applaud everyone who made it happen, and pray that more like it are on the way.

    1. There was a kid I used to play with a bit when I would visit my grandmother, up in a holler on the other side of town. The kid’s name was Vincent Hawk, and as he grew older he turned to drinking and fighting. He was a bad seed.

      Anyway, one day he asked my aunt Lucille if he could borrow her shovel so he could do a roofing job. She said, “No Vincent, you won’t bring it back cause you’ll start drinkin’.” He pleaded and promised that he’d return it and she relented.

      So he did about half the roofing job and then knocked on the guy’s door and demanded some pay, and the homeowner said “No! You’re not done.” So Vincent hit the homeowner on the head with the shovel. The homeowner dragged himself back inside, got his .357 magnum, and returned to the porch, whereupon Vincent went to hit him once again with the shovel, thus bringing Vincent’s life to a rather loud and abrupt end.

      Anyway, the police or an attorney (I forget which) came by and asked Vincent’s mother if she wished to file charges over a possible wrongful death, and she said, “No no. We always knew Vincent needed killin’, or elsen he was gonna kill someBOdy.” And that was that. I’m pretty sure my aunt didn’t get the shovel back.

      Some parents know and accept what has to happen, and perhaps wonder why it didn’t happen sooner. Of course such people seem to be from an earlier time.

    2. William Sadler, who portrayed Clyde Barrow’s father, is extraordinary. Yes, that brief scene was very well written, but Sadler’s performance absolutely inhabited parental regret and resignation.

  3. The real “star” of this movie has to be Lileks’ review.

    Lileks hasn’t written finer critical prose since his takedown of Garrison Keillor faux-Norwegian faux-Minnesotan public persona, especially take Mr. Keillor to task regarding his lack of familiarity of with the geography of US Highway 10.

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