Residents of the Lone Star state might feel a bit insulted by this 1994 ABC adaptation of James Michener's 1,100-page tome on the history of Texas, which clocks in at a mere three hours (the 1978 miniseries based on Michener's Centennial, centered on a fictional town in Colorado, ran 26 hours). Still, they might take comfort in the fact that this production is restricted to just the birth of the Texas Republic, concentrating on the contributions of Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston and on the decisive 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, which saved the day after the disasters of Goliad and the Alamo. As usual, Michener mixes historical and fictional figures to create drama and romance, resulting in often soapy and heavy-handed storytelling. The cast is filled with TV stars: Patrick Duffy as Austin, Stacy Keach as Houston, David Keith as Jim Bowie, and John Schneider as Davy Crockett, with Benjamin Bratt as a Texican horse-wrangler-turned-officer in Santa Anna's army and Rick Schroeder and Anthony Michael Hall as farmers-turned-rebel-volunteers. Adding a touch of gravitas, Charlton Heston delivers the ponderous narration. Texas is essentially on the level of comic-book history, but it boasts some charms and might appeal to fans of both Michener and TV miniseries. Extras include a “making-of” featurette. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
James A. Michener's Texas
Paramount, 180 min., not rated, DVD: $19.99 Volume 28, Issue 4
James A. Michener's Texas
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