Lists
- ranked 4 in Roger Ebert's Best Films of 1996
- ranked 324 in Empire 500 Greatest Movies (2008)
- ranked 883 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (March 2006)
- ranked 938 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (December 2006)
- one of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
- one of The New York Times Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made
When a body adorned with a sheriff's badge is found buried in the desert, new sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) investigates the history of his town and father, Buddy (Matthew McConaughey).
Lone Star is 30 years old but could've been made today, largely concerned as it is with family history and intergenerational trauma. It's a film about how we both confront and frame the past, and in that exploration reminds me of nothing so much as The Wire: there are many interlocking perspectives, including a local schoolteacher grappling with residents upset at a version of history painting a less than rosy picture of great white heroes, and together they weave a wonderful portrait of community, connection and impact.