beautiful story but has credibility stretch

Rating: 9/10 (16 June 2005)

I thought this was a beautiful and strong story with excellent performances by the entire cast. In one instance I thought believability was stretched for the sake of a dramatic moment, but forgivable for the otherwise flawless film that this is.
Renee Zellweger delivers what I think is her best performance. Kidman is stunning as the belle who has to learn to manage on her own. Her frustration at her upbringing which has made her a "refined lady" but almost useless in the harsh times the war brings comes across and really helps the viewer see her as a whole person. She easily have been a very flat character only serving to move along the plot for the others (unfortunately many female so-called leads are written that way)--but is not.
This film is able to pull many different emotions as the characters struggle. Since historical epics are coming around like TROY and now KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, this one is great as a short epic of the ending of the Civil War for many of the same reasons the Odyssey was of the Trojan War.