Not the year's best but a darn goon one!

Rating: 8/10 (8 March 2004)

At the end of the Civil War, Confederate soldier W.P. Inman (Jude Law) makes the long, arduous journey back to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart, Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman), whom he left four years ago with only the promise of a relationship-to-be.
This epic romance was adapted from the popular bestseller by Charles Frazier, and I'd have to say they did a pretty good job converting the book to film. This movie was met with a lot of disapproving critical reactions but to be honest, I really enjoyed it. I like all of Anthony Minghella's films. And I'll tell you what, it's a lot easier to understand waiting four years for someone you have barely spoken to when that someone is played by Jude Law (or Nicole Kidman, depending on which way you want to look at it - either way, they're both impossibly beautiful).
The movie does have some flaws. One - it's hard for our now more...promiscuous human race to understand waiting and waiting and waiting...and waiting and waiting to be with someone you just kissed four years ago. But times were different! At least that's what I told myself. However, this was smoothed over by a hell of a kiss between Law and Kidman before he takes off. I don't know what the critics were thinking when they said there was no chemistry between them, because I'm a-tellin' you these two were on FIRE. I almost felt guilty watching them.
Two - and I will be met with some disapproval here, but I absolutely did not like Renee Zellweger as Ruby Thewes, the pistol-packin' mama who comes in to help Ada survive the war. Ruby is a cool character in the book, but I didn't approve of Zellweger's over-the-top, cartoonish, stereotypical Southerner. I will never in a million years understand her receiving an Oscar for this role - it had to be a pity vote. She's kind of funny, but ultimately obnoxious, especially if you read the book - she wasn't at all what I pictured.
However, what you do have are divine leads. Jude Law was absolutely wonderful as Inman, exactly as I pictured it in the book. He definitely went through a great transformation along with his character - you'll see him sweat and strain through gunshots, near-deaths, starvation and heartsickness. It's a wonderful moment when he finally gets back to Cold Mountain and reunites with Ada, who I also thought was played beautifully by Nicole Kidman. Were I the one casting, I think I would have gone for someone a little younger for the role, but Nicole has the depth to carry this woman through four years of struggling and starvation. I'm not sure why people attacked Nicole's performance so much, I thought it was subtle and elegant. And as much as I didn't like the Renee casting, she and Nicole were good together. I felt the sisterly love.
Also some fine cameos in the supporting cast - a brilliant performance by Natalie Portman is the near-highlight of the movie, rivaled by Kathy Baker as Ada's kindly neighbor Sally.
And at the risk of sounding totally and completely shallow - oh what the hell, you'll all agree with me anyway - y'all should watch this movie if for NO other reason but the amazing, amazing scene between Law & Kidman at the end. Oh man... ...I wonder if Jude Law realizes that he will, in fact, be marrying me? He can be MY ain true love! Yeeeehaw!
All in all, not the best movie of the year but a dern good one. 4/5