I remember reading Dee Brown's book when I was about twelve, and being stunned by how powerful and moving it was. So when I saw that HBO was making a movie of Bury My Heart, I was thrilled.
And then I actually watched it.
Why they chose to take such a complex story and cram it into a two hour movie is beyond me -- they certainly could have made it a miniseries, a la Band of Brothers, or something. All the heart and soul of Brown's book is lost in this movie.
And I know Adam Beach is a popular actor if you're casting a movie that calls for young, good looking Native American guys, but he only has two facial expressions: happy or snarly, and that's it. Even Aidan Quinn, whom I normally adore, was totally wooden in this. The magnificent Wes Studi was horribly underused; he appears for about 60 seconds of film.
Such a shame that an amazing story had to be turned into a disappointing production.
And then I actually watched it.
Why they chose to take such a complex story and cram it into a two hour movie is beyond me -- they certainly could have made it a miniseries, a la Band of Brothers, or something. All the heart and soul of Brown's book is lost in this movie.
And I know Adam Beach is a popular actor if you're casting a movie that calls for young, good looking Native American guys, but he only has two facial expressions: happy or snarly, and that's it. Even Aidan Quinn, whom I normally adore, was totally wooden in this. The magnificent Wes Studi was horribly underused; he appears for about 60 seconds of film.
Such a shame that an amazing story had to be turned into a disappointing production.