TV & Film Hatfields & McCoys

[RascalsMom]

Did anyone else catch this mini-series on the History Channel? What did you think?

 

[AlmandineSky]

I watched the whole thing. I thought it had a lot of great acting and was well made but it just seemd to have so much random violence that I didn't really like it as much as I was expecting to.

 

[Amy SF]

I think all that violence was kind of the point. The two families, after all, became "famous for killing each other."

I also thought it was well done. But sad. All that bloodshed over nothing.

 

[AlmandineSky]

Oh yeah, they were very violent. It just seemed so senseless to me that I just had trouble getting into it.

 

[kibbleforlola]

I watched all three nights. I felt it was well done. Yeah, it was a bunch of senseless violence, but that's how they were like in real life.

 

[RascalsMom]

I thought it was really well done. It was a lot of senseless blood shed, but, it was portraying it pretty accurately!

 

[GhostLikeSwayze]

Well done. They did have to condense the timeline a good bit to make the story flow. For example, the McCoy killed for being a Union soldier and the stealing of the pig appeared to happen close together, while in reality they occurred roughly a decade apart. They also had to combine some characters. All of which is understandable with such a complex story line.

 

[RascalsMom]

Yeah. I really felt they tried to stick to the story line where possible, and the changes they made were understandable and not too drastic. I was surprised that it made it seem like the Union McCoy killing started it, but while in fact it was the first blood shed, things didn't really continue after that first killing until much later.

 

[GhostLikeSwayze]

Exactly. Most of the McCoy family was on the Confederate side of the war as well, and felt the Union McCoy got what he deserved.

The bigger issue was the dispute over the timber rights which did create a lot of bad blood that lasted a long, long time.

 

[RascalsMom]

Exactly. Most of the McCoy family was on the Confederate side of the war as well, and felt the Union McCoy got what he deserved.

I kinda wish this was expressed, because it's so interesting to think about.

 

[GhostLikeSwayze]

They touched on the bitterness of Randolph McCoy towards Devil Anse Hatfield over Devil Anse being a Confederate deserter, which tied in with the timber dispute, was a driving factor of the feud. I think the possible connection between the Union/Confederate angle was easier for the average viewer to grasp.

 

[Forster]

I just can't bring myself to watch it. I dislike Kevin Costner that much.

 

[RascalsMom]

I just can't bring myself to watch it. I dislike Kevin Costner that much.

 

[Digger]

I just can't bring myself to watch it. I dislike Kevin Costner that much.

I feel the same way about Costner. No matter what part he's playing, it's just Kevin Costner in a different costume and his Hatfield is no exception. He even does his patented 'I'll make my voice crackle and pop like a twelve year-old boy and everyone will think it's so cute' thing... which drives me freaking insane.

I did quite like the miniseries though, despite him being in it.