History's Texas Rising

I am a self-admitted, fully nuts, obsessed Alamo nut. I grew up watching Disney's Davy Crockett episodes and John Wayne's The Alamo and have been reading and watching everything I could find in the many years since. A few years back, I found out I was even related to one of the Alamo defenders who died in the infamous 1836 battle. So when I discovered that History was doing a TV miniseries about the Texas Revolution following the battle of the Alamo, I almost lost my mind. Here it is, the recent five-part TV miniseries, 2015's Texas Rising.

It's March 6, 1836, and Mexican forces under president and dictator Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (Olivier Martinez) have wiped out the Alamo garrison in a brutal, bloody massacre. Some miles to the west, Texas forces under General Sam Houston (Bill Paxton) are trying to build an army to combat Santa Anna's troops that severely outnumber the Texans. Much of Houston's staff and many of his men want to turn and fight the Mexicans, avenge the Alamo massacre, but Houston knows -- even though it's difficult -- that he must pick and choose his spot to fight, even if it means retreating much to the chagrin of his men. So as Houston's men move east across Texas, Santa Anna's forces chase close behind, both sides waiting for their moment to strike. Many will be impacted, from a former slave, Emily West (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), to a deaf Texas Ranger named Erastus Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). In the process, a whole bunch of history will be made.

Much like the western genre, the TV miniseries has gone the way of the do-do bird. Basically, it's extinct. History (formerly the History Channel) seems to have found a way to revive it starting with Hatfields and McCoy and more recently the so-so but generally well-received Sons of Liberty. This recent venture is a five-part miniseries, covering about eight months in 1836 following the massacre at the Alamo. It's a daunting task taken on by director Roland Joffe and his cast and crew with tons of moving pieces from real-life historical figures and events, an immense backdrop, characters covering the entire gamut and so much more. The verdict? Pretty good but not great. I think Joffe and his screenplay writers did a pretty admirable job assembling this whole story into something digestible for casual fans and diehard fans of the time and history.

Maybe the biggest thing going for 'Rising' is that the history just isn't as well known as what precedes the story we see. It starts with an effective scene that takes place maybe an hour or so after the end of the Battle of the Alamo. Most Texas Revolution-themed movies use the following history as an afterthought, but here, it's the guts of the story. Plain and simple, it's cool to see the Runaway Scrape with some detail. Houston and Santa Anna are at the forefront, but we also see Colonel James Fannin (Rob Morrow) and the disaster he causes at Goliad. We see President Andrew Jackson (Kris Kristofferson) back in Washington, keeping tabs on the ever-escalating conflict in Texas. We get a genuine picture of the history and the bigger picture of the time and its impact. I won't bore with the history details, but there's also cool parts for Jeff Fahey, Crispin Glover, Chad Michael Murray while also meeting real-life figures life Alamo messenger Juan Seguin and Mexican officer Juan Almonte. Some cool parts.

The focus of course is on two things, Houston vs. Santa Anna and then the early development of the Texas Rangers. Paxton and Martinez both have some fun with their parts, generally avoiding cliches that could have gone really badly. Paxton's Houston speechifies too much, but in the quieter, more personal moments, you feel like you get a picture of the man who became known as the Father of Texas. Martinez is okay but the script has Santa Anna portrayed far more as a straight villain, a bloodthirsty dictator and ruler. By all accounts, this portrayal is at least somewhat accurate, but it plays too much like an over the top Bond villain.

My favorite part of the movie though was those Texas Rangers, led by Morgan's Erastus 'Deaf' Smith. A hero of the Texas Revolution, 'Deaf' (pronounced 'deef') finally gets his due, and Morgan gives the miniseries' strongest performance. He's dying of tuberculosis but he's going to play out his hand as the revolution heats up. A very strong part for an underrated actor. His men include Brendan Fraser as a white man who lived with the Comanches, Christopher McDonald (Yes, Shooter McGavin) as Karnes, Smith's right-hand man, Jeremy Davies as cowardly Knowles, Rhys Coiro as ladies man Vern, Joe Egender as goofy Beans, Stephen Monroe Taylor as outlaw on the run Gator Davis, and Trevor Donovan as Kit Acklin, a good rider, good guy and a trustworthy partner. The scenes focusing on the Rangers were the movie's strongest I thought whether it be on the trail, in camp or during battle. Some fun parts with Morgan, Fraser and McDonald especially standing out.

It's the rare miniseries that is able to juggle so many balls in the air, and 'Rising' has its flaws. For the most part, the historical accuracy is pretty decent with a few liberties taken here and there. Not much is known about the real-life Emily West so the script fills in the holes by adding a love interest with Sam Houston. It feels forced although Paxton and Robinson do have some chemistry. There are too many plotlines, as simple as that. Thomas Jane and Sarah Jones play the Wykoffs, a family moving into Texas with a story that never gets much development. Robert Knepper's evil empresario is too evil for his own good venturing into caricature as well. Things move around a lot to cover so much ground so it's understandable to get mixed up if you're not familiar with the history. History also aired quick mini-movies about a subplot that seemingly got cut for time. Face it. There's a TON to be dealt with, and 'Rising' I thought did an admirable job juggling it all.

What else to look for? I especially liked Ray Liotta's especially dark turn as Lorca, an Alamo defender who though badly wounded survives the massacre and goes on the warpath, murdering all the Mexicans he meets. I also liked the subplot between two real-life rangers, Jack Hays (Max Thieriot) and Bigfoot Wallace (Robert Baker) as they ride across Texas toward the fighting.

I very much enjoyed this History venture into a known part of history that definitely needs more spotlight. It's cool seeing these people and stories so often brushed to the side in the portrayals of Texas history. From the Alamo to Goliad to the Runaway Scrape to San Jacinto to the fallout following as Texas becomes its own republic, 'Rising' tackles a lot and comes through pretty well. I look forward to seeing this one on DVD again soon. Definitely worth giving a shot, especially if you're a history/Texas/Alamo buff!

Texas Rising (2015): ***/****

61*

Growing up a sports fan, one of the first huge sports stories I really got into was the 1998 home run race in Major League Baseball, sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa going toe-to-toe to see who could beat Roger Maris' home run record (61) that had stood since the 1961 season. Even as a White Sox fan, it was captivating to watch. The home run race had happened before, Maris and Mickey Mantle doing the same in 1961, both Yankees sluggers gunning for Babe Ruth's long-standing record, a story told in an HBO TV movie from 2001, 61*. 

It's the start of the 1961 season, and the New York Yankees are primed for another run at the World Series, especially having lost to the Pirates the previous year. Leading the Yankees are a pair of power-hitting outfielders, the 1960 MVP, Roger Maris (Barry Pepper) and longtime Yankee and fan favorite, Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane). The 1961 season has been lengthened though, eight games added to the 154-game schedule. As Maris and Mantle start to pile up home runs, the possibility of one of them breaking Babe Ruth's home run record becomes more and more possible. MLB commissioner Ford Frick (Donald Moffat) makes a controversial decision, any record broken with the added game will feature an asterisk next to it in the record books. That is all a what-if though. Can either Maris or Mantle take down the record? It's maybe baseball's most respected record, and the pressure in New York City and around baseball will be immense.

From director-comedian-and diehard/lifelong New York Yankees fan Billy Crystal, this movie originally premiered on HBO in April 2001. Crystal's love of everything Yankee could have been tough to handle -- it's the dreaded, hated Yankees -- but more than a love of the franchise he grew up with, this is a movie that loves and respects it source, baseball. Any baseball fan will appreciate the respect Crystal has for the sport, the personalities and the history. The look of the film is incredible, Tigers Stadium in Detroit (with some work done) made up to look like 1961 Yankees Stadium. The CGI isn't overdone, and everything from the stadiums to the locker room to the cars and clothes reeks of 1960 authenticity.

Without a doubt though, the best thing going for Crystal's film is the fly on the wall look we get into the 1961 home run chase from just about every perspective possible. It's not just Maris and Mantle either, but from the P.O.V. of their teammates, the Yankees staff, including manager Ralph Houk (Bruce McGill), the commissioner and MLB in general, and maybe most frighteningly....the New York media. I watched the 1998 chase, and that was when there was a budding 24-7 news cycle on top of the Internet. In 1961, things were different...but at the same time, it wasn't that different. The pressure on these two men was immense, but for different reasons. At no point does it feel whitewashed either (thankfully), but instead an honest, direct, sometimes uncomfortable picture of the 1961 season for Maris, Mantle and the Yankees.

Still relative unknowns without huge name recognition, Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane are perfectly cast as the Yankee duo, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. It's the definition of an Odd Couple, two almost polar opposites in terms of everything except for one thing; baseball. Pepper's Maris is uncomfortable in the spotlight, content to play ball and do his thing. Being a star, a celebrity? He's not interested. He's a country boy who loves baseball. Jane's Mantle is the prototypical Yankees star; charismatic, likable, an incredible talent, basically the definition of a star. As the season develops and the threat of taking Ruth's record looms larger, the city does two things. One, it backs Mantle, their hero, and two, completely turns on Maris. For the excitement of the story, the media (TV, newspapers, radio) pushed a rivalry, even an out and out hatred, between the duo, but it wasn't true...at all.

That's maybe the most surprising thing to take away from the film and the performances. This isn't just a baseball movie. It's about the people. Later in his career, Mantle is seeing his hard-living lifestyle catch up to him; drinking, boozing, women, one and all. A rising star, Maris in just his fifth season is already coming off an MVP award. He has to work at it more, Mantle is more of a natural. Trying to help the Yankee legend, Maris offers that if Mantle wants to move in with him and teammate Bob Cerv (Chris Bauer), he's more than welcome. It's these scenes that especially shine, the trio watching The Andy Griffith Show (Roger and Bob whistling the theme with a horrified Mickey is a highlight), making breakfast (especially Roger's awful scrambled eggs), and killing time between games during the dog days of the season. We're rooting for both of them -- even if its for different reasons -- and that goes a long way. It also doesn't hurt how freakishly much Pepper and Jane physically resemble the men they're playing, both in appearance and how they play. Again, it's the little things.

Like its two lead roles, '61' doesn't have the star power in the supporting cast, and it doesn't matter. Anthony Michael Hall is very good as future Hall of Fame pitcher Whitey Ford, a close friend of Mantle's, and Yogi Berra and Elston Howard also making appearances. As for the reporters, Richard Masur, Seymour Cassel and Peter Jacobson give varying perspectives of hatred/support/ulterior motives of those covering the home run race. Jennifer Crystal Foley does a good job as Roger's wife back in Missouri while Christopher McDonald is equally good as Yankees broadcaster Mel Allen.

With a movie that runs about 128 minutes, '61' covers a whole lot of ground in following the 1961 season. Because so much ground is covered, the story is a little slow in the early-going, but once the HR race picks up, so does the story. Crystal's style is underplayed without any H-U-G-E emotional moments. He doesn't overdo any of the scenes, just presenting them as they were. The natural drama and tension is enough to carry things through. It's a great story, and we learn a lot about the ins and outs of the season. Easily recommended for baseball, sports fans and non-sports fans alike.

61* (2001): *** 1/2 /****