Review of Shenandoah

I tried watching this film with my wife a few months ago and we turned it off after about 20 minutes. The problem was that the film just seemed awfully trivial and silly. However, after sitting down again alone to see it, I found that the movie markedly improved after the beginning. It went from what seemed a lot like SPENCER'S MOUNTAIN (this is NOT a compliment, by the way) to being a realistic and compelling drama about the Civil War and how a man who does his best to stay out of the fight but is ultimately forced to act. The film (apart from the "humorous" beginning portion) is very good and the film is pretty heart-breaking in places--so avoid it if you don't want to cry or if you are on antidepressants! Apart from the always good acting by Jimmy Stewart, he has an excellent supporting cast--including (among others) Glenn Corbet, Patrick Wayne and Katherine Ross (in her first film). The film provides an excellent and unusual look at the war from the viewpoint of a Southerner who just wants to be left alone.