The feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys began during the Civil War and lasted according to the ending credits over 100 years. This mini-series covers some of the highlights (lowlights?) and it is hard to keep track of all the characters involved. Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton play the two patriarchs. Evidently Kevin Costner has made up with his old collaborator Kevin Reynolds who directed the series. They had their own feud going for quite awhile. Mr. Costner actually does a very good job in the acting department. Like some of his fellow actors (Mel Gibson, Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Clint Eastwood) he has an Oscar for directing but not for acting. Tom Berenger who is unrecognizable is another stand out in the acting department. This series should also make a star of Matt Barr who plays one of the Hatfields and gets romantically involved with not one but two of the McCoy girls. This is the Romeo & Juliet section of the story. There are lots of other good performances in the series and unfortunately the series is probably too violent to show in our schools even though it provides a valuable lesson in American History.
Review of Hatfields & McCoys
