Here is a movie with a scene that happens today – July 30. I hope you enjoy this film and watch it tonight.
COLD MOUNTAIN
On July 30, 1864 [1:10 to 5:19], the Yankees detonate a bomb under the Confederate lines at Petersburg. We flashback to when Ada Monroe and her minister father arrive in Cold Mountain, North Carolina from Charleston and she meets W.P. Inman. We then see the Battle of the Crater and Inman is wounded in a skirmish that same evening of July 30th . [9:12 to 16:53 and 22:38 to 24:18]. We flashback again to when Ada and Inman’s developing relationship is interrupted by the start of the Civil War. Inman joins the Confederate Army, but Ada says she will wait for him. Things become difficult for Ada after her father dies and it is only by charity from her father’s former parishioners that she survives. Then the governor of North Carolina announces that all deserters and those who aid them are traitors and subject to the death penalty. Ada has a vision of Inman returning to her. Ruby Thewes shows up to help Ada run her farm, and teach her how to operate it. Inman has deserted and is walking back to Cold Mountain. He runs into an immoral minister named Veasey who joins him on his trip. Inman and Veasey meet Junior, a backwoodsman who takes them in. Lila, Junior’s wife tries unsuccessfully to seduce Inman, while Veasy is seduced by her ‘sisters’. Junior returns with the Home Guard and Inman and Veasy are arrested as deserters. In a skirmish where the Home Guard is attacked and killed by Federal cavalry, several prisoners are shot and Inman is wounded again. Teague, the sadistic leader of the Cold Mountain home guard who has his eye on Ada, kills Esco Swanger, a neighbor of Ada and his two sons who had deserted from the army, after torturing their mother. Inman is found by Maddy, an old shepherdess who nurses him back to health. Stobrod Thewes, Ruby’s estranged father and a deserter who had served with Inman, as well as his two pals Pangle and Georgia show up at Cold Mountain and live in the woods to avoid implicating Ada and Ruby. Inman stays with a war widow Sara, who has a young baby. In the morning three Yankee cavalrymen show up and Inman hides nearby. When the Yankees start to abuse Sara and try to rape her, Inman kills two of them while she kills the other one, even though he was the only one who tried to show her any kindness. Teague and the Home Guard tracks down Stobrod’s group. Pangle is killed and Stobrod injured. Georgia, who was hiding nearby tells Ada and Ruby. Ruby nurses her father back to health and they are reconciled. Inman arrives at Cold Mountain and he and Ada enter a common law marriage and have one night together. Teague and his men track them down. They fight off the Home Guard and Teague is killed. Bosie, the most sadistic member of the group shoots Inman, but not before being killed by him in turn. Inman dies in Ada’s arms. We then flash-forward several years to Easter dinner. Ada’s one night with Inman resulted in a daughter, Grace. Ruby and Georgia got married and Ruby’s father and Sally Swanger live with them on Ada’s farm.
A very good romantic drama. I admire both Inman and Ada for being faithful to each other even though they’re both go through difficult circumstances. A tragedy in that happiness was snatched away from them when it was so close.
A Great Civil War by Russell Weigley (Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 2000) at page 340 gives the date of the blast
Producer - Sydney Pollack, William Horberg, Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa
Director - Anthony Minghella
Screenplay - Anthony Minghella
Awards – The film won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar(Zellweger). The movie
was also nominated for the Best Actor(Law), Best Cinematography, Best
Editing, Best Original Score and Best Original Song at the 76th Academy
Awards.
Runtime - 2 hours 34 minutes
Released – December 25, 2003
Starring –
Jude Law as W. P. Inman, a Confederate soldier who deserts the war to be with Ada
Nicole Kidman as Ada Monroe, a young woman who lives on Cold Mountain
Renée Zellweger as Ruby Thewes, a woman who helps Ada work on her farm
Eileen Atkins as Maddy, an old shepherd woman who nurses Inman back to health
Kathy Baker as Sally Swanger, an old woman who lives on Cold Mountain
James Gammon as Esco Swanger, Sally's husband who is also Ada's friend
Brendan Gleeson as Stobrod Thewes, Ruby's father, who faked his own death
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Reverend Veasey, an immoral preacher who befriends Inman
Charlie Hunnam as Bosie, a member of Teague's home guard
Cillian Murphy as Bardolph, a Yankee soldier who comes to the home of Sara
Natalie Portman as Sara, a widowed woman who lives with her infant son
Giovanni Ribisi as Junior, a woodsman who shelters and betrays Inman and Veasey
Donald Sutherland as Reverend Monroe, Ada's preacher father
Ethan Suplee as Pangle, traveling companion of Georgia
Jack White as Georgia, a Confederate deserter and Ruby's love interest
Ray Winstone as Teague, the sadistic captain of a Confederate home guard unit
Lucas Black as Oakley, a teenage Confederate soldier from Cold Mountain who is killed
Emily Deschanel as Mrs. Morgan, a volunteer at the Confederate hospital
Jena Malone as a ferry girl who is killed in an ambush while helping Inman and Veasey
Melora Walters as Lila, Junior's attractive wife, who tries to seduce Inman
Taryn Manning as Shyla, one of Lila's three sisters who seduces Veasey
Jay Tavare as Swimmer, a soldier in the Confederate army
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