Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

Sharneé Maresh
University of Michigan-Flint
“History and What we Do With It”:
Sam Deeds’ Changing Perspectives in Lone Star
In the 1996 screenplay, Lone Star, a fascinating view of history and perspective is developed in the
main character, Sam Deeds. In the film, Sam Deeds’ father, Buddy Deeds, was a previous sheriff of Rio
County, Texas. Sam Deeds struggles with the belief that his father was such a legendary man and sees him
in a very different light than the rest of the small community. As the film progresses, it is possible to see a
change in Sam’s understanding of his father and of the history of Rio County as he delves into the
disappearance of his father’s rival, Sheriff Charley Wade. From his transformation, it is possible for the
viewer to see how perspective of history can dramatically affect a person’s outlook. In an interview with
John Sayles, the director of Lone Star, he tells the interviewer that a large portion of Lone Star deals with
“history and what we do with it” (West). It can be seen throughout the film that this applies to Sam Deeds,
the current Rio County Sheriff, as he makes his journey of discovery of his father Buddy Deeds’ past. By
gathering different perspectives, new light is shed on past events that cause Sam Deeds’ view of his
father to undergo radical changes. These changes occur over key scenes in the film, first, in the
restaurant where he speaks with Hollis, later in his discussion with Ben Wetzle, and further with
encounters with other Rio County citizens. Sam’s final change occurs when the true story of Buddy
Deeds and Charley Wade is revealed through Hollis and Otis. From all of these scenes, it possible to
see Sam Deeds’ journey through the past and how it affects his current view.
When Sam speaks to Hollis in the restaurant, he hears the story about his father and
Charley Wade, but he is unsure with this information if his father was really the noble man
everyone thought him to be. At the beginning of Lonestar, the sheriff of Rio county, Sam Deeds, is led out
to the scrub flats outside of Rio County because an old human skull was found. In addition to the skull a
105