1965, Running Time, Rated. Dir: Andrew V. McLaglen. Cast: Jimmy Stewart (Charlie Anderson), Doug McClure (Sam), Glenn Corbutt (Jacob Anderson), Patrick Wayne (James Anderson), Katharine Ross (Ann), Rosemary Forsyth (Jennie Anderson), Philip Alford (Boy).

Civil War Themes: A family trying to "sit out" the war, discovers that all Americans are eventually affected by the Civil War. Touches on aspects of the causes of war, namely slavery.

Battles/Moments: A few glimpses of battle, an ambush, brigades squaring off.

Jimmy Stewart is the All-American actor, the person everybody can relate to no matter what character he plays. In Shenandoah, he is Charlie Anderson, a farmer who seeks only to work hard, put food on the table, and honor his dead wife by raising good Christian children (six sons, one daughter and one daughter-in-law as the film begins) who say what they think.

Charlie and family are sitting out the Civil War, of which reason is summed up by his first words, "Are they on our land? Then it doesn't concern us." When Jacob asks why they don't suit up to fight for Virginia, he responds that the state didn't help the family run its farm or put money in the bank or food on the table, then the Anderson's owe nothing to Virginia, and since they don't own slaves and wouldn't want to, the Andersons don't take sides.

But, Charlie learns that nobody can hide from the Civil War, especially in the war-torn Shenandoah Valley (a very beautiful place I may add). The youngest boy (played by the same actor who was Scout's brother in To Kill a Mockingbird) is mistaken for a soldier and taken prisoner, an event that eventually causes the Anderson's world to crumble.

As Charlie and four sons (James stayed behind with wife Ann and newborn baby) set out to find the boy (no name every given), they come across the horrors of battle, the honor of men on both sides, and ultimately, death.

The father and brothers know they will never find Boy in all this conflict, especially with the number of Rebels being taken prisoner. And as we see three family members lose their life, not to battle but to the surrounding chaos, Charlie's spirit becomes noticeably dimmer, a powerful move by Stewart, showing the war's effect on both sides.

The director's fighting scenes, hand-to-hand at the farm and even in the battle scenes, took notice from the westerns of the time, with many stuntmen and explosions sending men flying in all directions. It wasn't detracting from the film, just noticeable in a rip-roaring action kind of way. But nobody does it as well as The Duke, but he couldn't be in every movie. Too bad.

The best scene takes place just before a Confederate and Union brigades open fire, and is a scene I had been trying to find for over a decade! I saw it years ago with Dad, and always wondered what movie it is in. Now I know:

Just before guns blaze, a cow wanders in between the line of fire, seemingly unaware of its precarious situation:
      C.S.A. Officer: "Is that a Confederate cow or a Union cow?"
      Assistant: "Must be a Union cow, sir."
      Officer: "Are Union cows tasty?"
      Assistant: "Quite, sir."
      Officer: "Then take it prisoner."
Of course, the Confederates lose the cow to the Federals, and also lose the battle, but it is a quite humorous scene.

The verdict: (out of 5) -- Stewart sometimes over-the-top, but hey! He's the All-American actor. He did need stronger supporting help.

From Leonard Maltin's Review (3 stars out of four):

Rousing, well-acted saga of Virginia widower indifferent to War Between the States until his family is involved. Sentimental drama captures heartbreak of America's Civil War.