2003, 2 hrs 30 min., Rated R for violence & sexuality.�Dir: Anthony Minghella. Cast: Jude Law (Inman), Nicole Kidman (Ada Monroe), Ren�e Zellweger (Ruby Thewes), Donald Sutherland (Reverend Monroe), Ray Winstone (Teague), Brendan Gleeson (Stobrod Thewes), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Rev. Veasey), Natalie Portman (Sara), Kathy Baker (Sally Swanger), James Gammon (Esco Swanger), Giovanni Ribisi (Junior), Lucas Black (Oakley), Jack White (Georgia), Jena Malone (Ferry Girl), Ethan Suplee (Pangle).

Those ads on cable network TNT ask, "What is drama?" Cold Mountain is the very definition. A war rages between countrymen, a woman and man long for one another over hundreds of miles, there's trouble on the home front and an epic journey fraught with danger, no one can be trusted yet when you let your guard down it can be highly rewarding.

The movie is based on the popular and critically acclaimed book written by Charles Frazier (which I own, but have yet to read). It is essentially "The Odyssey" based in the Civil War South, as the folks in Dixie struggle to stay afloat. It's quite a powerful story, and the script is so good it could/should win for Adapted Screenplay.

The story, for the uninitiated, it's 1864 and Jude Law is fighting with the Confederates in Virginia, Nicole Kidman back in their town of Cold Mountain, North Carolina, amid the Blue Ridge Mountains in the western part of the state. They aren't married, but newly in love. Kidman faces hardships at home, Law, well, he's at war, but his hardships don't stop on his journey back home, encountering many interesting people and situations.

Kidman continues to show the upper hand in her post-divorce of Tom Cruise, with yet another �up yours� in a role garnering Best Actress nominations, not to mention the butt and breast shots in her love scene with Law. The T&A aside, this film may be the prettiest I've ever seen Kidman. She's a little skinny, but gorgeous, and I love her in those corset-squeezed dresses. I love that antebellum look of women in such dresses, no matter how uncomfortable it is for the lady! (Reason No. 3,400 why Jeff Is Not Married)

In yet another movie taking place in the South, with nary a Southerner starring, Aussie Kidman�s accent didn't bother me at all, neither did Englishman Jude Law's, although his was just so quiet anyway it didn't matter.

Director Anthony Minghella previously helmed The Talented Mr. Ripley and The English Patient, which could give you an idea of style and pacing. At 2 1/2 hours, the movie moves through Jude Law's journey home in no hurry. There's trouble around every bend.

Cold Mountain is a who�s who of the cast, down to the smallest of parts, including a brief yet powerful scene with Natalie Portman as a war widow taking care of the biggest baby I�ve ever seen. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Giovanni Ribisi also take small turns in important roles, each tragic and obstructive to Law's adventure.

But the real star that takes the reigns, both literally and figuratively, is Ren�e Zellweger, the best �catastrophe� ever to happen to Kidman and to the film. Sure, it's a role that just screams "made for Oscar," but if not for her Cold Mountain would be too miserable and slow for anyone to last. She encompasses the entirety of humor and hope in the story.

As Kidman is made stronger due to the help of Zellweger, it's most poignant when Nicole finds a single carrot, looks to the heavens and declares, "As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me! I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again! No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill! As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again!"

Huh? Oh. Sorry, same spirit, wrong movie.

As it is, the movie is powerful and wrenching. My co-watchers for the Christmas selection, Nana and Kimberly, agree. Kimberly was, more than once, seriously on the edge of her seat. Nana admits that she "did a lot of flinching" during conflict, from the initial Battle of the Crater to the climax. While not an action film, per se, there are some great scenes of fighting on a large and small scale. Later, Danielle emailed from Miami to say she �absolutely loved it,� while we all ignored Dad�s bashing it as �depressing.�

I prefer to say Cold Mountain is dramatic, and a very impressive film deserving several award nominations, as well as audience praise.