According to actual history, a former Union soldier by the name of Asa Harmon McCoy was killed by some Confederates not long after returning to his home in Kentucky. Rumors circulating at the time had it that the killing was committed by a member of a rival family known as the Hatfields--who lived not far away in West Virginia, but nothing was ever proven one way or the other. This was in 1864. Several years later, in 1878, a dispute subsequently broke out between family members from these two families due to a controversy over a hog. The issue was taken to court and, based on the testimony from a person who had relatives in both families, the court sided with the Hatfields--and once again the McCoys felt that they were denied justice. However, it wasn't until a young woman named "Rose Ann McCoy" (Karen Lamm) ran off one night with "Johnse Hatfield" (Richard Hatch) that things began to spiral out-of-control, and the famous feud actually began. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film started off reasonably well, but then Hollywood decided to certain liberties with the facts, and everything fell apart after that. For example, there was an event in this feud known as "The New Year Massacre" which involved a large number of Hatfields attacking one of the McCoy families at their home. Yet the only thing that comes close to this particular event has everything in reverse. At least, that is how it seemed to me. But where it really goes off the rails is toward the end where the two leading patriarchs from both families settle their differences one-on-one somewhere in a heavily wooded area near their homes. Complete and utter nonsense. But that's Hollywood for you. And the funny thing is, this rewriting of history wasn't even necessary because the actual story was probably more interesting in the first place. Oh well. In any case, having grown up in both Kentucky and West Virginia, I knew the actual story long before seeing this film--and I wasn't impressed with the Hollywood version at all. That being the case, I have rated the movie accordingly. Below average.
