Horizon: An American Saga - Uncovering Authenticity and Complexities Through Costumes and Historical Context

San Pedro (Arizona), Arizona United States of America
Costner's character Hayes Ellison is defined by his charcoal blue cowboy hat with a tall crown. Marigold, played by Abbey Lee, wears a striking mauve dress in the first movie.
Horizon: An American Saga explores various aspects of the Civil War era expansion and settlement of the American West, including Native American representation and strife between tribes.
Kevin Costner invested $38 million to $50 million of his own money into Horizon: An American Saga production.
Pionsenay (Owen Crow Shoe), a Native American leader in the series, decides to break away from his Chief and create a new tribe due to Westward expansion and contact with other tribes.
Horizon: An American Saga - Uncovering Authenticity and Complexities Through Costumes and Historical Context

In the vast expanse of American history, the Western genre holds a unique place in our collective consciousness. It tells tales of courage, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit as settlers ventured into uncharted territories. Recently, Kevin Costner returned to this genre with his ambitious project, Horizon: An American Saga. The first installment of this four-part series premiered amidst high expectations and significant investment from Costner himself.

Costner's dedication to the project was evident as he invested around $38 million to $50 million of his own money into its production. His goal was to create an episodic drama akin to his successful TV series, Yellowstone. However, the box office returns for Horizon: An American Saga have been less than impressive.

Despite the initial underperformance at the box office, it's essential to remember that movies and television are two distinct mediums. Movies offer a more immersive experience with their larger-than-life storytelling and visual spectacle. In contrast, television provides a more nuanced exploration of characters and themes over an extended period.

Horizon: An American Saga is set against the backdrop of the Civil War era expansion and settlement of the American West. The series explores various aspects of this tumultuous time, including Native American representation, strife between tribes, and Western expansion. Let's delve deeper into some intriguing facts from different sources to better understand this complex narrative.

According to one report, Costner's character Hayes Ellison is defined by his charcoal blue cowboy hat with a tall crown. This distinctive accessory sets him apart and becomes an essential part of his silhouette. Meanwhile, Marigold, played by Abbey Lee, wears a striking mauve dress in the first movie.

The costume designer for the series, Lisa Lovass, conducted extensive research to ensure authenticity. She took notes immediately after reading the script and researched locations and characters' lives extensively. Wagon train members had limited clothing: men had two jackets, pants, shirts, and socks while women wore rugged clothes with pants underneath their skirts.

Another source reveals that Pionsenay (Owen Crow Shoe), a Native American leader in the series, decides to break away from his Chief and create a new tribe. The strife between tribes is brought about by Westward expansion and contact with other tribes.

These facts provide valuable context for understanding the complexities of Horizon: An American Saga. They highlight the importance of authentic representation, attention to detail, and the impact of historical events on various communities.

As we continue to explore this intriguing series, it's essential to remember that movies and television serve different purposes. Movies offer a more immersive experience with their larger-than-life storytelling and visual spectacle. In contrast, television provides a more nuanced exploration of characters and themes over an extended period.

Horizon: An American Saga is an ambitious project that requires patience and dedication from its audience. By delving deeper into the facts presented in various sources, we can gain a better understanding of this complex narrative and appreciate the rich historical context it provides.



Confidence

100%

No Doubts Found At Time Of Publication

Sources

95%

  • Unique Points
    • Kevin Costner's $100 million film, Horizon: An American Saga, debuted with $11 million at the box office.
    • Horizon: An American Saga is the first in a four-film series.
    • Disney’s animated sequel Inside Out 2 earned $57.4 million in its third weekend and has grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
    • The second chapter of Horizon: An American Saga is set to debut in August, with production already started on the third film and the fourth in development.
    • Kevin Costner’s previous passion project, Waterworld, also had a weak box office performance in 1995.
  • Accuracy
    • The first chapter of Horizon: An American Saga is set to debut in August.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author commits an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that Inside Out 2 is a critical hit based on its Rotten Tomatoes score without providing any context or analysis of the film's merits. He also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Horizon: An American Saga as having a 'lukewarm reception from both critics and the box office.'
    • > The sequel is a critical hit along with a commercial hit, scoring a 90% rating from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
    • The Western film - the first in a four-film series - could only muster $11 million in third place, according to Deadline. It has received rather mild reception from critics as well, with just a 40% rating from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
    • This isn't the first time that one of Costner’s passion projects has tanked at the box office, with Waterworld debuting to a weak reception back in 1995.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

80%

  • Unique Points
    • Kevin Costner invested around $38 million to $50 million of his own money into the production of ‘Horizon: An American Saga’.
    • Kevin Costner aimed to create an episodic drama similar to his successful TV series ‘Yellowstone’.
  • Accuracy
    • The first chapter of the movie, ‘Chapter 1’, had an opening weekend box office return of $11 million with a total price tag of $100 million.
    • Horizon: An American Saga is facing financial risks due to its high production cost and uncertain audience turnout for each chapter.
  • Deception (30%)
    The author expresses his opinion that Kevin Costner's 'Horizon' is a failure and that Costner should not have turned movies into television. The author uses emotional manipulation by implying that the audience will be disappointed if they don't watch all chapters of 'Horizon'. The article contains selective reporting as the author only reports negative aspects of 'Horizon' without mentioning any positive feedback or reviews. Additionally, the author makes a false claim that movies require resolution within the first 40 minutes or they are toast.
    • I suspect that, one way or another, it will ultimately end its journey on the small screen: the place it was really always meant to be.
    • The drama of whether audiences show up for it now transcends the drama onscreen.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author commits an appeal to authority fallacy when he states 'That's one way that motion pictures can stay adventurous.' and 'Costner has always been the definition of a star who cares, who acts in and directs worthy projects, who possesses a reverence for the art of movies.' These statements are not facts but rather opinions based on the author's personal beliefs. He also uses an inflammatory rhetoric when he states 'The box office returns are now in on Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, and taken in a big-picture way, as an indicator of where the saga is heading, the numbers are not very pretty.' This statement is intended to elicit an emotional response from the reader rather than providing factual information. Lastly, there's a dichotomous depiction when he states 'Don’t turn movies into television.' and 'But that’s what Costner tried to do, and that was his folly.' The author presents these two options as mutually exclusive when in reality they are not.
    • Costner has always been the definition of a star who cares, who acts in and directs worthy projects, who possesses a reverence for the art of movies.
    • That's one way that motion pictures can stay adventurous.
  • Bias (95%)
    The author expresses a clear bias towards movies being made as miniseries or television shows instead of standalone films. He repeatedly states that 'Horizon' feels like homework and that it's not a movie but rather the seedbed for a miniseries. The author also implies that movies require resolution while TV episodes are often open-ended.
    • I suspect that, one way or another, it will ultimately end its journey on the small screen: the place it was really always meant to be.
      • Of course, there's always the possibility that you won't need to have seen Chapter 1 to enjoy Chapter 2, or that Chapter 2 will prove to be better. But I don't think that's how Kevin Costner envisioned it. He wants his audience to be all in.
        • The discursive, anecdotal, all-over-the-place drama of Horizon feels, at least in the first three hours, like homework
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        98%

        • Unique Points
          • Kevin Costner's new Western, Horizon: An American Saga-Chapter 1 was shown with previews of three classic Western films: How the West Was Won (1962), Westward the Women (1951), and Buck and the Preacher (1972)
          • The three classic Westerns have different takes on the history of the American West: one is an epic spanning 50 years with Hollywood icons, another highlights women’s experiences, and the third features Black migrants’ journey to the West
          • Horizon: An American Saga-Chapter 1 was hoped to be a compelling successor to Costner’s Dances With Wolves (1990) and Open Range (2003)
          • Indigenous men and women in the movie were hoped to be fully realized people with complicated emotions and motives
          • The film was expected to pass the Bechdel test with at least two Native characters talking about something other than whites or being Indian or government actions
        • Accuracy
          • Kevin Costner invested around $38 million to $50 million of his own money into the production of ‘Horizon: An American Saga’.
          • The film is not a standalone movie but part of a four-chapter project. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 are yet to be released.
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        99%

        • Unique Points
          • Costner’s character Hayes Ellison wears a charcoal blue cowboy hat with a tall crown that defines his silhouette.
          • Marigold, played by Abbey Lee, wears a striking mauve dress in the first movie.
          • The costume designer Lisa Lovass researched extensively for the project due to its dense script and multiple movies. She took notes immediately after reading it and conducted research on locations and characters’ lives.
          • Wagon train members had limited clothing: men had two jackets, pants, shirts, and socks while women wore rugged clothes with pants underneath their skirts. A prominent English couple stood out with Juliet Chesney wearing a printed dress.
          • The White Mountain Apache have Spanish influence in their wardrobes with subtle silver bits and pieces and white cotton clothing.
        • Accuracy
          • ]The first chapter of the movie, 'Chapter 1', had an opening weekend box office return of $11 million with a total price tag of $100 million.[
          • The film is not a standalone movie but part of a four-chapter project. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 are yet to be released.
          • Horizon: An American Saga-Chapter 1 was shown with previews of three classic Western films: How the West Was Won (1962), Westward the Women (1951), and Buck and the Preacher (1972)
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        98%

        • Unique Points
          • Kevin Costner hopes audiences will see the nuances of Native American representation in his new film, Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1.
          • Pionsenay (Owen Crow Shoe) leads the massacre that opens the film and decides to break away from his Chief and create a new tribe.
          • The strife between tribes in Horizon is brought about by Westward expansion and contact with other tribes.
        • Accuracy
          • Horizon is the first in a saga that tells an array of stories over the course of 12 years in the American West.
          • The Western genre has a long history of problematic portrayals of Indigenous people, often depicting them as villains or noble figures who sacrifice themselves for white people.
          • Kevin Costner was not concerned about opening the movie with what could be viewed as a more stereotypical rendering of Native Americans.
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication