On its surface, "Lone Star" is a dust-bitten mystery set in a small Texas town. The skeleton of a corrupt sheriff is found out in the desert, and everybody wonders if his deputy put a bullet in his brain. But the movie also works as an exploration of U.S. history, an analysis of American race relations, and a look at multi-generational family conflicts.
It also has a whole lot of incest. Okay, we're not talking "Game of Thrones" levels of incest, but it's a lot for a film starring Matthew McConaughey. The native Texan plays Sheriff Buddy Deeds, a larger-than-life lawman who disapproves of his son's love life. His boy, Sam, is crushing hard on a girl named Pilar, but Buddy stops their relationship before it gets off first base.
Years later, after Buddy's death, grown-up Sam (Chris Cooper) and Pilar (Elizabeth Pena) finally hook up, but the two soon discover why Buddy was dead-set on keeping them apart. As it turns out, Buddy had an affair with Pilar's mom... so yeah, Pilar is Sam's half-sister. But despite the fact that they're related, Sam and Pilar decide to stay together. Pilar can't have any kids, so there's no worries there, and while it's obviously a controversial decision, the movie also kind of leaves you rooting for their twisted romance.
