MamaGravity good back-story, and good acting

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

mhaj-47315 Kept me watching because i interested in how the screenplay was going to deviate from the movie Shane. Was very well acted by all but lacked the dialog to go with it. Watchable but not memorable.

bfd21552 Not bad at allThinly veiled re-spreading (Mennonites instead of Mormons?) of Zane Grey's "Riders of the Purple Sage"--previously made into at least five films . . . Naomi Watts and others do a more-than-passable job of carrying off this version--despite a contrived happy ending for starry-eyed teens and readers of romance novellas. Indeed, it is the acting that makes this one a better-than-average (for modern westerns) effort. The 1941, George Montgomery film is notably more revealing of social and religious conflicts and dogmas than any of the later films--under whatever title and despite their somewhat dubious originality. Still, perhaps these works fall into the category of "imitatio" rather than straight copying?--at least one may always hope!

classicsoncall "The Outsider" offers a twist on the typical open range Western theme; this time around the sheep farmers are a sect resembling Quakers and the confrontation between the existing ranchers and their peaceful opposition is overshadowed by deeply held religious values. On a more personal level, the widowed Rebecca Yoder (Naomi Watts) must overcome the fear of a notorious gunman in her home while she nurses him back from death's door, even as she begins to fall in love with him.If your only familiarity with actor Tim Daly is the character he portrayed in the TV comedy "Wings", then you're in for a surprise. He's genuinely convincing as gunfighter Johnny Gault and takes up the gauntlet early on behalf of Rebecca and her young son Benjo. His own transforming redemption begins when rancher Fergus Hunter (John Noble) comes calling with benign contempt - "I believe I heard you speakin' unkindly to this kind lady".If the title hadn't been used before, "The Angel and the Badman" would have been a perfect fit for this story. That 1947 Republic film cast John Wayne in a similar role to Johnny Gault playing opposite Gail Russell. In a scene highly reminiscent of the earlier movie, Johnny leaves his holstered gun behind to take part in the hymnal service; John Wayne's character did the same more than once to show deference for a people who live a 'plain and narrow life'.That plain life begins to unravel for Rebecca as she commits herself to Johnny. It's here where the film explores the prohibitive constraints of religious belief and traditions, as Rebecca winds up the most dangerous person in her Quaker like community, a free thinker. There's a wonderfully symbolic moment following Rebecca's speech to the congregation declaring her love for Gault; as she runs outside to be with him, the camera focuses on her white cap, 'fallen' to the ground as if to underscore her schism from the community.The other symbolic moment, and one just as powerful occurs as Johnny and Benjo maintain a vigil over the severely wounded Rebecca. Johnny's gun and bullets go into the fire, along with Benjo's sling, as if to atone for her shooting at the hands of Hunter's henchman. It's a renouncing of a former life and the start of a new one, if only Rebecca survives.Be sure to pay attention throughout the entire film to appreciate the exceptional cinematography. One scene in particular has a beautiful moon shot that dissolves around a horse drawn buggy and is wonderfully done. Also, as others have mentioned in their posts for the film, the Norwegian background music is a perfect complement to the events on screen.

Peter Slade This movie travels such well-worn ground that -- despite the best efforts of the actors -- the stereotypes and plot clichés leave you wondering if the script writer or novelist should be sued for plagiarism. Jack Schaefer did this all (and better) in Shane.We have the same stand off between cattle rancher and homesteaderWe have the same relationship between the stranger/gunfighter and the homesteader's boy. We have the same journey into town and the boy witnessing a set piece between an aggressive cattle hand and the reluctant gunslinger.We have the same romantic interest between the homesteader's wife and the stranger (only this time the farmer is conveniently out of the picture so the tension built up in Shane is absent).The second stolen plot is from High Noon: We have the same good guy with the gun facing down the bad guys on his own with a pacifist wife objecting to the confrontation.We have the same good women who repents of her passive ways just in time to save her man -- having apparently just won the shoot out against superior numbers -- from a sneaky shot in the back.I could go on . . .the plot departures from these two great stories, rather than being a relief, are almost universally annoying. Most noteworthy are the miraculous recoveries from bullet wounds by the main characters so that love will prevail.