Rated R for violence.
Directed by Kevin Costner (The Postman, Dances With Wolves)
Starring Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, and Annette Bening
Open Range quenches our thirst after a long famine without any good westerns.
Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall star in this enjoyable western about two `free-range' cowboys who butt heads with your proverbial `bad guy who owns the whole town.' This film isn't a Clint Eastwood film and it's not a Sam Peckinpah (not that those are bad). Instead, it's a fresh peek into two very likable characters lives as they stand up for what is right.
One of the best elements of this film was how the action scenes were filmed. First, and not to the film’s detriment, there isn’t a ton of action. The film relies on other factors like storyline, dialogue and good acting. (That’s why my wife liked it.) This is no Rambo. (Not that I mind a brainless Stallone film every once in a while.) Open Range has no diving through windows in slow motion or over-dramatized gun battles. Instead, the action is very real- the way you think it might actually look if you were standing there watching it, hearing it and smelling the gun powder. It reminded me of the feeling I had watching the downtown L.A. shootout in Michael Mann’s Heat (but with only about 2 % of the ammo).
If you don't like Costner, put that aside for this film because he actually pulls off the best acting I've seen him do since Silverado and Dances with Wolves. (Ironically, another great western where he plays a completely different character.) This movie has the perfect balance of testosterone, romance, humor and heart. You won't be disappointed.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
I’d let my 12 year old boy see it with me. The film only has a few swear words and doesn’t flirt with any sex or nudity. The only reason for the R rating was because of a few very realistic gun battles.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
