Another Good Western

[Bob Womack]

If you are looking for good westerns, OPEN RANGE from 2003 is excellent. Produced and directed by Kevin Costner and starring him, Robert Duvall, Anette Bening, and Michael Gambon, the film revolves around a fictitious incident in 1882. Duvall's character leads a small open range cattle team driving cattle across in Wyoming. They have a brush with the influential founder of a small town who hates free range cattlemen because they graze off any open land they traverse. Complications ensue and lead to the climax of the film.

Interesting notes:
While there is some dramatic license, the tactical actions displayed in the gunfight are pretty darned authentic.

Robert Duvall broke six ribs and injured his back while working up for the movie on a horse so he was in pain during most of the filming. He wasn't allowed to gallop a horse, so you'll see him walk or begin a gallop or come down off a gallop, but the actual galloping was done by a stand in.

Two weeks after they began filming, Kevin Costner began to experience extreme abdominal pain. He went to the emergency room that and was diagnosed with dehydration. The pain increased throughout the ten weeks of production. Once the wrapped filming and he prepared to go into post production the source of the problem was discovered: he had appendicitis leading to a rupture. They postponed editing while he had his appendix removed and then went back to work.

The entire town was built in Canada for the shoot. It was so remote that the film company had to build a road out there so that cast and crew could commute. The build was done with the cooperation of the Stoney Sioux Nation and the Canadian government with the provision that the site had to be preserved and returned to nature when filming finished.

Michael Kamen wrote the score.

Many of the scenes were unscripted. Costner chose his actors with an eye to their improv capabilities. He allowed them to develop their own characters as well. One of the supporting actors arrived for the audition sporting a limp that he put on to support the role he was reading for. He got the job and the character kept the limp.

Bob

[Gromitspapa]

One of the very best westerns, ever. I’m glad to see them making a comeback.

[Wade Hampton]

Open Range was an excellent film.


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