Western set in the 1880s, directed by Kevin Costner. Robert Duvall heads the cast as Boss Spearman, who, along with his partner Charley Waite (Costner) and their two helpers, Mose (Abraham Benrubi) and Buttons (Diego Luna), has been leading a quiet nomadic life driving cattle across the plains for the last ten years. Their peaceful existence comes under threat when the local cattle rancher Baxter (Michael Gambon) suddenly warns the foursome to get off his land. Boss, already riled by Baxters dirty dealings, decides to fight back, and the film climaxes in a dramatic gunfight between Boss and Charley and Baxters hired gunmen.
Released almost exactly 11 years after Clint Eastwoods Unforgiven, Kevin Costners Open Range proved yet again that the Western is the classic American genre. Costners first film since 1997s ill-fated The Postman returns the actor/director of Dances With Wolves to the open prairies of America--in this case the free-range frontier of 1882--where legal "free-grazing" cattle drives were falling prey to empire-building land-owners. In the wake of territorial murder, free-grazing cowboys Boss (Robert Duvall) and Charley (Costner) seek vengeful justice against the ruthless rancher (Michael Gambon) who threatens their law-abiding survival. A feisty ally (the late Michael Jeter, in his next-to-final film role) and a doctors sister (Annette Bening) offer support during climactic shootouts, masterfully staged with the shock and suddenness of real-life gunfire. While it lacks the thematic impact of Eastwoods masterpiece, this handsome production!--rich in character development and thick-hided humour--redeemed Costners directorial career with a well-told story (by Craig Storper, based on Lauran Paines novel The Open Range Men), flawless performances, and stunning Canadian locations. --Jeff Shannon