Open Range

Montana in the 1880s. Boss Spearman and Charley Waite are free-grazers, running their herd on public land. Denton Baxter, the local cattle baron, wants the practice ended and sends his men. After their camp is attacked the pair ride into the town of Harmonville and it ends in a long gunfight. Kevin Costner directed and starred alongside Robert Duvall. The source is Lauran Paine's 1990 novel The Open Range Men. It was shot in Alberta, on the Stoney reserve near Calgary. An entire town was built from scratch for the production and 225 head of cattle were used. It contains Michael Jeter's final screen role and is dedicated to his memory. It opened on 15 August 2003 and took 68.3 million dollars worldwide against a 22 million budget. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 79 percent and Metacritic at 67. Roger Ebert gave it three and a half stars, calling it an imperfect but deeply involving and beautifully made western. The gunfight drew particular praise; shot in wide frames and in real time, its harshness does not feel staged. Who it is for: viewers who like a classical western told patiently, with an ending it has earned. Who it is not for: anyone wanting pace. The film waits a long time before the fight, and it does so on purpose.