Stars: Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Annette Bening, Michael Gambon, Michael Jeter, Diego Luna, James Russo, Abraham Benrubi

Director: Kevin Costner

Summary: A group of men looking for peace and quiet, and an escape from their past lives as gunmen, drive a herd of cattle across the plains. When their paths cross a big-shot local rancher known as Denton Baxtor, the past catches up with the former cowboys and they find themselves taking part in a gunfight for justice.

Set in the early 1880s, this Western directed by Kevin Costner (DANCES WITH WOLVES, THE POSTMAN) is a classic tale of the good guys verses the bad guys with a romance thrown in for good measure. Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) and Charley Waite (Kevin Costner) are free grazers, riding herds of cattle across the country and grazing as they go. But a local rancher, Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon), considers Boss and his boys thieves, and is determined to run them out of his town by any means possible--even murder. Duvall is endearing as the tough but tender Boss, who has the courage of his convictions and refuses to be intimidated by Baxter. Costner's Charley has worked for Boss for ten years while trying to forget his past, only to find himself drawn back into conflict. Lovable Mose (Abraham Benrubi) and teenager Button (Diego Luna) round out the free grazers' team. Annette Bening stars as the town doctor's sister, Sue, who is drawn to Charley's gentle demeanor and is unfazed by his ability to kill. Beautiful scenery, a script peppered with humour, and solid performances--especially from Duvall and the supporting cast--make Costner's fourth foray into directing enjoyable.

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Reviewed by: philreyn
Posted on October 12, 2005 12:27 PM

A very simple story but one you cant leave until the end. Add to this two of the best modern cowboy actors around - Duvall and Costner, and you have all the ingrediants for a really good movie. This is Duvall's best effort since 'Lonesome Dove' and log awaited. It gives a good realistic feel to how these days actually may have been. As with all good westerns there's a corker of a gunfight at the end. No Hollywood type over the top heroics, just ordinary folk standing their ground to keep their livelihood alive.

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Released almost exactly 11 years after Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, Kevin Costner's Open Rangeproved yet again that the Western is the classic American genre. Costner's first film since 1997's ill-fated The Postmanreturns the actor/director of Dances With Wolvesto 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 doctor's 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 Eastwood's masterpiece, this handsome production!--rich in character development and thick-hided humour--redeemed Costner's directorial career with a well-told story (by Craig Storper, based on Lauran Paine's novel The Open Range Men), flawless performances, and stunning Canadian locations. --Jeff Shannon

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Audio Commentary, Deleted Scenes With Introductions By Kevin Costner, Americas Open Range Narrated By Kevin Costner, Storyboard, Music Video Montage
Release Date:	May 31, 2004
Runtime:	133 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	822 618 8
Keywords:	Open, Range, Westerns
Genre:	Westerns