This is a western story by Elmore Leonard ( Get Shorty, Out of Sight ) turned into a movie. The story is about a family that is reunited after the father returns from the Civil War as a changed man but inside he is still the same and the family returns to their home in Arizona.

Tom Selleck plays Paul Cable an ex-Confederate cavalryman who rides back to his strong willed west Texas wife played by Suzy Amis. Together they head back to there home in Arizona angry with each other but willing to see if they can make a new start in their life together. The conflicts between husband and wife have a very difficult time being resolved because so many events and people get in the middle of their business.

Cable is searching for a peaceful life but the war ends and he still has another big battle to complete before he and his wife can begin their healing.

This is an excellent western movie with believable actors playing realistic down home people. The story is engaging and I personally believe that the events in the story happened many more times than we would actually acknowledge. This is a definite see for a western movie I completely enjoyed it.

This is a Louis L’Amour story of two brothers immediately after the Civil War. Each of the two older Traven brothers fought on opposite sides but are now heading home. The oldest one Daly played by Sam Elliot, fought for the Confederacy and was caught up in two separate events that almost took his life. The first incident he was saved by a Confederate detachment that was going to continue the war after getting more arms and money by trading grain and slave in Mexico. The Second event he was saved by his brother Mac played by Tom Selleck, who was a Union officer during the War.

The Confederate rebels were ravaging the countryside becoming killers, thieves and kidnappers. The rebels took the sisters of Mac and Dal and Dal’s sweetheart Kate played by Katherine Ross. The plan was to sell the women to brothels in Mexico and the men into slave labor in the Mexican silver mines. With this money the rebels could buy more guns and bullets.

The Traven brothers were determined to end the war in this part of Texas and they set out to free the hostages by destroying the Mexican connection and the rebels that felt they needed to push the war on.

I definitely enjoyed this movie even as it was very simplistic but it had all of the parts of a good western movie actors, scenery, and story. I would recommend this movie to any western movie fan.

Overview: Western done on TNT off of a Louis L’Amor book by the same title. I enjoy the book many times and was very interested and excited seeing it adapted to the screen.

The main character was called Rafe Covington played by Tom Selleck a true western character actor. The central female character was named Ann Rodney played by Virginia Madsen a good choice in casting. The villain was named Bruce Barkow played my Mark Harmon a unique choice for a bad guy.

The story centers around a Wyoming ranch, called the Crazy Woman Ranch that had been the midlife adventure of Charles Rodney. The movie actually begins on a schooner off the coast of California in the 1880’s. Promises to a dieing man are the central axles that the movie rotates and weaves into the fiber of the story. Three other characters enforce this idea that friendship and ones word are the most important things that shape a man in the western country. Rock an Irish man who came to get rich but is sidetracked with the importance of doing the right thing. The youngest man JT is learning and growing within the group. The oldest Jo is attracted to Rafe and the group because of his belief that thing can be straightened out and directed to go the right way.

The plot is probably similar to all movies good versus evil but how we get their in a western is usually preempted by gun shots and even all out war. We have a little love thrown in to keep the women interested and to pull them through the story. Greed is a factor in this movie and is pointed out as you progress through the scenery, running horses, driven cattle and beauty of the sky.

I would place this movie on my top one hundred western movies a must see.
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