Conagher (TV Movie 1991)

Conagher: Directed by Reynaldo Villalobos. With Sam Elliott, Katharine Ross, Barry Corbin, Billy Green Bush. A tough cowboy facing some trouble crosses paths with a lonely woman living in the middle of nowhere.

“This is one of the best u0026quot;true Westernsu0026quot; ever, a tribute to the faithfulness of the makers to the book, and the labor of love done by the makers (Sam Elliott and Catherine Ross themselves). Sam and Catherine stuck to the text for the script, despite PC pressures to change some scenes.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe depth of love and respect for the original is also conveyed by the gracious touch of having Louis Lu0026#39;Amouru0026#39;s daughter portraying the starting-over former saloon girl stuck in the Indian battle at the stage station. The casting is near-perfect, even if most of them were the Elliottu0026#39;s good friends (and several were in Samu0026#39;s other films).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe realistic look at ranch hand life strikes chords of memory with Monty Walsh. The action scenes were more reality-based than the 50u0026#39;s through 70u0026#39;s Westerns, such as the primitive look of the final saloon fight scene. And the costumes look straight out of a Matthew Brady photo book of a Western settlement, with the characters showing the dirt and grit which true pioneers experienced.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe developing love story between Con and Evie is beautifully captured by the camera, often without a word, as u0026quot;the eyes tell the storyu0026quot;. Ross plays the part perfectly of the dutiful, faithful frontier wife. And you u0026quot;feel her painu0026quot; as she struggles with loneliness, and his as he struggles with an identity crisis and feelings of inadequacy to be the husband of a woman so noble. Sam deserved the Golden Globe for Best Actor he won, with a quietly powerful portrayal of the honest cowpoke.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAll in all, a delightful and classically beautiful story of the Old West. I grew up in one of the last Western towns to u0026quot;go modernu0026quot;, a real cow town which experienced some of the last (and biggest) gun battles in US history. This movie made me proud to be from my home area.”