Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A western that leaves you thinking, April 26, 2004
I caught the very end of the movie on Showtime. It intrigued me enough to buy the DVD; could not find it to rent first. It was money well spent. It is several cuts above average westerns and in it's way, even the movie "The Unforgiven". Naomi Watts gives a strong and compelling preformance as Rebbecca Yoder, a devoted Amish widow and ferociously protective mother. The belief that 'God will protect us' is her foundation. Tim Daly gives an outstanding preformance as Johnny Gault, the wounded shootist she takes in and nurses back to health after he wonders into her field. He can speak volumes with a quirked eyebrow and expressive eyes. It is obvious that Mr. Daly spent time getting into shape for this role as he is really cut. His acting in this role raises questions as to why he is so under appreciated as a leading man.(emphasis on Man, not the latest young pretty boy) His character, Johnny Gault, is a pragmatic realist about the way the world works. The attraction of Mr. Gault to Mrs. Yoder is not without cost,because as in any good western, right and wrong and good and evil must be delt with. The ending will leave you thinking. It is one of my very favorite movies and I hope others will enjoy it too.
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38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Timothy Daly shines in this romantic western movie, December 27, 2006
Timothy Daly (of Wings fame) and Naomi Watts star in what appears at first glance to be a remake of Angel and the Badman (John Wayne and Gail Russell.) I have to say I love both movies for the same reasons. Faith and love can get you through any hardship you might face.
Johnny Gault is a world weary gunslinger who believes in his gun and nothing else. Rebecca Yodder belongs to a religious sect (The Plain People) who have strict rules for women and shun anything that may lead them to shame - including any kind of music.
Rebecca's husband is murdered and her son and brother harassed by the local sheriff and his men for her land. Johnny arrives out of nowhere and drops near death at her feet. She tends to him and he stays to help with the sheep and the farm.
The difference between Angel and the Badman and The Outsider, is that you actually see Rebecca's family and the community shun her as she begins to question her love for Johnny and the freedom it brings. At the same time, Johnny must deal with his past and with the present issue of the sheriff and his men threatening his newly adopted family.
What I really loved about this movie is the rhythm the director gave it with the hours and chores of the day, the beautiful score, and the stunning cinematography. Randa Haines (Children of a Lesser God, Hill Street Blues, The Ron Clark Story) assembled a cast that provides the emotional tension and drama that makes this movie worth watching. The chemistry between Daly and Watts is on target, and Daly will definitely make your heart beat a little faster. Keith Carradine plays a suitor and David Carradine plays the town doctor. John Noble (Lord of the Rings) plays the sheriff.
If you enjoy collecting westerns, especially romantic ones - this one is a keeper.
A bit of trivia: The haunting music you hear in the background of the movie is mostly Norwegian folk songs. Two of the songs sung - Bla Tonar Fra Lom and Jenta I Sauflokken can be found on the Nordisk Sang CD featuring various artists. There were no known Norwegian settlements in the US that were Amish, Mennonites or Quakers. Norwegian settlers were most likely Lutheran. The beautiful music still fits the movie and the mood. The movie, as most of you know is based on the historical romance The Outsider by author Penelope Williamson.
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely Western romance, first rate acting from Tim Daly!, December 20, 2004
I just happened upon this movie while looking for something to watch while I exercised on my stepping machine. Needless to say, I was so captivated by the movie that when my exercise hour was up, I just collapsed on the bed and watched this wonderful love story!
Wounded gunslinger Johnny Gault stumbles onto Amish widow Rebecca Yoder's farm. She nurses him back to health, tries to redeem him and falls in love! Sounds corny, and I guess it is a little bit, but what's wrong with that? There is a storyline about cattlemen wanting to run the Amish out of town in order to have their free grazing lands back, but it is primarily a love story between these two totally different people and how they make it work. This movie made me an instant Tim Daly fan! I used to think of him only as the cute one from "Wings", but now I am watching any movie he is, or has been, in! His acting is superb and subtle, and he is very nice to look at! Naomi Watts is lovely, but once in a while she has a goofy look on her face, as if she's not quite sure how she should react in a certain scene. But, these are small, picky things that shouldn't in any way detract from this wonderful movie. After you watch it, get the book! The book has a couple of storylines that were omitted from the film (for the sake of brevity)and Johnny Gault (who is Johnny Cain in the book with Rachel Yoder)is a somewhat darker character. The ending of the book is a bit more powerful, and if you can read it without crying, you're a tougher person than I!
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