Conagher
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Movie Reviews of Conagher
Movie Review: A Western with action and romance? Yes, and a good one too!
Summary: 5 Stars
Sam Elliott turns in one of his finest performances as Conn Conagher in this TNT adaptation of Louis L'Amour's "Conagher". TNT produced some excellent Westerns, many of them starring Elliott or Tom Selleck, from 1991-2003, and I wish they had continued to champion the Western. Thankfully, most of the best of the best - like "Conagher" - have been released on DVD.
"Conagher" feels like two separate movies that the filmmakers managed to effectively tie together at the end. The first half of the movie primarily deals with Evie Teale (Katherine Ross) and her stepchildren facing life alone on the harsh frontier after Evie's husband is killed in a riding accident (she knows that he is dead although she never does find out exactly what happened to him). Conn Conagher rides through her temporary stagecoach stop, and the second half of the movie focuses on his life as a cowboy and his run-ins with other cowboys who lack his character's integrity. In between rides, he returns to Evie's place, and a relationship begins to develop between the two of them.
The character of Conn Conagher and his cowboy exploits are typical Louis L'Amour fare, but the romance that develops between Conn and Evie is anything but typical. I don't want to give away how that romance is spurred on while the two are apart; let me just say that, although it is a bit far-fetched, it is also a wonderful idea and helps to convey the loneliness that I imagine many real people must have felt on the isolated frontier.
Conn is not your ordinary cowboy (he recommends not killing unless a cowboy has no other choice, and he backs up his words by letting many bad guys go), and a romantic Western is no ordinary Western. This is a movie for viewers who like character and plot development as well as action sequences, and it is a first-rate movie (not just a first-rate Western).
TRIVIA NOTE: This was not the first time that Sam Elliott played a character named Conn in a film adaptation of a Louis L'Amour novel. He also portrayed Con Valian in the 1987 HBO-produced "The Quick and the Dead" (and, no, it's nothing like the Westrogen with Sharon Stone). Elliott's performance in both films is strong, but Conn Conagher is a better character than Con Valian and "Conagher" is a far better story and movie than "The Quick and the Dead" (see my review of "The Quick and the Dead" for more info. on that movie).
Movie Review: Conagher - as good as they get.
Summary: 5 Stars
Westerns are my favorite film genre - natural I guess for someone raised in Montana. Despite loving the genre, I have only a handful in my DVD collection. There really aren't many great westerns, regardless of how prolific the Duke and Clint and Tom were. But Conagher is one of the great ones and, I feel, one of the two best western's ever made (the other is `Shane', if you were curious). I have watched Conagher many times and can find no fault with it. The story is authentic, the characters believable, and the props and accoutrements accurate for the time.
Unlike many westerns where death is meted out like welfare checks in the projects (try to count how many men Clint does away with in Josey Wales --bet you can't keep up), in Conagher the body count is confined to something reasonable.
Growing up, I knew some old time cowboys that hadn't yet bucked out their last bronc, including my grandfather who rode for Mumford Brothers Cattle Company as a young man. Conagher reminds me of those old men. Hard working, courteous, willing to help out where they could, and who could find humor in situations that at first glance didn't seem the least bit funny. Unlike characters in some modern westerns, they swore very little--if at all--and never in mixed company. Their idea of cursing was pretty tame compared with our modern society. 'Hell' and 'damn' were the usual, but a smattering of SOB might be used if discussing politicians or a rank heifer. Like Conagher, they enjoyed pulling a cork now and again. Elliot's portrayal of a cowhand is flawless - a totally believable performance.
Katherine Ross is Evie Teale, a widow trying to keep her body and soul together (as well as those of her two children) in a barren and hostile land.
Barry Corbin is splendid as Charlie McCloud, an affable stagecoach driver concerned with the well being of Mrs. Teale and her young'uns.
A special treat is seeing Ken Curtis in his final film appearance. Curtis plays Seaborn Tay - an aging rancher trying to protect his ranch from rustlers.
Character actors James Gammon, Paul Koslo, Buck Taylor and Gavin O'Herlihy appear as the bad guys.
For western aficionados, Conagher is a `must have' movie; they don't come any better.
Movie Review: My favorite Sam Elliott western
Summary: 5 Stars
My two favorite Sam Elliott westerns are "Conagher" and "The Quick & the Dead". I especially love this one as it also features Katharine Ross (Elliott's real life wife). Every single scene in this movie works, and the story is a gem. Every character was perfectly cast. There is a small roll for Louis L'Amour's daughter Angelique, and I enjoyed that as a tribute to her father.
Sam Elliott is a great actor, and seems born to play westerns (although he caught my eye way back on Mission: Impossible.) This one is a little atypical in that Conagher is not the most dashing looking cowboy, and yet has this immediate appeal, as does the story. Evie Teale is left to raise her two step children (beautifully played) when her husband never returns from a journey to buy cattle. In the story, we know what happened to him: he perished when his horse took a fall and trapped him after he too was gravely injured in the fall. Evie seems to sense that he is gone right away, and it is very believable, as she is a sensitive woman, who yearned for some signs of affection which were never fully forthcoming. Her loneliness is palpable, as is her desire to do right by her children.
She notices Con Conagher as soon as he enters the picture, and he notices her, but it is not time for them yet. He's too much a drifter, and she's fighting an uphill battle with keeping her farm going and feeding the stagecoach passengers. When that job comes to an end, you feel the growing desperation, and the determination to keep her family safe, fed, and together.
Con meanwhile has taken a job for Seaborn Tay, and when he gives his word, he means it. He rides for the brand. But Tay is being russled right and left by his other two cowhands.
Con sets that right. It isn't easy, but when was the life of a cowpuncher? He shows his morals and mettle, his sand.
The way Con and Mrs. Teale's lives keep crisscrossing is believable, as is the entire story. At the end, when they finally stop crisscrossing and run together, and the loneliness is finally banished, the drifting finally ended, we can't help but smile with great happiness and satisfaction. I wish I could give this movie 10 stars.
Movie Review: "SOME MEN TAKE A SIDE TO KILLING JOHNNY, WHEN THE KILLING TIME COMES ,BE SURE YOU'RE STANDING ON THE RIGHT SIDE!"
Summary: 5 Stars
I just loved this movie so much! It has a all-star cast of outstanding actors! It is about a tough, but gentle, honorable cowboy, who while riding the range, finds these love notes tied to tumbleweeds. He wonders about the woman who is writing the love notes, and wonders what she looks like but, he does not know that he has already met her!
Conagher is a good man, who tries to live this life the right way, but trouble always seems to find him, but Conagher has a very, very, good way of taking care of the bad guys! Sam Elliot's real life wife (Katherine Ross) plays Evie in the movie! Sam Elliot is one of my handsome, favorite cowboys, he has such compelling eyes, and I love his deep, velvet voice!
I highly recommend this movie, it is wonderful, and it is something different, and romantic, but yet still a very good western!
One of my favorite scenes in the movie, was when after the cowboys delivered the horses, the cowboys spend the night with a little tough, old man who is a awesome actor, who said that they could sleep on the floor, I have seen him in a lot of westerns, and he was always one of my favorites! All the actors in this movie did a outstanding job! It was very well done! MOVIE IDEA: Movie people, please make more westerns like this one!!
Movie Review: The best modern cowboy classic
Summary: 5 Stars
This is without a doubt, the best modern western I have ever seen. Sam Elliot (The epitomy of what a cowboy should be) plays a virtous, rough and ready cowboy who is the kind of man that many men whish they were. Independent, off in the wilderness, and riding the open range. That is of course until he meets a widow named Evey in distress, (Kathreine Ross), and they fall in love; although Conagher can't quite help from being "dumb as a post" about it all. The elctricity between the two actors is uncanny and just plain beautiful. I couldn't figure out how two actors could bring off such a believable and convincing job of being in love until I realized that they are married in real life. It is a wonderful movie for the whole family, as it exemplifies doing the "Right" thing no matter how tough the going gets. Barry Corbin turns in a great performance as comic relief. The rest I'll not spoil by saying any more. This is a must for your movie collection.