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The Outsider by Randa Haines
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Canada
DVD Cover InformationActor: David Carradine, Keith Carradine, Naomi Watts, Thomas Curtis, Tim Daly Director: Randa Haines DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language) Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Picture Format: 1.33:1 Running Time: 119 minutes DVD Release Date: 2003-11-18 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Studio: Showtime Ent.
Movie Reviews of The OutsiderMovie Review: You might want to read the novel for the back story! Summary: 5 StarsThe ominious gun on the black dvd cover and the violent sounding description almost made me bypass this beguiling romance. However, I have become a fan of Naomi Watts so I decided to watch it figuring I could always eject it.
I have never seen the Angel and the Badman which I believe might have a similiar plot but I have viewed the Amish-themed Witness numerous times. The Outsider has much in common with Witness-a pastoral setting, a beautiful widow with a young son who develops feelings for a violence-prone outsider, the disapproval of the religious community over her actions, and the juxtaposition of forgiveness vs said violence.
Briefly, the plot centers around Rebecca Yoder (Watts), a sheep rancher's widow whose husband is murdered by a cattleman who wants their land and them gone. A gravely wounded "shootist" named Johnny Gault (Tim Daly) mysteriously stumbles onto her farm before collapsing. Mirroring Witness, Rebecca nurses him back to health to the disapproval of almost everyone.
However, the evil cattleman Hunter continues to harass and threaten not only the comely widow but the entire Plaom community so the shootist begins to take matters into his own hands. Gault also builds up a father-son relationship with Benjo, Rebecca's stuttering young son who begins to emulate Gault using a rather biblical sling-shot instead of a gun.
I was not familiar with very attractive Daly (which it made it more fun) but he nails his character perfectly and Watts is wonderful as usual and their chemistry is just great! The movie is beautifully filmed on location in New Zealand which passes nicely for Montana (ironically Australian Peter Weir came to the US to direct Witness).
In ways this movie was more satisfying to me than Witness since the protagonist falls deeply in love with a breathtakingly beautiful, self-described shootist of some repute (29 people according to the novel), gambler and a liar and then examines the ramifications of that love.
The movie was sufficiently compelling for me to read the Penelope Williamson's novel on which the movie is based. Overall the movie is better edited than the book which has way too many subplots.
However (and there are minor quibbles), I guess in the interest of movie length there some plot omissions that in my opinion would add richness to the story. First and foremost, the viewer never learns the circumstances that led up to Johnny Gault being severely wounded and stumbling up on the Yoder farm in the first place!
Secondly, I know that sheep and cattle don't mix but we never really understand the motivation of the juggernaut villian, Mr. Hunter, to drive out the Plain people.
Also the final shootout has been motified somewhat and I think that the novel is better in that regard as it gives a stronger character arc to the shootist.
This is two movies in one-a violent western and a charming romance-but it works really well.
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