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Open Range Review By Shawn McKenzie 08/16/2003 Kevin Costner amazes me. He has set the bar so low that he has managed to trick some critics into thinking his latest movie, Open Range, is good (he also directed it.) Don’t worry…I didn’t fall for it.
It’s 1882, and we open with cattlemen Charley Waite (Costner) and Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) herding their stock on the open range. They have been doing this for almost a decade, and currently Mose Harrison (Abraham Benrubi), a big hulking man, and Button (Diego Luna), a 16-year-old kid, have been assisting them with their cattle. They are “freegrazers,” cowboys who let their livestock graze in vacant fields not owned by anyone specifically. Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon), an Irish immigrant who rules the small town of Harmonville with the help of his hired gunslinger Butler (Kim Coates) and the town’s peacekeeper, Sheriff Poole (James Russo), doesn’t like freegrazers, because they feed on his potential land. One day Charley and Boss send Mose to town to get some supplies. When he doesn’t come back, they head to town to find out what happened to him. They find that he’s been jailed and beaten by Baxter’s men. After getting him out of jail, they take him to Doc Barlow (Dean McDermott) to get him fixed up. It is there that Doc’s relative Sue (Annette Bening) catches Charley’s eye. She assists the doctor in the clinic, and it appears that she is attracted to Charley as well. After Mose is back on his feet, they leave town. They don’t leave the area, because they want revenge for what Baxter’s men did to Mose. They also find out that the locals are planning to either take or scatter their herds. Charley and Boss confront a group of Baxter’s men, but when they return to their camp, they find Button near death, and Moses and their dog dead. They bury Moses and their dog, and then they bring Button to the Doc’s house. He is gone at that moment, but Sue does an effective job caring for Button. In a High Noon-style showdown, Charley and Boss decide to have a final shootout with Baxter and his men so they can get revenge for Moses and so they can be free to freegraze again. They are assisted by a local stable owner named Percy (the late Michael Jeter) who doesn’t like the iron grip that Baxter has over the town. They realize that they could be killed, but they would rather die than not live free.
First, I will say that, with the exception of Costner, the acting in this movie is excellent. I’ve never seen Duvall in a Western before (though I am aware he has made them), and he is a natural fit. Benrubi finally gets a role that allows him to display his acting chops. He hasn’t had a role this big since he played Larry Kubiac on “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose” (I know most people know him as Jerry on “E.R.,” but that role has never been more than extended cameos.) Costner, on the other hand, is as wooden as ever.
If I liked the acting so much, why didn’t I like the movie more? It is because the movie is slow and boring in several parts. The movie tries so hard to be Unforgiven that it is almost annoying. Coster’s description of his violent past comes off more as a pity party than as self-reflection. The romance between Costner and Bening goes absolutely nowhere, and then is conveniently wrapped up in the end. She seems to like him only because he is the last single man to take a woman over 30-years-old and not because she actually likes him.
One thing about this movie that I found unusual was the camerawork. It is the first time I have seen a Western shootout filmed with a Stedicam. In case you don’t know what that is, just think “NYPD Blue.” It’s a handheld camera that is slightly shaky, but gives you a closer look at what is being filmed. Saving Private Ryan had several scenes shot with a Stedicam, and it looked kind of cool in this movie. Open Range isn’t Costner’s worst movie (that honor goes to 3000 Miles to Graceland.) It isn’t even his worst directorial effort (The Postman takes that one.) It’s just long and boring. If you are hungering for a Western, I suppose it will do, but it
didn’t do much for me. If they had trimmed the movie and gotten rid of the romance, it might have been better. Oh, and Kevin…try directing a movie without starring in it next time. I believe you could be a good director, but for some reason, I’ve never liked your acting.
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