Silverado
8 of 10
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan
Cinematography by John Bailey
Kevin Kline
Scott Glenn
Kevin Costner
Danny Glover
John Cleese
Brian Dennehy
Linda Hunt
Jeff Goldblum
For some reason, Hollywood seemed to lose the ability to make a decent Western about the same time John Ford died.  In fact, since the 70's, the genre has been almost unheard of, except for a few abysmal attempts by people like Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell, who can't usually do anything decent anyway.  In my mind, however, there is one significant exception: Silverado.  This film is old-time Western fare, filmed with modern equipment and a big budget, but still very true to its roots.  Its opening scene is quite possibly the most riveting opening to a film that I have ever seen, and it only gets better from there.  The four main characters are all very memorable, especially Danny Glover who plays a huge sharpshooter and the ever-leathery Scott Glenn.  Kevin Kline is excellent as Payden, the (somewhat intentionally) confused former outlaw.  And Kevin Costner is actually very good as the care-free younger brother to Glenn's Emmett.  Brian Dennehey is a treat as the villainous Sheriff Cobb, and there is even a short section with John Cleese which is a real hoot.  And Jeff Goldblum is a complete slime bag, which seems strangely fitting.  But despite the excellent performances turned in by all the male actors, it is Linda Hunt as Stella who really leaves the most lasting impression.  Kasdan, who is almost certainly most famous for helping to write the script for The Empire Strikes Back and for The Return of the Jedi, does a fine job of just staying out of the way and letting his excellent cast run the show.  And Bruce Broughton's film score is a wonderful tribute to the great, old-time Western music of Elmer Bernstein, Alfred Newman, and Aaron Copland.  This film is a wild, funny, wildly funny, and very entertaining ride.  Just enjoy it.
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