Plot Summary for
Open Range (2003) More at IMDbPro »

Boss Spearman, Charley Waite, Mose Harrison and Button freegraze their cattle across the vast prairies of the West, sharing a friendship forged by a steadfast code of honor and living a life unencumbered by civilization. When their wayward herd forces them near the small town of Harmonville, the cowboys encounter a corrupt sheriff and kingpin rancher who govern the territory through fear, tyranny and violence. Boss and Charley find themselves inextricably drawn towards an inevitable showdown, as they are forced to defend the freedom and values of a lifestyle that is all too quickly vanishing. Amidst the turmoil, life suddenly takes an unexpected turn for the loner Charley when he meets the beautiful and warm spirited Sue Barlow, a woman who embraces both his heart and his soul. Written by Sujit R. Varma

This tale of the Old West (let's avoid the term western) works on many fronts. It blends the expected violence with pathos, romance, and even comedy. The film opens with four cow hands (Robert Duvall as Boss; Kevin Costner as Charlie Waite; Abraham Benrubi as Mose, the gentle, boy-like cook; and Diego Luna, as Buttons, a 16 year old Spanish kid that has been taken in by the older cowboys) pushing a cattle herd. After a hard rain, Boss determines that Mose needs to go back to a town they passed and get extra supplies. When he fails to return, the two older men go after him. They find he has been beaten by a local rancher's men and then arrested for starting the fight. Going to the jail, they confront the corrupt town marshall (James Russo) and the rancher (Michael Gambon), who has a stranglehold on the town and a dislike for open range cattlemen. Mose is released and taken to a doctor (Dean McDermott), where the men also meet the doc's sister (Annette Bening), whom they initially mistake for his wife. Romance blooms! The men head back to the range, but are confronted by hooded riders and disaster that sends them on a path of revenge. Charlie's history as a former gunfighter slowly surfaces as he plans out the impending shootout. Written by John Sacksteder {jsackste@bellsouth.net}

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