Silverado

Plot synopsis:
The story opens with a man sleeping in a remote cabin in the Old American West. The door to the cabin bursts open and a gunman enters, shooting at the sleeping man, who is barely able to grab his pistol and shoot back, killing his would-be killer. The man continues to aim at the sides of the cabin and shoots another man walking outside. Repeated shotgun blasts blow through the roof of the cabin but the man is out of shots for his revolver. He tosses the revolver at the wood burning stove in the cabin and distracts the roof shooter long enough to grab his Winchester rifle. He shoots upward and hits the roof shooter, who falls into the cabin. The man with the rifle, Emmett (Scott Glenn), walks outside and looks over the failed assassins. He also looks at the horses, seeing a familiar brand emblem. Emmett leaves the cabin and continues his journey.Far out in the desert, he comes across another man, lying on the ground in his long underwear. He gives the man some water and takes him along. Later, as they camp for the night, the man in the underwear tells Emmett that his name is Paden (Kevin Kline) and that he'd been riding with a group of men who looted him and stole his horse. The two stop at an Army outpost where Emmett gives Paden some money to buy proper clothing. Paden suddenly spots his horse and the man who stole it. He ducks into the nearby general store where he has an argument with the shopkeep. Paden wants to borrow a pistol but the clerk won't let him. Paden asks the man for a gun worth the money Emmett gave him and is given a rusty old pistol that the cylinder falls out of. Paden rushes out to the square and loads the gun; he is spotted almost immediately by the horse thief, who rides toward him, shooting. Paden takes quick but very careful aim and shoots the man off the horse. A few minutes later, while he kisses his horse, Paden is grilled by a US Army sergeant about the shooting. Paden tells the lieutenant to look at the underside of his saddle, where his name is etched. When the lieutenant asks Paden his name, another man in the crowd, Cobb (Brian Dennehy), speaks up and tells the lieutenant how to spell it. The lieutenant checks the bottom of the saddle, confirming Paden's claim and tells the crowd to disperse. He also tells Paden to get some clothes.Cobb loans Paden money to buy clothes and a hat (that has a broken brim). Paden promises to pay Cobb back ("I'm good for it."). Cobb asks Paden to join him in a new business venture further out west. Paden refuses to join Cobb but watches as Cobb meets a scruffy, shady-looking man, Tyree, who's shackles are being removed while he's freed from custody. While Cobb and Tyree ride off, Tyree asks Paden about a dog.Emmett plans to ride to another remote town called Turley, where he'll pick up his brother, Jake (Kevin Costner), and continue to Silverado to meet their sister and her family. After they visit for a while, Jake and Emmett plan to move on to California. Paden agrees to go, especially after Emmett mentions that there's a saloon there. The two arrive and are immediately scolded by a grizzly man, Hobart, who mistakenly calls them Baxter and Holly. Hobart is leading a group of farmers who are heading to Silverado to settle. When the real Baxter and Holly arrive, Paden and Emmett are suspicious of the deal they strike with Hobart.Paden and Emmett sit down to eat in a hotel restaurant. While they eat, a large black man, Malcolm "Mal" Johnson (Danny Glover) walks in and asks for a room for the night and a bottle of whiskey. The woman behind the counter apprehensively gives Mal the whiskey, however the hotel manager tells Mal to leave, saying he doesn't serve Mal's "kind" there. Three other man, eating at another table, suddenly stand up and approach Mal to throw him out. However, Mal is much tougher and smarter and quickly beats all three in a brief fight, causing a fair amount of damage to the restaurant. Just then the town's sheriff, John Langston (John Cleese), walks in and stops the brawl. Though Emmett and Paden offer testimony that Mal didn't start the fight, Langston still orders him to leave town. Mal gathers his things and leaves, taking the only shot of whiskey that wasn't broken in the brawl. Langston sits down with Emmett and Paden, explaining despite his British ancestry, the people of Turley accepted him for maintaining the peace. To that end, he asks them why they're in town. Emmett tells him that he's meeting his brother, Jake, and when he describes him, Langston immediately knows where he is; Jake has been jailed for shooting a man. Jake tells Emmett that it was self-defense (for kissing the wrong woman), however, Langston seems driven by Old West justice and Jake is to be hanged the next morning at 10 am. Though Emmett tells Jake that he can't help him, after he leaves the sheriff's office, Emmett tells Paden he plans to bust Jake out. Paden, however, refuses to get involved and he and Emmett go to the saloon for a drink. In the saloon, Paden spots the man who stole his hat. He also surmises that the man is carrying his Colt revolver. The man stands up slowly and tries to draw but Paden is faster, and he kills him. Langston has Paden thrown in jail with Jake immediately.The next morning, a young boy calls the sheriff out of his office. Langston leaves his deputy behind and follows the boy out; the sheriff's gallows where he'd planned to hang Jake, are engulfed in flames. Back in jail, Jake picks the cell's lock. When the deputy cautiously enters the cell to investigate he sees only Paden standing there. He's just finished locking Paden's wrists to the cell bars when a boot drops into sight, behind Paden. Paden suddenly punches the deputy, knocking him cold. (Jake had been hiding piggyback on Paden.) The two find their gear and wait outside the sheriff's office for Emmett. They get into a brief gunfight with a few of the town's residents and Langston, who had returned from the burning gallows. Emmett arrives with a couple of horses and the three race out of town, with the sheriff and his posse close behind. When they reach the town's outskirts, Jake, Emmett and Paden are aided by Mal Johnson, hiding in a rock outcropping and shooting with a Henry rifle - Mal is an accomplished sniper and prevents Langston's deputy from shooting Jake and shoots Langston's hat off his head. Knowing that any further pursuit would be dangerous, Langston calls off the manhunt. Mal joins the three and they continue to Silverado.Some time later the team finds Hobart's party, stranded in the scrubland. Baxter and Holly have betrayed them and stolen the strongbox with all their money. The team leaves Jake behind to get the wagon train moving again. Paden, Mal and Emmett ride north, finding a canyon where Baxter and Holly have joined up with their own gang. Emmett rides into the canyon, towing Paden's horse with Paden slung over it, playing dead. Emmett tells the gang's leader, Dawson (James Gammon), that he needs a place to hide out from a posse after robbing a bank in Turley. Dawson is furious that Emmett led a posse to his best hideout and plans to shoot Emmett on the spot when shots are heard from above. Mal and one of the settlers are shooting from the top of the canyon. Emmett frees all of Dawson's stolen horses, causing a ruckus, while Paden ties a rope to the strongbox and rides out, towing it behind him. Emmett follows with Mal and the settler covering the escape. While the three laugh over how well Mal's plan worked, the settler believes they'll betray him and his friends as well, and orders them to hand over the box. He's suddenly shot dead by one of Dawson's men who'd been hiding in the rocks above them; the three return fire and kill him. They ride back and help Jake guide the wagon train to Silverado. That night, Mal, Jake and Emmett share a campfire and Paden hints that he's interested in a woman named Hannah (Rosanna Arquette), the wife of the man who was killed at Dawson's hideout. Mal talks about the horrible work he endured in the slaughterhouses in Chicago and how he's going to Silverado to reunite with his father and his sister on the farm his father has set up.The team guides the settlers to their territory and ride the rest of the way to Silverado. They go their separate ways. Paden goes to the local saloon and meets the woman who manages it, Stella (Linda Hunt), who is a former legendary dancer from Virginia, the Midnight Star. She and Paden bond immediately, becoming instant friends. They're both met by Cobb, who reveals that he's sheriff of Silverado, calling the place "heaven." Mal goes to his father's farm, finding it overrun with cattle. He finds his father, Ezra, hiding out in a nearby cave; Ezra had been run off his land by by the men of a powerful cattle driver named McKendrick (Ray Baker). Ezra also tells Mal that his mother had died of fever the previous summer and that Mal's sister, Rae, is now a prostitute in town. Mal vows to set things right. At Jake and Emmett's sister's house, they reunite with their family. Their brother-in-law, the town's land claims agent, tells them that the town has become corrupted by Cobb's influence. Jake and Emmett are still determined to continue on to California.At night, Mal's father goes out to a nearby stream for water. He's met there by two of McKendrick's men who steal his Henry rifle and kill him. Mal, asleep in the cave where his father had been hiding, hears the gunshots and races down to the stream to find his father dead and his Henry rifle stolen.In town, Cobb meets Paden at the saloon and fires Stella's partner, Kelly, giving his job, security chief for Stella, to Paden. Cobb accuses Kelly of skimming profits and literally throws him out of the saloon. Paden accepts the job just as Kelly tries to shoot Cobb; Cobb is quicker on the draw and kills Kelly. Paden is unsure of having Cobb as a boss. While a crowd stares at Kelly's body, a professional gambler, Slick (Jeff Goldblum), arrives and inquires about a honest game. Cobb tells him to talk to Paden.Mal goes into town to tell his sister, Rae (Lynn Whitfield), that their father is dead. Rae is mostly unconcerned and isn't happy to see her brother. Mal tries to convince Rae to give up prostitution but she refuses.The settlers that were guided to Silverado hold a large picnic, inviting their rescuers, Jake and Emmett. During the festivities, McKendrick's men attack them, shooting their dogs and livestock and setting fire to their houses. Several people are shot. Jake and Emmett shoot several of the thugs; Emmett recovers a Henry rifle from one of them.Back at the saloon, Stella and Paden discuss the liquor she sells, which she shamelessly dilutes. She shows Paden the bottle of the "good stuff" she keeps for special occasions. A disturbance in the bar gets their attention and Paden finds Jake and Cobb's man, Tyree, facing off against each other. Jake had kissed Tyree's woman, Phoebe, angering Tyree. Paden disarms the situation quickly, seizing Tyree's pistol and telling Jake to leave, reminding him about his arrest in Turley. He gives Tyree his gun back, Tyree immediately shoves it underneath Paden's chin, threatening to kill him. Stella talks him down and Tyree leaves.Emmett and Jake's nephew, Augie, rides around town on a horse and is stopped by McKendrick and some of his men. Emmett happens by and returns the horse to McKendrick when he sees the cattle rancher's brand on it, proving the men who attacked Emmett while he was sleeping worked for him. McKendrick was looking for revenge, given Emmett shot his father to prevent him from shooting Jake in the back. The two exchange wary looks and McKendrick rides off.At the saloon, Cobb tells Stella about his history riding with Paden: the two, along with a large group of thieves, had pulled off many robberies together with a small group of friends, including Tyree. A stray dog had joined the group, becoming their mascot. Following a robbery, the dog tripped up Tyree's horse, throwing him off. Tyree had shot the dog and Paden, who never cared for much more than himself, was overcome and stopped to take care of the dog. He was left behind by Cobb and the others, got arrested by the posse & served jail time. Following his telling of the story, Cobb gives Paden his first earnings in the saloon. Cobb suggests that Paden could run the saloon without Stella, however, Paden refuses, saying he'd quit before taking Stella's dream away from her. Cobb tells Paden that Emmett, Jake and Mal are causing trouble in his town. He asks Paden not to interfere with his handling of the situation and Paden agrees.Outside town, Emmett is practicing his shooting, using Mal's father's rifle. When he's out of shots, several of McKendrick's men appear, including Tyree, and hold him down while Tyree runs him down with his horse. Just as they're about to shoot him dead, Mal appears on a nearby bluff and shoots one of Tyree's men in the hand, and kills another. They're sent back to town on foot. Mal talks to Emmett, telling him that he was looking for him and his father's rifle. Emmett is horribly injured but still needs to find his brother, who will be McKendrick's next target. Mal tells him to stay and rest and that he'll find Jake. Emmett tells him he's in just as much danger for killing the McKendrick's men.Mal talks to his sister, telling her that the men who killed their father are after Jake. Rae has Slick meet Mal, with the time and place to find Jake. When Mal arrives there, Cobb is waiting and has Mal beaten and arrested. While incarcerated, Paden visits Mal, who is distrustful of his friend since Paden works for Cobb.At Jake and Emmett's sister's house, McKendrick has captured them and waits for Jake. Jake returns home and is immediately captured. After he's brought outside, the house is set on fire to burn the land registries. His brother-in-law tries to stop McKendrick's men and is shot. His wife is knocked unconscious as well and Augie is kidnapped, having seen who caused the fire. News of the fire soon reaches the saloon. Paden and Stella rush to the fire; Stella directs her men to help with a bucket brigade headed by Paden, however, the fire has burned way beyond control. Cobb appears and says how he hates to see such destruction in his town. He again warns Paden that any interference could be dangerous for Stella.While Stella grills Paden on why he was just sitting around with everything going on, Rae gets word of her brother's capture and steals Slick's dagger, which he conceals in his boot. The deputy Mal shot in the hand brings her to him and tries to "search" her. She stabs the man in the back with Slick's dagger but is shot. Mal grabs the man and forces the dagger deeper into his chest, killing him. As he struggles for the keys to his cell, another of Cobb's deputies enters the room. Mal, virtually unable to see the man at an angle, throws the dagger into his chest, killing him. While this was going on, Stella figures out why Paden wouldn't act: Cobb was using her as leverage. She said there are always people in the world who think they can push others around. Paden admires her spirit but is still afraid of Cobb hurting her. (STELLA: He can't hurt me...if he's dead.) Phoebe then arrives to show them that Mal freed himself and left his unconscious sister in the storage room.Mal goes back to the cave where he'd left Emmett and tells him the evening's events, particularly about Augie being kidnapped. Overcoming his injuries, Emmett rises to his feet and gears up. Mal does as well, taking both his and his father's rifles. The pair ride out and are joined by Paden. They ride out to McKendrick's house on his cattle ranch. Causing a massive cattle stampede, they take out most of McKendrick's men. Mal takes up a position on the roof of the rancher's house, providing sniper cover fire. Emmett rides to the house and finds his nephew, killing several men. Augie tells Emmett that Jake was killed on the way to the house when he fell off his horse and into a deep ravine. Emmett smiles, knowing that Jake, an acrobat of some talent, would never have such an accident. Paden battles several more men in the horse barn and is nearly shot when one thug sneaks up on him with Jake's pistols. As he moves in, Jake swings down on a rope, knocking the man out cold. The two take out the rest of the men in the barn and retreat, Jake finding both Augie and Emmett at the house. Mal is nearly killed himself on the roof, however, he is able to take out his killer after a warning from Paden. The team leaves the ranch and rides for Silverado.At the outskirts of town, the team gears up and leaves Augie at the town cemetery. Jake rushes into the saloon, drawing the attention of Tyree and another deputy. The two search the saloon but can't find Jake, who'd been hiding under the platform that Stella has behind the bar. Jake, having removed his boots, sneaks out to find that Tyree and his partner have walked down opposite sides from the front door. Jake calls out to them and shoots them both simultaneously.Mal goes to the store room where Rae lies injured. Slick is there, having traced Rae. Slick, telling Mal that Rae needs a doctor, tries to kill Mal with a hidden Derringer, however, Mal is too fast. Slick reaches for his dagger, but is stabbed by Mal with it.Emmett rides through town looking for McKendrick and the two begin a furious horseback gunfight. Emmett is able to take out McKendrick's sniper, but loses his rifle when McKendrick lands a lucky shot, jamming it. Emmett is also shot in the leg by his enemy, dropping his pistol. Emmett lures McKendrick to the other side of town; riding his horse up a loading ramp, he makes his horse jump from a platform, it's hooves hitting McKendrick in the head, killing him.Paden and Cobb face off in a traditional Old West duel, with Stella looking on. The two say goodbye to each other. Cobb draws first, but is too slow and Paden kills him. Paden slowly re-holsters his pistol.Paden and Stella meet back in the saloon and finally share a drink of the "good stuff." Emmett and Jake say their goodbyes as well and head out for California, like they planned, their brother-in-law and sister and Augie are safe. Mal and Rae head back to their father's farm. As they all leave, Paden now wears the Silverado sheriff's badge and seems likely to marry Hannah, the settler.

Tags: cult, murder, violence

Review:
Two film makers decided to test the waters, however; Clint Eastwood, reviving an older version of his "Man with No Name", directed and starred in his SHANE homage, PALE RIDER; and Lawrence Kasdan, fresh from the huge success of THE BIG CHILL, fulfilled his life-long dream to make a western, with SILVERADO.
Neither film was successful at the box office, and pundits predicted they would soon be forgotten...but a new force in the movie industry was emerging, video rentals, and SILVERADO, with it's spectacular action sequences, charismatic heroes, and sweeping, unforgettable music score (by Bruce Broughton), was an unexpected and overwhelming hit, drawing Hollywood's attention to the new market, and lifting the film to the near-classic cult status it enjoys today.While PALE RIDER would focus on Clint Eastwood's continuing demythologizing of the West (which would culminate in 1992's UNFORGIVEN), SILVERADO embraces all the 'classic' Western clichés, serving them up with such exuberance that they seem 'fresh'.
The story of four likable 'shootists' of nearly superhuman skills, bonding, and ultimately taking on a corrupt sheriff and his brutal gang of deputies in the town of Silverado, trots out one traditional element after another, from the classic 'bushwhack' (with a John Ford 'Doorway Framing' homage shot) to the 'pretty widow' in a wagon train; from the 'saloonkeeper with a heart of gold' to the 'crooked gambler with a concealed weapon'...and even climaxes with that most traditional of finales, as two ex-partners face off on a dusty street in an old-fashioned Western shootout.The four leads couldn't have been cast more perfectly; Scott Glenn channels Gary Cooper as a laconic cowboy fresh from an undeserved 5-year prison stretch; Kevin Kline exudes his signature charm as an ex-gang member whose life changed because of "a dog"; Danny Glover is warm and reassuring as a man moving west from Chicago to help his family, armed with a legendary Henry rifle; and, best of all, young Kevin Costner, in his breakout performance, is irresistible, wild and acrobatic, as Glenn's ever-optimistic, carefree younger brother, a part Kasdan wrote specifically for the actor, after his scenes were cut from THE BIG CHILL.The supporting cast is equally superb, with standout performances by giant Brian Dennehy, John Cleese (as a sheriff who knows 'where' his jurisdiction ends), Jeff Goldblum, Linda Hunt, James Gammon ("You led a posse to my best hide-out??"), Jeff Fahey, and, in a wonderful if brief role, breathtaking Rosanna Arquette, as the widow courted by both Kline and Glenn.
With a cast THIS good, it is remarkable that the film had to 'go to video' to achieve success!The final line of SILVERADO, "We'll be back!", shouted by Costner as he and Glenn ride 'into the sunset', has had countless fans wishing that a follow-up movie had been made (a 1999 nationwide video poll chose SILVERADO as the film "Most Deserving of a Sequel"), but time has, sadly, eliminated that possibility.
The film that 'failed' when released, in a genre that 'experts' considered passé, is, after nearly 20 years, still winning new fans.As Kevin Kline and Linda Hunt say, as a toast: "Here's to the good stuff...May it last a long time!".
Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Patricia Arquette, Brian Dennehy, Jeff Fahey, Jeff Goldblum, John Cleese, and many more populate this well-paced wild west adventure about friendship, loyalty, and justice.
That one line from Jake (Kevin Costner) as he, Paden (Kevin Kline), Emmett (Scott Glenn), and Mal (Danny Glover) are riding into town for the last battle against a corrupt sheriff (Brian Dennehy) exemplifies everything that is great about 'Silverado'.
The supporting cast has some nice players: John Cleese shows up as a fair-minded sheriff who seems to have walked over from a Monty Python skit; Academy Award-winner Linda Hunt ('The Year Of Living Dangerously') steals scenes as a strong-willed bar owner who Kevin Kline befriends; and Brian Dennehy is thoroughly slimy as the villain.The action is fun, and director Lawrence Kasdan shows a gift for this material (granted, he was the person who wrote 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'), and the screenplay (also by Kasdan) is joyous in the way it resurrects the Western.
Among the "lists" you see on this website's message boards and elsewhere, you rarely see this movie mentioned among top westerns and that is a huge oversight.There are four main "good guys" that are played by well-known actors: Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner and Danny Glover.
except Kevin Costner.Well, I watched it recently on Turner Classic Movies and, reluctantly, decided it was just prejudice, however deserved, and in truth Costner really made a very good cowboy.There is a little secret here I won't completely divulge: Watch how actors mount their horses, and you'll see if they really know Western riding and, for that matter, if the director knows his business.One of the actors deserving special praise is Brian Dennehy.
He, of course, was right at home.Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, and Danny Glover also looked right at home, as if they had been born making Westerns.Linda Hunt, another actor who can seemingly do no wrong, was in another movie this same year, 1985, the terribly unfairly ignored "Eleni," and it and "Silverado" both were much better than the movie that carried nearly all the awards, and which I won't name here.That other film might have deserved the Oscar for its score, but even the score of "Silverado" was first class and would have got my vote if I were allowed to cast a ballot.
In 1880 , two brothers (Scott Glenn and Kevin Costner) along with an unlikely comrade (Kevin Kline) and an African-American (Danny Glover) arrive in the Old West town named Silverado ruled by a nasty marshal (Brian Dennehy) , there they become embroiled in a violent feuding over a valuable patch of land and flock .
As an avid fan of the Westerns, both old and new, I have nothing but compliments for "Silverado" and even now, almost a quarter of a century since its theatrical debut, it still holds up as a terrifically entertaining good-hearted Western action film and fills the souls of its viewers with the same wild love and thrill that the classics and the men who made them have.While "Pale Rider" and later, "Unforgiven" (1992) brought us a gritty, cynical view of the 19th century world, "Silverado" brings us one full of glory and spectacle from its magnificent scenery to its pulse-raising downtown shootouts and standoffs.
"Silverado" is basically the same kind of film as "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) and the other gun-blazing Westerns from the golden age revamped and upgraded for a more contemporary audience, but still working more or less in the same way."Silverado" is full of old-fashioned, but terrifically entertaining action scenes ranging from fistfights to classic one-on-one showdowns in the middle of a deserted dusty street, but part of what also keep it standing on its own feet are the background stories of the colorful characters, many of whom are played by actors quite unfamiliar to the Western genre.
Many of the reviews say _Silverado_ broke new ground for the Western genre, but I would argue that while it was undoubtedly good escapist fun, it was more derivative than innovative.Sure, the conversations often seem much more natural than those from other Westerns, and indeed most of the characters are drawn with more dimensions intact, but the entire script could have been pulled together by pulling scenes from a bag full of ideas from other movies.
Admittedly, this one came along when the Western was going through a bit of a dry spell, which made it all the more welcome.Four very engaging stars - Kevin Kline as Paden, Scott Glenn as Emmett, Danny Glover as Mal, Kevin Costner as Jake - are an interesting combo, as these characters, united by circumstance, eventually band together to fight against the injustices occurring in the town of Silverado.
Kasdan was setting out to celebrate, not call into question, traditional ideas of the West; his is a West where the heroes are heroic, the villains villainous and the men in the metaphorical white hats always come out on top.Most of the cast play their parts well, including the two Kevins, Costner and Kline, as the brothers Paden and Jake, Brian Dennehy as the villainous sheriff and Danny Glover as the black cowboy Mal.
This is not necessarily inaccurate- doubtless there were English immigrants in the West- but Cleese's style of acting has always been more suited to comedy than to serious drama.The main problem with the film is that Kasdan does not really succeed in bringing anything new to the Western genre in the way in which one of his stars, Kevin Costner, was to succeed in doing with "Dances with Wolves" a few years later- or indeed as he himself was to do in his next Western, "Wyatt Earp", which also starred Costner.
It is, however, a handsome, well-made film with an iconic performance from Eastwood himself as the mysterious, possibly supernatural, Preacher."Pale Rider" may recycle one or two well-worn situations, but "Silverado" seems to be a compendium of nearly every stock cliché from the previous fifty years of making Westerns- the villainous rancher, the equally villainous lawman, the wagon train, the cattle stampede, the man wrongly accused of murder, the man seeking revenge for the murder of his father, the final climactic shoot-out in the main street of the town.
Not unless it's "Airplane," and this isn't, it's "Silverado," director Lawrence Kasdan's heartfelt but cluttered Valentine to the Western.Heading west, reformed outlaws Emmett (Scott Glenn) and Paden (Kevin Kline) become a band, first by springing Emmett's wild brother Jake (Kevin Costner), then by getting saved from a posse by Mal (Danny Glover), crack shot with a Henry rifle.
There really is no weak link in the entire film but some of the others who stand out are Linda Hunt, tough but gentle as saloon keeper Stella and Brian Dennehy whose character could have been just a great hulking bear of a villain but because of the magnetism he brings and the way he plays the part with a twinkle in his eye makes him far more interesting.
That's just the problem:  There are so many top notch actors to watch, by the time the action reaches SILVERADO, your not sure who to watch anymore.With all that terrific talent on hand, it's also amazing to me that Producer-Director-Writer Lawrence Kasdan (THE BIG CHILL) would cast such a weak head villain, particularly with such strong ones (Fahey and Dennehy) to compete for attention.Still this is the most "ridingist, fightingist, shootingist" western of the 80s, and one of the five best of the last three decades.
John Cleese is unconvincing as a Sheriff, Danny Glover misses Mel Gibson as a funny Man, and Kevin Kline demonstrates yet again he does not have as broad a range of talent as his press releases suggest.Kevin Costner hams it up, and the film would have been better directed by Mel Brooks.
To me, Lawrence Kasdan's "Silverado" and Christopher Cain's "Young Guns" (1988) are the greatest westerns from the 1980's, films that brought some positive innovations to the genre; the most memorable sighs the genre had in that period before its ultimate resurrection in the following decade with the acclaim of titles like "Dances with Wolves" and "Unforgiven".Hardly original but always effective, this homage made by Kasdan (who also paid a tribute to the noir with "Body Heat") presents four good guys (Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover and Kevin Costner) dealing with a great load of trouble and danger while trying to make their way to the city of Silverado (and there's trouble in there as well), and there they're gonna fight with the corrupt authorities of the place.
Besides the mentioned main stars, there's room for veteran heavyweights like Brian Dennehy, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Fahey, Jeff Goldblum, John Cleese, Lynn Whitfield, Joe Seneca, Richard Jenkins and the memorable performance of Linda Hunt, playing the helpful saloon owner.It shows that the Old West wasn't just a place for bad guys and hard faces, but also a place for guys that weren't so good in their behavior but always tried to do the right thing for the right people and for themselves too.
It's the year 1880.Four men, Paden, Emmett, Jake and Mal, start their journey to the town of Silverado.They have to release Emmett's brother Jake from jail first, where he is waiting for his hanging.In Silverado they have a job to do.Silverado from 1985 is directed by Lawrence Kasdan.It stars some very fine stars.Also in the smaller parts there are some pretty known names.Kevin Kline plays the part of Paden.Scott Glenn is Emmett.The young Kevin Costner is very energetic in his performance as Jake.Today this man, at 55, is acting, directing and touring with his band Modern West.He even visited here in Finland a few weeks earlier.Danny Glover portrays Malachi "Mal" Johnson.Joe Seneca is his father Ezra while Lynn Whitfield portrays his sister Rae.John Cleese represents what you could call surprise casting.This Brit from Monty Python group plays Sheriff John T.
Langston.The other Sheriff, Cobb, is portrayed by Brian Dennehy.Jeff Goldblum plays 'Slick' Calvin Stanhope.Jeff Fahey is Deputy Tyree.The late Earl Hindman remembered from the show Home Improvement plays J.T. Hollis.Richard Jenkins is Kelly.The late Brion James is in an uncredited part playing Hobart.In the female department we have Rosanna Arquette as Hannah.Linda Hunt is Stella, the owner of the saloon Midnight Star.The movie has pretty much of good stuff.It's great to watch Paden's gunman skills-in his underwear.The last showdown looks cool.The movie takes place in the old west, but it looks very 80's.It's not necessarily a bad thing, especially for us who like the 80's..
A basic good versus evil story is brought to life with terrific characters portrayed by some of the best actors the movie industry has to offer.I recommend that you add "Silverado" to the Westerns section of your "Top Ten Desert Island" collection.
"Silverado" shows that Scott Glenn could perhaps be a powerful Western-star, but his whole potential is hardly used to it´s best here, and I guess that the direction from Lawrence Kasdan is overall uneven.
Well, I've read the previous comments and I disagree with the user review...The reviewer needs to watch many more westerns...Scott Glen, Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Goldblum and Jeff Fahey all give credible performances because they can act in almost any genre...The 2 Kevin's...ie; Costner and Kline are obviously ill suited for westerns...Don Knotts as Paden would have made a better impact than Kline...Perhaps Sam Elliot or Tom Selleck would have been better casted in the roles of Paden and Jake...but then again, this is not a real western but a tinsel town contrived escape from reality...I'm surprised they didn't have Madonna in the cast, yodeling...The basic problem with this movie is that Kasden's don't have a clue !.
It stars Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Kevin Costner, Brian Dennehy, Jeff Goldblum Linda Hunt and Rosanna Arquette.
Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover and Kevin Costner play four cowboys struggling against bad direction to make a throwback western script by the writer of such classics as The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Released in 1985, "Silverado" is a Western about two brothers (Scott Glenn & Kevin Costner) and two other gents (Kevin Kline & Danny Glover) who become friends and ultimately team-up to take on the corrupt sheriff of the New Mexican town Silverado.The first time I watched "Silverado" was in the mid-90s and I was turned off by the implausibility of the prison break scene in the first act, not to mention the nigh goofiness of Costner's character.
Even the name gives away the genre of this movie, if you swap in your mind Scott Glenn for John Wayne, Kevin Kline for Dean Martin or Bob Mitchum, Costner for James Caan and Danny Glover for any one of the character actors the Duke retained in his entourage and Silverado would sit comfortably in the Rio Lobo, Eldorado and Rio Bravo stable of westerns.Once you do fix those role changes in your head the film becomes unfairly disappointing when you realise how much you miss the Duke and inevitably predictable.That said it was a good western with the old fashioned Black Hat/White Hat virtues of good and evil portrayed in its classic format.No surprises once you realise it is not a comedy and John Clease is really playing a straight role, and a 'feel good' ending as the genre dictates..
this is another western i thoroughly enjoyed.i really liked the story and the interesting mix of characters.this was Kevin Costner's first big role,and he certainly has fun with his character.Kevin Kline though is really a standout here.but there are also some other great actors involved.Brian Dennehy is good,as is Scott Glenn,and Danny Glover.I also really liked Linda Hunt as Stella.but again,there is one actor who i felt just didn't fit in this movie.that was Jeff Goldblume.he just seemed out of place to me.the movie itself is well paced,and has a very rousing score,which is perfect for this film.so far though,there are two westerns which are my favourite up to this point.both Open Range,also with Kostner(and Robert Duvall)and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.however,Silverado is still an immensely entertaining film.for me,it's a strong 8/10.
It has an incredible cast, from the four main leads (Glenn, Costner, Kline, and Glover), down to the secondary types (particular Brian Dennehy, but also Linda Close) down to even minor roles like Jeff Goldblum, Jeff Fahey, Roseanne Arquette and John Cleese).
Quirky and fun, it's more of a flashier western, in the mould of Young Guns or Tombstone, than Something like The Outlaw Josie Wales or Pale Rider (the latter released the same year) with beautiful location photography, a fantastic score (which was one of the 2 Oscars the movie was nominated for) it's a very fun easy watch.It's a cliché story with stereotypical characters, but each of the four leads (Kevin Klein, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover and KC) performances are so good, none more so than KC, it never for one minute bothers you.