[7]
Writer/director Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill, Grand Canyon) takes a stab at the American western with Silverado. His ensemble cast includes Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, and Kevin Costner as misfit cowboys who end up riding together against a gang of bandits and a crooked sheriff (Brian Dennehy) who have a stranglehold on the film’s eponymous township.
Silverado is a fun movie that recaptures the spirit of older Hollywood studio westerns. Kline, Glenn, and Glover share the bulk of the screen time in three separate storylines involving different villains, all of whom get narratively tied together in the climactic final act. Kevin Costner is a scene-stealing supporting player as Glenn’s younger brother, a rapscallion who Kline and Glenn have to break out of jail early in the film. Diminutive Oscar-winner Linda Hunt (The Year of Living Dangerously) brings warmth to the role of Silverado’s barkeep who befriends Kline’s character and ends up being a pawn in Dennehy’s dastardly dealings.
The film moves well and concludes satisfyingly, but it also feels like it was originally intended to be a much longer, more sophisticated affair. Supporting players Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Goldblum, and John Cleese have roles that feel compromised — possibly left in large part on the cutting room floor. But it’s still nice to see such a magnificent roster of talent all in the same movie. The supporting cast also includes Jeff Fahey, Richard Jenkins, Amanda Wyss, Earl Hindman, and James Gammon. Bruce Broughton’s rousing score galvanizes the entire film.
Oscar Nominations: Best Score (Bruce Broughton), Best Sound