After writing about my dad’s favorite movies, I started thinking about Westerns, specifically modern Westerns. There are so many good ones and it was hard to limit this list to just ten. It was incredibly difficult to figure out what year to make a cutoff point for this list. I decided to go with 1990, but that would leave out a movie I love, so I went with the more vague idea of any movies I saw as a kid that were released during that time.
First up though, we have some movies that did not make the cut…
Action Westerns
I love the more modern Westerns that come off as crazy action movies. The Magnificent Seven and 3:10 to Yuma remakes quickly come to mind (although, I think 3:10 to Yuma has some fantastic performances from Christian Bale and Russell Crowe). I also love American Outlaws (Colin Farrell, Scott Caan–who is just playing Tweeter from Varsity Blues in the wild west, and Ali Larter just rushing around shooting the shit out of everything) and Texas Rangers (Dawson and Kelso in a movie together, does it get any better than that? Yes, Tom Skerritt).
The Artsy Western
These are the beautiful looking movies. The Hateful Eight immediately comes to mind. The incredible cinematography is worth the price of the ticket alone. Or you have the amazing performances by Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Or the completely weird Jim Jarmusch film with Johnny Depp: Dead Man. All of them are great movies, but not in the top ten of my favorites.
Western?
One of the first movies I thought of during this list was No Country For Old Men. Is it a Western? Well no. But it feels like one. I may need to do a Coen Brothers list at some point, I think this one would take the top spot for me.
Okay, now onto the top ten list of my favorite modern Westerns.
10. Young Guns
This was the movie that made me expand my time-line for what constitutes modern. It came out in 1988 and it was definitely a different feel from the Westerns my dad enjoyed. The movie came out before the internet and I tried researching the characters, which my encyclopedias only mentioned a few of them. My favorite scene is when Billy the Kid meets the bounty hunter and he asks him what the kid looks like.
9. Wyatt Earp
This will be an unpopular opinion, but I like Wyatt Earp. Granted, it is not nearly as good as the other movie about the famous lawman, but damn it is pretty good. Kevin Costner is good and the movie focuses a good bit more on Earp’s early life.
8. The Quick and the Dead
Sam Raimi directs a Western. Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and Leonard DiCaprio in a really cool almost video game-esque movie. Stone has to defeat each gunfighter before she can move up to take on the boss. The movie has some great quick draw scenes and ridiculous characters. Such a fun movie.
7. Young Guns II
I think the sequel is better than the first. I know, I am probably in the minority. It probably has something to do with the killer Jon Bon Jovi soundtrack. Also, I loved that it was told from the perspective of Brushy Bill, who claimed to have been Billy the Kid.
6. True Grit
The Coen Brothers remake of the John Wayne classic. It is tough to redo a classic, but the Coen Brothers found a way to make it their own. Jeff Bridges is fantastic as Rooster and the rest of the cast does a fantastic job.
5. The Proposition
The Australian Western. This was one of the first movies I ever wrote about on this blog. This movie feels like the modern version of a Sergio Leone movie. Australia is probably the perfect place to film a Western (and to be honest, the movie was able to use the history of Australia as the backdrop, which was definitely a positive and different take on the genre).
4. Maverick
This has to be my favorite poker movie of all-time. Yes, the hands are insanely over-the-top, but there are great poker lines “two small pair, eights and eights.” The movie also has tons of double-crosses. The final poker hand is so godo (again, ridiculous, but who cares). I love the reveal that James Garner is Mel Gibson’s dad. Oh and if I am being honest here, I thought Jodie Foster was incredibly hot in this movie.
3. Tombstone
The Wyatt Earp movie that everyone loves. Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, and Sam Elliot! People love to quote this movie, particular Doc Holiday quotes. However, I love to quote Virgil when he gives his gun speech. Or the classic Curly Bill line of “well, bye.” I think my favorite scene is early in the movie when Kurt Russell first comes to Tombstone and he meets Billy Bob Thorton’s character…
2. Django Unchained
“I like the way you die, boy.” A Tarantino Western. It is funny, action-packed, brutal, beautiful, and dark. We have the DiCaprio meme scene, but also the awful dogs eating a slave scene. I could watch this movie over and over just for the dinner scene.
1. Unforgiven
This is one of my favorite movies. Honestly, I think it is basically perfect. The broken down former outlaw, who decides to get back into it in order to make some money for his kids. Clint Eastwood plays the outlaw, William Munny, perfectly. The final showdown at the bar is excellent. Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman are also incredible.
I love the scene before this one, where Munny is learning about Ned’s death. When he hears the story, he starts drinking. The way you see him change. His tone and demeanor change “that didn’t scare Little Bill, did it?” and then “you’re the only friend I got.” It is not the same William Munny we saw earlier in the movie, especially the one who tells the Bar-T boys to get the dying man a drink of water. The William Munny that is a cold-blooded killer is back. I need to go watch the whole movie now.
