Matialth
Good concept, poorly executed.
Breakinger
A Brilliant Conflict
Dynamixor
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Livestonth
I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible
Wuchak
RELEASED TO TV IN 1991 and directed by Reynaldo Villalobos, "Conagher" stars Sam Elliott as taciturn noble cowboy, Conn Conagher, who contends with rustlers (Gavan O'Herlihy, et al.) while concerned about a struggling widow raising her two kids on a remote homestead (Katharine Ross). Although this was a Turner production (TNT), it doesn't seem like a TV movie and harkened the realistic Westerns that were to come, including TV Westerns like "Monte Walsh" (2003) and TV shows like Hell on Wheels. Of course realistic Westerns which illustrated the hard, mundane life of people in the Old West weren't anything new, as witnessed by movies like "Shane" (1953), "Will Penny" (1967), "Hombre" (1967) and "Bad Company" (1972), but there's something about "Conagher" that especially smacks of the way it really was, which is akin to "Son of the Morning Star," released earlier the same year. The quaint, mundane score helps in achieving this tone. While the music doesn't trip my trigger, as it's just too humdrum, it fits the feel of the film.For those not in the know, Elliott and Ross have been married since 1984, which probably helped with the palpable "love at first sight" element. Speaking of which, whilst this is a realistic Western about the many challenges of life in the Old West (sudden death, loneliness, hard outdoor work, the elements, Indian threats, corruption, outlaws, gunfights, etc.), there's a romantic component with Evie Teale (Ross) attaching snippets of poetry to tumbleweeds that Conn inevitably finds (unbeknownst to Evie). THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 34 minutes and was shot mostly in Arizona, but also Colorado (Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway). WRITERS: Louis L'Amour (novel) and Jeffrey M. Meyer (teleplay) with additional dialogue by Elliott and Ross.GRADE: B
Oslo Jargo (Bartok Kinski)
*** This review may contain spoilers *** *Plot and ending analyzed*Conagher (1991) is a wonderful Western. The only critique I have is one, when the Apaches attack the cabin, they get killed rather easily. If you overlook that bad bit of writing, then this is a great late-era Western for any fans of the genre.This is the reason why Westerns are so good, because they put forth a flawed man or some man in an a ambivalent place. Sam Elliott is the main reason that I enjoyed this film. He exemplifies the Cowboy ethic, a tough, stern, but fair man, he'll pick the correct side, even if he is outnumbered or doomed.Barry Corbin as a Stage Driver, Paul Koslo as Kiowa Staples, a killer, Pepe Serna (Silverado (1985)) as a Cowboy, Ken Curtis (Gunsmoke (1955)) in his last Western, and James Gammon (Silverado (1985)) are just a few of the fabulous cast.One scene has Sam Elliott attacking his rival's Cowboy camp and he has a chance to kill them all but he doesn't. He's not a killer. He's wounded, and then falls unconscious. The rival Cowboys also have a chance to kill him, but the head Cowboy says, "He's worth more to this land than anyone else." That is just great. It exemplifies the Cowboy way and the land they lived on.A very good film.
Cowgirlie
With Sam Elliot and Katherine Ross's smoking chemistry, this delightful adaptation of the L'Amour classic is a winner all the way.The horses, horsemanship (most of it anyway) and tack and equipment are correct for the time period, a rarity in TV movies. The range of emotion is beautifully captured in the sweeping cinematography, rich with sunsets and broad expanses of prairie. The story, one of LAmour's finest, tells of a woman facing the harsh reality that sometimes husbands never do come home...and the kindness of strangers may be the saving grace. Several songs have sprung from the imagery of this film,one of the best being Juni Fisher's "He'd Be Home By Now" on her "Sideshow Romance" album, (Red Geetar Records, 2004) Enjoy this one with a bowl of popcorn and keep a hankie ready.
Lonesome Dave
The book and movie is every bit a classic as Owen Wister's The Virginian.
On one level the movie may seem a bit slow, but that is the beauty of it.Like Lonesome Dove, Conagher follows the book very closely and could not have a better cast chosen.The only negative is that it is not available on DVD, WAKE UP TED!!
