''Monte Walsh'' is a 2003 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

television film directed by

Simon Wincer Simon Wincer (born 1943) is an Australian film and television director best known for the miniseries ''Lonesome Dove (miniseries), Lonesome Dove'' and the film ''Free Willy''. He attended Cranbrook School, Sydney, Cranbrook School, Sydney, from ...

and starring

Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations fo ...

Isabella Rossellini Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (; born 18 June 1952) is an Italian actress and model. The daughter of Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and Italian film director Roberto Rossellini, she is noted for her successful tenure as a Lancôme ...

, and

Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor. In film he is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's ''Nashville'', E. J. Bellocq in Louis Malle's ''Pretty Baby'', and Mickey in Alan Rudolph's '' Choose Me.'' ...

. It was adapted from

Jack Schaefer Jack Warner Schaefer (November 19, 1907 – January 24, 1991) was an American writer known for his Westerns. His best-known works are the 1949 novel '' Shane'', considered the greatest western novel by the Western Writers of America, and t ...

's 1963 novel ''Monte Walsh''. This film is a remake of the 1970 '' Monte Walsh'' film that starred

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and prematurely white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Although initially typecast as th ...

. Monte Walsh is the quintessential cowboy—the last of a dying breed. His story takes place in the waning years of the "Old West" near the end of the 19th century. Two long-time cowboys, Monte and his best friend Chet, have their lives on the range inexorably changed by the coming modernity and a fellow cowboy who becomes involved with rustling, robbery, and killing. The film premiered on

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

on January 17, 2003.

Overview

Set in Wyoming and filmed in Alberta, Canada, ''Monte Walsh'' is a remake of the 1970 theatrical film '' Monte Walsh'' that starred

. The script is nearly word-for-word identical to the original (original screenwriters David Zelag Goodman and Lukas Heller are credited) and a lot of set-ups and shots are the same, as well, but Selleck plays a much more amiable and kind Walsh, to the point that some of the harsher lines attributed to Marvin's Walsh are given to other characters to soften the title character's personality to match Selleck's more affable style.

Plot

In 1892 in Antelope Junction,

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

, Montelius "Monte" Walsh (Tom Selleck) is an aging

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...

facing the final days of the

Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

era. His friend Chet Rollins (Keith Carradine), another long-time cowhand, and he work at whatever ranch work comes their way, but "nothing they can't do from a horse". Their lives are divided between months on the range and the occasional trip into town. Camaraderie and competition with the other cowboys fill their days. They seek work and take a job at the ranch of Cal Brennan (

William Devane William Joseph Devane (born September 5, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Sumner on the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing'' (1983–1993) and as James Heller on the Fox serial dramas '' 24'' (2001–2010) and '' ...

), where they meet an old friend, Shorty Austin (

George Eads George Coleman Eads III (born March 1, 1967) is an American actor, known for his role as Nick Stokes on the CBS police drama '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''. He later starred as Jack Dalton on the CBS action-adventure series ''MacGyver'' fo ...

), another ranch hand. Monte has a long-term relationship with an old flame, prostitute and saloon girl "Countess" Martine Bernard (

), who suffers from tuberculosis. Chet, meanwhile, has fallen in love with Mary Wilder (

Lori Hallier Lori Hallier (born July 8, 1959) is a Canadian film, stage, and television actress. She made her film debut in 1981, starring as Sarah Mercer in George Mihalka's slasher film '' My Bloody Valentine'' (1981). She subsequently starred in ''Warning ...

), a widow who owns a hardware store. As

barbed wire Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire or bob wire (in the Southern and Southwestern United States), is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the ...

and railways steadily eliminate the need for the cowboy, Monte and his friends are left with fewer and fewer options. New work opportunities are available to them, but the freedom of the open prairie is what they long for. Shorty loses his job and gets involved in rustling and killing, gunning down a local lawman. Then, Monte and Chet find that their lives on the range are inexorably redirected. Chet marries Mary and goes to work in the store, telling Monte that their old way of life is simply disappearing. Caught up in the spirit of the moment, Monte asks Martine to marry him, and she accepts. Monte goes on a drinking binge and rides a wild bay horse that even Shorty could not tame through town, causing considerable damage. A rodeo owner, Colonel Wilson (

Wallace Shawn Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, essayist, playwright, and screenwriter. He is known for playing Vizzini in '' The Princess Bride'' (1987), Mr. Hall in '' Clueless'' (1995), Dr. John Sturgis in '' Young Sheldo ...

), sees him and offers him a job. Monte considers the high salary, but decides the work is too degrading and refuses. Eventually, they all must say goodbye to the lives they knew, and try to make a new start. When Shorty shoots and kills Chet while trying to rob the store, Monte, distraught after the death of his beloved Martine, goes after him. Shorty arrives, and that he knows of the fight to come with his former friend becomes apparent. He tells Monte he is sorry to hear of Martine's death, and walks off, perhaps trying to give Monte a choice to kill him or walk away. Monte, unable to shoot Shorty in the back as he walks away, pursues. Shorty makes a long shot with a pistol at Monte, but runs off when the shot only wounds Monte in the left side. Monte then manages to slip around Shorty and shoots him. As Shorty is dying, Monte tells him that he rode the wild bay horse. Seven years pass and Monte returns from working all over the West. His friends have gotten older, prices are rising, and he is seen by the townspeople as a relic of another time, but one little boy asks for lessons in roping. When the accountant who manages the lands he used to ranch drives his primitive car into a mud puddle and asks for help, Monte jumps his horse over the vehicle and rides away.

Cast

as Monte Walsh *

as Martine *

as Chet Rollins *

as "Shorty" Austin *

Robert Carradine Robert Reed Carradine ( ; born March 24, 1954) is an American actor. A member of the Carradine family, he made his first appearances on television Western series such as ''Bonanza'' and his brother David's TV series, ''Kung Fu''. Carradine's fi ...

as "Sunfish" Perkins *

Barry Corbin Leonard Barrie Corbin (born October 16, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Maurice Minnifield on the television series ''Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995), which earned him two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award ...

as Bob Alderson *

James Gammon James Richard Gammon (April 20, 1940 – July 16, 2010) was an American actor, known for playing grizzled "good ol' boy" types in numerous films and television series. Gammon portrayed Lou Brown, the manager of fictionalized versions of the Cleve ...

as Joe "Fightin' Joe" Hooker *

Rex Linn Rex Maynard Linn (born November 13, 1956) is an American actor. He is best known domestically for playing the role of Sgt. Frank Tripp in the CBS drama '' CSI: Miami'' and more recently for playing Kevin Wachtell in the television series ''Bet ...

as "Hat" Henderson *

John Michael Higgins John Michael Higgins (born February 12, 1963) is an American actor, comedian and game show host whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's '' The Late Shift'', and a starring role in the ...

as Robert Slocumb *

William Sanderson William Sanderson (born January 10, 1944) is a retired American actor. He played J. F. Sebastian in the feature film ''Blade Runner'' (1982), and had regular roles on several television series, playing Larry on ''Newhart'' (1982–1990), E. B ...

as "Skimpy" Eagens *

as Colonel Wilson * Marshall Teague as Dally Johnson *

Rick Ravanello Rick Ravanello (born 24 October 1967) is a Canadian actor and ex-bodybuilder who has appeared in several television series and movies. Known primarily from action and thriller films, he often portrayed soldiers, military men and detectives. Bi ...

as "Sugar" Wyman *

Joanna Miles Joanna Miles is an American actress. She received two Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Laura Wingfield in the 1973 film production of Tennessee Williams's '' The Glass Menagerie''. Early life and education Miles was born in Nice, France, the da ...

as Sairy Brennan *

as Mary Wilder * Matt Cooke as Rufus Brady *

Ken Pogue Kenneth Pogue (July 26, 1934 – December 15, 2015) was a Canadian actor. Career His first motion picture role in 1973 was in '' The Neptune Factor''. Where on set he almost drowned in scuba gear. He worked on stage at the Crest Theatre, Stratf ...

as Old Doctor *

Zack Ward Zacharias Ward is a Canadian actor. He is known for his role as Scut Farkus in the 1983 film '' A Christmas Story'' and its 2022 sequel '' A Christmas Story Christmas''. Early life Ward was born on August 31 in either 1970 or 1973 in Toronto, Ont ...

as "Powder" Kent *

as Cal Brennan * Shane Pollitt as Joe Joslin * Tom Edwards as Plump Lawyer * Tom Glass as The Marshal * Tim Koetting as Stocky Barman * Bruce McFee as Burly Man * Marty Antonini as Farmer *

Eric Keenleyside Eric Keenleyside (born October 11, 1957) is a Canadian actor. Early life Eric Keenleyside was born in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, grew up in London, Ontario, and spent time in Brisbane, Australia. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (acting) fro ...

as Engineer * Terry King as Trainman * Peter Skagen as Fireman * Michael Tod as Boy * Gillian Carfra as Young Woman

Production

Filming locations

* CL Western Studio and Backlot, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada * CL Ranch, 45001 Township Road, Calgary, Alberta, Canada *

Longview, Alberta Longview is a village in southern Alberta, Canada. It is located in the Canadian Rockies foothills, on Cowboy Trail, 32 km west of High River and 64 km south of Calgary. Highwood River flows west of the village. Longview is known for i ...

, Canada *

Redwater, Alberta Redwater is a town in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by Sturgeon County. It is located on Highway 38, approximately north of Edmonton. Its population was 2,053 in the 2016 census, while the town's municip ...

, Canada

Reception

Awards and nominations

* 2003

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

Nomination for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special * 2004

Western Heritage Awards The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 Western and Native American art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of Amer ...

Bronze Wrangler The Bronze Wrangler is an award presented annually by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum to honor the top works in Western music, film, television and literature. The awards were first presented in 1961. The Wrangler is a bronze sculp ...

for Outstanding Television Feature Film

References

External links

* * * {{Simon Wincer 2003 television films 2003 films 2003 Western (genre) films TNT (American TV network) original films American Western (genre) television films Films directed by Simon Wincer Films set in 1892 Films set in 1900 2000s English-language films English-language Western (genre) films