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Rated: PG-13
Starring: Kevin Klein, Kevin Costner, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Rosanna Arquette, John Cleese, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Dennehy, Linda Hunt
Directed By: Lawrence Kasdan, Mark Kasdan
Written By: Lawrence Kasdan
When Silverado was made in 1985, the American Western was not a popular genre any longer and, except for Clint Eastwood’s “Pale Rider,” it was the only cowboy movie to be made that year. At that time people wanted lighter entertainment and that is probably why “Back to the Future” was the number one movie released then.
Silverado is a fun Western. Yes, it has cowboys on horses, gun fights between the good guys and bad guys, but it is made in a more contemporary way. It is full of heart, warmth and humor and it has much better acting than older Westerns. The main characters are flawed humans who have done things to survive that they are not proud of but the thing that holds them together is friendship, honor, family. They are all very likable characters, and you want them win against the “bad guys.”
Lawrence Kasdan assembled a remarkable cast. Many of the actors at the time were unknowns but who would soon become huge box office stars and Academy Award winners such as Kevin Costner. In fact, Silverado was Costner’s first speaking role in any film. His first movie roll was also in a Kasdan film, but all his lines were cut, and all viewers saw was his body from the neck down being dressed for his funeral in The Big Chill.
Filmed in New Mexico near Santa Fe, the scenery is beautiful, and it serves as an authentic backdrop for this story. The set that was created for the town of Silverado would later be used for many other films including Lonesome Dove, All the Pretty Horses, the Wild, Wild, West and others.
Kasdan gets all the details right in Silverado: great script, good acting, and a heartfelt telling of the Old West for today’s audience.
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