Thoughts on Silverado

Courtesy theacebackblog/Columbia Pictures

"You know, hanging around with you is no picnic."

Silverado might have been a first for mainstream motion pictures. It feels like they took a game played during recess and made a movie out of it. Director and co-screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan teamed up with his brother Mark, plus a game, capable ensemble. With all their verve, the Kasdans and their actors could have told any kind of story. They made a likable, slightly complicated western. 

Brothers Emmett (Scott Glenn) and Jake (Kevin Costner*), plus Paden (Kevin Kline) and Mal (Danny Glover), wind up in a corrupt town. Each man knows his way with a gun, has faced trouble before and is going to lose and gain a few things by the time the credits roll. This is par for the course for their genre, so it has to be sold just right. I'm happy to say the quartet has no weak link.

*Costner gives the energy that comes when the "baby" -- he was 29 during filming -- gets to play.

Four heroes, four bad guys. Makes sense, right? The villains include two who get to matter: Sheriff Cobb (Brian Dennehy), who's got a past with Paden, and Slick the gambler (Jeff Goldblum), who spends a good amount of time as apparently just a member of the ensemble. If that group wasn't quirky enough, add Rosanna Arquette, Linda Hunt and apparently for shits and giggles, John Cleese.

"Now, I don't wanna kill you, and you don't want to be dead."

Silverado isn't a star-driven movie, but it is apparent and unfortunate that not everyone gets to shine. The women, including farmer-to-be Hannah (Arquette), saloon keeper Stella "the Midnight Star" (Hunt) and Mal's estranged sister Rae (Lynn Whitfield), average two or fewer decent scenes apiece. For that matter, rancher McKendrick (Ray Baker) never quite comes across as a formidable threat.

Dennehy's great. His scenes opposite Kline are worth the price of admission. To a lesser extent, so are the moments when Costner faces off against Jeff Fahey (as evil deputy Tyree). Some of the family matters, like Mal dealing with Rae and their victimized father Ezra (Joe Seneca), worked. Others, like Emmett and Jake's bonding with nephew Auggie (Thomas Wilson Brown), were a little syrupy.

I think the best thing about Silverado is that it didn't leave people like me, who don't care much for westerns, in the dust. Like I said, this is a movie telling a couple tales all at once. Despite a few lackluster elements, the execution is mostly sound. The spirit of fun prevails.

"Wait a minute! If you do get the money, how do we know you'll come back?"

"If we don't, you can keep my brother."

Recommended with reservations.

Thoughts:

-- "Chicago? You've been to Chicago?" "Yeah." "Was it wonderful?" "... No."

-- Box Office: Grossing nearly $32.2 million on a $23 million budget, this opened outside the top five for its weekend and came in at No. 28 for 1985.

-- Critic's Corner: "A Great Rock Candy Mountain of a movie, in which every time you think you've hit the summit, Kasdan throws on another thrill," Paul Attanasio wrote. "It doesn't reinvent the Western; it returns it to its cliches," according to David Denby.

-- Awards Watch: Oscar-nominated for its sound and score, this lost both times to Out of Africa.

-- Hey, It's ...!: Richard Jenkins, James Gammon, Sheb Wooley, Earl Hindman and Amanda Wyss.

-- What Could Have Been: I kinda wish the Kasdans would have made a bunch more movies with this ensemble. Now they do a gangsters story. Now they're in the jungle. Now they're superheroes.

-- "The world is what you make of it, friend. If it doesn't fit, you make alterations." "I'll drink to that."

-- Next: The Man with One Red Shoe. On deck: The Legend of Billie Jean. Coming soon: The Black Cauldron, National Lampoon's European Vacation.