Open Range (2003)

Director:

Kevin Costner

Writers (WGA):

Lauran Paine (novel)
Craig Storper (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 August 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

No place to run. No reason to hide.

Plot:

A former gunslinger is forced to take up arms again when he and his cattle crew are threatened by a corrupt lawman.

Plot Keywords:

Cattle | Rancher | Cowboy | Friendship | Jail

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 13

1:00 AM

USA

Cast

Robert Duvall	...	Boss Spearman
Kevin Costner	...	Charley Waite
Annette Bening	...	Sue Barlow
Michael Gambon	...	Denton Baxter
Michael Jeter	...	Percy
Diego Luna	...	Button
James Russo	...	Sheriff Poole
Abraham Benrubi	...	Mose
Dean McDermott	...	Doc Barlow
Kim Coates	...	Butler
Herb Kohler	...	Cafe Man
Peter MacNeill	...	Mack
Cliff Saunders	...	Ralph
Patricia Stutz	...	Ralph's Wife (as Pat Stutz)
Julian Richings	...	Wylie
Ian Tracey	...	Tom
Rod Wilson	...	Gus
Diego Diablo Del Mar	...	Ballester (as Diego Del Mar)
Patricia Benedict	...	Cafe Woman
Tim Koetting	...	Bartender Bill
Tom Carey	...	Ray
Kurtis Sanheim	...	Cory
Billy Morton	...	Junior
Alex Zahara	...	Chet
Chad Camilleri	...	Ace
Greg Schlosser	...	Pete
Guy Bews	...	Roy
Lorette Clow	...	Mack's Wife
Alexis Cerkiewicz	...	Mack's Daughter

Directed by
Kevin Costner

Writing credits (WGA)
Lauran Paine		(novel "The Open Range Men")
Craig Storper		(screenplay)

Produced by
Armyan Bernstein	....	executive producer
Kevin Costner	....	producer
Jake Eberts	....	producer
Craig Storper	....	executive producer
David Valdes	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Kamen

Cinematography by
J. Michael Muro		(director of photography) (as James Muro)

Film Editing by
Michael J. Duthie
Miklos Wright

Casting by
Mindy Marin

Production Design by
Gae S. Buckley		(as Gae Buckley)

Art Direction by
Gary Myers

Set Decoration by
Mary-Lou Storey

Costume Design by
John Bloomfield

Makeup Department
Brenda Boutet	....	assistant hair stylist
Elle Elliott	....	hair stylist: Mr. Costner
Elle Elliott	....	key hair designer (as Eleanor Elliott)
Tania El Zahr	....	assistant makeup artist
Julie Hewett	....	makeup artist: Ms. Bening
Joanne Jacobsen	....	assistant makeup artist
Pearl Louie	....	key makeup artist
Cathy Olshaski	....	assistant hair stylist
Francisco X. Pérez	....	makeup designer
Jon C. White	....	key hair stylist (as Jon White)

Production Management
Christy Dimmig	....	post-production supervisor
Brian Leslie Parker	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Devin Hillier	....	third assistant director: second unit
Brad Moerke	....	second assistant director
David J. Negron Jr.	....	second unit director
Katherine Ringer	....	third assistant director (as Katherine L. Ringer)
Darren Robson	....	third assistant director
L. David Silva	....	first assistant director (as David Silva)

Art Department
Cheryl Allsen	....	greens person
Alfred A. Arndt	....	construction coordinator
Dean Baker	....	greens best boy
Rick Barrett	....	carpenter
Tracey Baryski	....	assistant art director
Janos Berzai	....	assistant to carpenter
Louis Cochand	....	assistant to carpenter
Laura Cuthill	....	set decoration buyer
Ron Darby	....	construction buyer
Deborah Day	....	greens person
Floris Dewit	....	carpenter
Elizabeth Flaherty	....	art research
Kieran Gelfand	....	lead
Celine Godberson	....	assistant property master
Dean Goodine	....	property master
George Griffiths	....	stand-by painter
Ted Haigh	....	senior graphic designer
Michael Hentges	....	painter
Octavia Holden	....	carpenter
Rick Janzen	....	lead signwriter
Tom Johnson	....	paint coordinator
Loyola Lewis	....	on-set painter
Loyola Lewis	....	stand-by painter
Robert Littlechild	....	carpenter
Daniel A. MacDonald	....	set decoration helper
Johan McCroy	....	carpenter
David J. Negron Jr.	....	storyboard artist
Erin Olinger	....	art department trainee (as Erin Garson)
Travis Ontkean	....	carpenter
Troy Pohl	....	carpenter
Dana Rainer	....	on-set greensman
Trinity Shane	....	assistant to carpenter
Christopher J.A. Smith	....	on-set dresser: Canada
Peter Topp	....	on-set greensman
Bev Ulmer	....	greens helper
Sloane U'Ren	....	set designer
James Weeks	....	greens head
Rob Welter	....	carpenter
Michael Winder	....	carpenter
Kimberley Zaharko	....	art department assistant
Geordin Zee	....	carpenter

Sound Department
James Bailey	....	foley artist
Steve Bartkowicz	....	re-recording engineer
Stu Bernstein	....	sound editor (as Stew Bernstein)
Barney Cabral	....	supervising sound editor
Claudia Carle	....	adr recordist
Matt Colleran	....	sound re-recordist
Patrick Cyccone Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Patrick Cyccone)
James Doyle	....	mix assistant engineer
Rickley W. Dumm	....	first assistant sound editor
Rickley W. Dumm	....	sound effects editor
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	sound editor (as Richard Dwan)
Glen Gauthier	....	production sound mixer
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer
Michael Keller	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nick Neutra	....	foley mixer
Todd Niesen	....	dialogue denoising
Perry Robertson	....	co-supervising sound editor
Scott Sanders	....	sound designer
Scott Sanders	....	sound editor
Frederick H. Stahly	....	sound editor
Steve Switzer	....	boom operator
Kevin Zimmerman	....	assistant sound editor (as Kevin A. Zimmerman)

Special Effects by
Barry Cameron	....	special effects technician (as 'Bearcat' Cameron)
Scott Cameron	....	special effects assistant
Allan Cotter	....	pyrotechnician
Mike Friesen	....	special effects assistant
Rocco Larizza	....	special effects technician
Marc Lord	....	special effects assistant
Alan Love	....	special effects assistant
Gerry Martins	....	special effects technician
Jim McFall	....	special effects rigging/fabricator (as James McFall)
Jim McGillivary	....	special effects set foreman
Maurice Routly	....	special effects foreman
Robert Sheridan	....	special effects technician
Bob Trevino	....	pyrotechnician
Neil Trifunovich	....	special effects supervisor
Steve Wood	....	special effects assistant (as Steohen Wood)

Visual Effects by
Andrew Bonello	....	visual effects developer
Shawn Broes	....	digital mastering editor
Elika Burns	....	digital paint and rotoscope artist (as Eric 'Elika' Burns)
Michelle Butler	....	digital compositor
Sarah Coatts	....	associate visual effects producer
Robert Cribbett	....	lead compositor
Jon Doyle	....	digital compositor
Conny Fauser	....	Inferno artist
David Fogg	....	digital compositor
Juan Gonzalez	....	matchmover
Abra Grupp	....	compositing supervisor
Petra Holtorf	....	visual effects producer
Kristin Johnson	....	Inferno artist
Tom Lamb	....	digital compositor
Cameron MacDonald	....	visual effects cinematographer
Michael Maloney	....	digital compositor
Steve Miller	....	assistant editor: Yu & Co
Sheila Molnar	....	digital paint and rotoscope artist
David J. Negron Jr.	....	visual effects supervisor
Tara Handy Turner	....	systems manager
Steve Wright	....	digital compositor: Cinesite
Danny Albano	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Dave Badgerow	....	stunt wagon driver
Dwight Beard	....	stunt wagon driver
Guy Bews	....	stunt coordinator: Canada
Don Bland	....	stunts
Chad Camilleri	....	stunts
Jim Finkbeiner	....	stunts
Don Gillespie	....	stunt wagon driver
Norman Howell	....	stunt coordinator: US
Ben Louis	....	stunts
Shawn C. Orr	....	stunts (as Shawn Orr)
J.R. Reding	....	stunts
Mark Stewart	....	stunts
Dwayne Wiley	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Dominic Bartolone	....	camera production assistant
Lee Blasingame	....	lead assistant camera: "a" camera
Paul Brebner	....	second assistant camera
Carolynn Brocke	....	additional second assistant camera
John Buckley	....	gaffer
Mark Cohen	....	assistant camera
Mark Cohen	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Douglas Craik	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Sacha Fassaert	....	assistant camera: "c" camera
Aris Georgiopoulos	....	additional first assistant camera
Junichi Hosoi	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Martin Keough	....	gaffer
Chris Large	....	still photographer
Micah Llewellyn-Dance	....	remote head technician
Cameron MacDonald	....	additional photographer (as Cam MacDonald)
Keith Marion	....	lamp operator
Álex Martínez	....	assistant camera
Tim Milligan	....	dolly grip
Harald Ortenburger	....	camera operator
Douglas Raines	....	lamp operator
Gordon Schmidt	....	grip
Rick D. Schmidt	....	key grip
Chris Speers	....	best boy grip
Scott Storm	....	grip
Carey Toner	....	daily camera operator: "b" camera
David Vernerey	....	rigging gaffer
Darek Wyszynski	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Heike Brandstatter	....	casting: Canada
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Jackie Lind	....	casting: Alberta
Louise Mackiewicz	....	extras casting
Coreen Mayrs	....	casting: Canada

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Gordon	....	costumer: Kevin Costner
Lizzie McGovern	....	assistant costume designer
Heather Moore	....	key costumer
Tim Ranson	....	costumer: Robert Duvall
Christine Thomson	....	costumer
Summer Valdes	....	wardrobe runner

Editorial Department
Judith Babcock	....	post-production coordinator
Shelley Bakus	....	first assistant editor
Rhonda Blewett	....	telecine assistant
Kimberly Covate	....	digital mastering producer
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Warren Langford	....	first assistant editor
Richard Long	....	assistant editor
David Orr	....	laboratory color timer
Mykel Thuncher	....	color timer
Tracey Wadmore-Smith	....	associate editor
Marc Wielage	....	digital intermediate colorist
Grant Wilkinson	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Ramiro Belgardt	....	music editor
Peter Boyer	....	additional orchestrator
Rupert Christie	....	additional orchestrator
Robert Elhai	....	orchestrator
Ilan Eshkeri	....	additional orchestrator
Vic Fraser	....	music preparation
Matthias Gohl	....	additional orchestrator (as Teese Gohl)
Matthias Gohl	....	music producer (as Teese Gohl)
James Harrah	....	original music producer
Richard Ihnatowicz	....	music preparation
Michael Kamen	....	conductor
Michael Kamen	....	orchestrator
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music mixer
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music recordist
Blake Neely	....	additional orchestrator
Tom Villano	....	music editor
Brad Warnaar	....	additional orchestrator
Jeremy Rubolino	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
James Joseph Barbaro	....	driver
Anthony Bixby	....	driver
Alfie Creighton	....	driver
Shelley Crooks	....	driver
Howard Horwitz	....	driver
John Matlock	....	driver
Bruce McGregor	....	driver
Bruce Milward	....	driver
Kevin Profit	....	driver
Allen Proskow	....	driver
Shelley Shierman	....	driver
Kathi Vold	....	driver

Other crew
Jasa Abreo	....	assistant: Mr. Costner
Aviline Adshead	....	first aid
B. Keith Anderson	....	wrangler
Tiffany Bartlett	....	documentarian
Travis Becker	....	trainee location manager
Peter Bews	....	wrangler (as Peter J. Bews)
Ursula Brauner	....	dog trainer
David Christopher Brown	....	documentarian
Jeffrey A. Cook	....	balloon technician
Rob Doak	....	video coordinator
Dana Dubé	....	animal trainer
Brian Dunne	....	assistant location manager
Nicole Duperron	....	stitcher
John Gaskin	....	production accountant
Alan Geoffrion	....	assistant: Mr. Duvall
Jan Gillan	....	first assistant accountant
John B. Gillis	....	wrangler
Monika Hagele	....	production assistant
Buck Hamilton	....	wrangler
Lloyd Jacobson	....	wrangler
Matthew Kershaw	....	production assistant
Janet Lamonte	....	stitcher
Karen MacDonald	....	wrangler
Rick Martine	....	wrangler
Leslie Maynes	....	payroll accountant
Meredith Mohr	....	assistant: Ms. Bening
Lee Anne Muldoon	....	unit publicist
Boone Narr	....	animal supplier
Doug Nelson	....	wrangler
Jason Nolan	....	production assistant
Paige Palmer	....	production coordinator
Lynn Patterson	....	head wrangler
Jerri Phillips	....	wrangler
Rick Richter	....	wrangler
Troy Rudolph	....	production assistant
Eleanor Russell	....	stitcher
Eera Sherrington	....	assistant production coordinator
David M. Taylor	....	second assistant accountant
Mark Thomason	....	photo double
Mark Thomason	....	stand-in
Marla Touw	....	trainee production coordinator
Bruce Toy	....	chef
Cathy Vayda	....	wrangler
Candace Villett	....	dog wrangler
Cristina Weigmann	....	script supervisor
Rita Wong	....	accounting trainee

Thanks
David Forbes	....	Special liaison for Wesley First Nation
Carol Wong	....	special thanks
Garson Yu	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Touchstone Pictures
• Cobalt Media Group
• Beacon Pictures
• Tig Productions

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cobalt Pictures (2003-2004) (non-USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2003) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinergia (200?) (Ukraine) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films AB (2004) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Nordisk Film Distributors (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Filmax S.A. (2003) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Herald Film Company (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Independent Films (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Medusa Distribuzione (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Nordisk Film (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Pathé (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Winchester Film Distribution (2004) (UK) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Hollydan Works (2005) (Serbia and Montenegro) (DVD)
• Talpa (2006) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• yU+Co. (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Cinesite (Hollywood)  digital intermediate
• Boone's Animals for Hollywood  dog furnished by
• CNSO Studios  recording studio
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Czech Philharmonic Orchestra  orchestra
• EarCandy  sound post-production
• Global Music Service  music copyist
• Gohl McLaughlin Prods.  music production (as Gohl/McLaughlin)
• Hollywood Records  soundtrack published by
• Pacific Title  titles
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Rudolfinum Dvorak's Hall, Prague  music recorded at (as Dvorak Hall, Rudolfinum, Prague)
• Technicolor  prints
• The North Pole  music mixed at
• Todd-AO Radford  sound re-recording

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

139 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:12 (video rating) (2004) | UK:12A (original rating) | Germany:12 | Iceland:12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Sweden:11 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-15 | Ireland:12PG (original rating) | Ireland:12 (video rating) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | USA:R | Canada:A

Filming Locations:

Alberta, Canada

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Originally the studio had Kevin Costner top-billed over 'Robert Duvall (I)', but Costner asked the studio to top-bill Duvall instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Boss and Charlie take over the jail house, they close the window shade. Later, once they've fallen asleep, the window shade is open.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Boss Spearman: [indicating a thunderstorm] Think she'll get over this-a-way?
Charley Waite: Might.
Boss Spearman: Best bed 'em down.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Broken Trail: The Making of a Legendary Western (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Holding All My Love for You

The Best Since Unforgiven

Costner's third film as a director, his fourth if you include his work with Kevin Reynolds on Waterworld (1995), is another Western. One says 'another', but upon reflection it is obvious that it's a genre that, creatively, he's hardly left. After the highly successful Dances With Wolves (1990) he directed with Kevin Reynolds - albeit in uncredited fashion - the critically mauled The Postman (1997). The latter was nothing less than a reworking of the familiar Pony Express story, and for good measure threw in explicit references to John Ford along the way. Waterworld's ocean setting did nothing to disguise the fact that that was a film that owed another massive debt to the great American genre: sea fort, lone riders, wide-open watery frontier and all. Costner also did sterling work as Wyatt Earp in Kasdan's 1994 film of the same name - a substantial project, and one close enough in manner to his own to suggest more than a passing creative influence from its star.

In Open Range, Costner again has the lead: as Charley Waite, former gunfighter, now sharing ownership of a free grazing cattle drive. Together with Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall), and two others they reach Harmonville where they soon encounter a corrupt town Marshal (James Russo) and rancher (an excellent Michael Gambon) who threaten their way of life. They also discover others who prove sympathetic to their cause, like the sister of the town's doctor Sue Barlow (Annette Bening). There's growing suspense as an inevitable showdown looms ("Men are gonna get killed here today, Sue, and I'm gonna kill 'em...") Waite's personal life, and his romance gradually comes to the fore until its crisis, as well as the combat, mark the end of the film.

On screen Costner shares equal honours with the septuagenarian Robert Duvall, whose personal philosophy that "Man's got a right to protect his property and his life, and we ain't gonna let no rancher or his lawman take either," informs much of the main action. Crusty and fearsome, Spearman's dauntless words recall those of John Wayne's J.B. Books in The Shootist (1976) who expressed broadly similar sentiments: "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." In either case its an old man speaking, one fiercely independent after a life of hardship and who won't be trifled with. Open Range takes its main impetus from exactly that sort of unwelcome interference, and resembles Eastwood's Unforgiven in that a good deal of the narrative consists of a determined settling of accounts, an unrelieved search for moral recompense outside the law after an initial trespass against the innocent. What is started almost casually is finished deliberately and by the authority given the wronged: "Ours ain't writ by no tin star, bought and paid for, Marshall. It's writ by us, and we aim to enforce it," says Boss. Like Eastwood's film, Open Range also features a retired gunman who has recourse to his skills to help salvage a situation, and some of the best scenes with Costner's character concern his dispassionate and professional preparation for gunplay. Like William Munny before, Charley Waite has something of an avenging angel about him, whose cold consideration of his trade is filmed completely without irony.

Open Range has all the hallmarks of Costner the western auteur: an expansive, almost leisurely tone, supporting roles for loyal canines, a certain solemnity and respect for his conservative cinematic predecessors being foremost amongst them. As others have said, Costner directs as if Peckinpah and Leone had never existed, and the present work is no exception. Characteristically, it contains none of the self-indulgent nostalgia or cynicism common in the genre since the 1960s. Despite a visual quote from The Wild Bunch (1969) for instance, as men take their long walk abreast to the confrontation, the final shootout of Open Range owes far more to the traditional showdown of Gunfight At The OK Corral (1957) than the apocalyptic finale of Peckinpah's masterpiece. Slow burning, character driven and ruminative, Costner's latest has been criticised by some for its too-deliberate narrative pacing. For an MTV-generation viewing audience, unused to an older, more leisurely way of showing things, such issues are understandable, although no one used to a filmmaker taking his time to tell a good story will complain. Indeed, part of the great success of Open Range is the way it single-mindedly sustains an atmosphere of fateful suspense.

One thing that no one disputes: Duvall is magnificent in his part, a performance that may well prove a capstone to a long and prestigious career. Costner apparently had the actor in mind for the part from the first, a decision justified entirely and one of the highlights of the film. In fact if the film's has a weakness it can be put down to that fact that Spearman holds the stage so successfully, and for so long. Waite's own romance, starting so tentatively, is somewhat overshadowed by the more urgent prerogatives of his partner and when it finally flowers, it leads to some scenes which could have, with prudence been cut back to greater effect. Having said that, Costner's awkward farewell to Miss Barlow, saying so much with so little, just before the fight begins, is another memorable scene where sentimentality is kept happily at bay. It is once the violence is over, and the great tension is dissipated, that matters are drawn out a little too much. A little stoicism might have led to a more memorable close.

Like many good westerns, Open Range's central concerns lie around personal freedom and moral rectitude - the balance between which gives a good deal of the narrative its necessary tension. Like crossing the flood, which pours down the main street of Harmonville, the participants have to choose one side or the other. It's a film ultimately less about a gunfighter settling down, than of how men abide their self-justified actions. In the disc extras, Costner draws an illuminating parallel between the scene in his film in which Spearman and Waite confront the jayhawkers and The Oxbow Incident. In Wellman's 1943 classic, a rushed lynching leads to a disastrous error and mutual guilt. In Costner's film, to whom guilt is assigned is never in doubt, and indeed Spearman initially has to hold Waite back from overstepping the mark - an action which he comes to regret. "I never had any problem with killing," says Waite at one point. Like Eastwood's Munny, once justified he seeks stark retribution without compunction.

There's only one gunfight in Open Range, but it is worth the wait. Spread out almost as leisurely as the rest of the film, Costner and his cinematographer James Muro use a range of shots throughout the violent events to achieve effects both chaotic and planned at the same time. (Incidentally for a filmmaker who prides himself on accuracy, Costner has his hero 'fan' off shots, a notoriously inaccurate way of discharging a gun, but that's a minor distraction.) It's a notable confrontation, an extended set piece sequence that is one of the director's best and confirms his film the finest western since Unforgiven.