Broken Trail (2006) (TV)

Director:

Walter Hill

Writer (WGA):

Alan Geoffrion (written by)

Release Date:

25 June 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Set in 1898, Print Ritter and his estranged nephew Tom Harte become the reluctant guardians of five abused and abandoned Chinese girls...

Plot Keywords:

Cowboy | Horse Trader | Nephew

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 8 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Robert Duvall	...	Prentice Ritter
Thomas Haden Church	...	Tom Harte
Greta Scacchi	...	Nola Johns
Gwendoline Yeo	...	Sun Foy 'aka' #3
Chris Mulkey	...	Big Ears
Rusty Schwimmer	...	Big Rump Kate
Scott Cooper	...	Gilpin
Valerie Tian	...	Ging Wa 'aka' #5
Caroline Chan	...	Mai Ling 'aka' #2
Olivia Cheng	...	Ye Fung 'aka' #4
Jadyn Wong	...	Ghee Moon 'aka' #1
Donald Fong	...	Lung Hay
James Russo	...	Captain Billy Fender
Todd Allen	...	Marshall Bill Miller
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Baksa	...	Store Clerk
Morris Birdyellowhead	...	Fox-Hide Brine
Duncan Fraser	...	Moncrieffe
Philip Granger	...	Chuck Hyde
Shaun Johnston	...	Small Pox Bob
Sandy Kellerman	...	(voice)
Greg Lawson	...	Bartender
Scarlett Li	...	Additional Voices (voice)
William Marquez	...	Valinten Ugaldo
Stephen E. Miller	...	Cariboo Clerk
Donnelly Rhodes	...	Stagecoach Driver
Pat Richards	...	Cowboy Vick
Peter Skagen	...	Dink Yeatman
Patricia Stutz	...	English Rose
Xuefeng Tan	...	Makeup girl in opening scene (red clothing)

Also Known As:

Daughters of Joy (Canada: English title) (working title)

Runtime:

184 min (2 parts)

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English | Mandarin | Crow

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Butcher's Run Films

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: A camera is visible when Big Ears gets on a horse to go and visit Dink Yeatman.

Quotes:

Prentice Ritter: I get rousted out of my sleep sometimes when Nature calls. I find there's something frightening 'bout that hour of the night 'cause there ain't no foolin' yourself 'bout what you done or what you hadn't done with your life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Howard Stern on Demand: Robert Duvall" (2006)

Nicely Done

If you're looking for a good view of the old West, this movie is well worth your time.

Great storyline, great acting, and fantastic scenery.

Duvall seems to be timeless, as always, this time in a story that's all about time. Thomas Haden Church adds his best performance ever, showing he's ready for more serious roles.

The plot develops with a made-for-TV pace, which on occasion doesn't develop a scene as deeply as it could, but it does not fail to develop the characters to a fine pitch.

On balance, it's the characters and the fantastic western setting which make this a western that should stand time.

I'll enjoy watching it again in a few years.