Crossfire Trail (2001)

Tom Selleck is Rafe Covington, a man who leads a mutiny on a ship after a good friend suffers a fatal beating, then rides to Wyoming with two friends to fulfill a promise to that friend.

The promise: to watch over the friend’s Crazy Woman ranch, and his wife, Anne Rodney (Virginia Madsen).

But when he reaches the ranch, he discovers the townsfolk believe a different story about the death of Anne Rodney’s husband; they’ve been told he was killed by Indians nearly a year earlier, much sooner than he actually died.

As for Anne, she has a new suitor in Bruce Barkow (Mark Harmon), the wealthiest man in town. And she’s pretty much given up ranch life to teach school.

Rafe can’t figure out why anyone would lie about Rodney’s demise.

Then he finds oil on the Rodney ranch and begins wondering what Barkow wants most — the land or the woman?

Review:

Selleck always seems comfortable in a Western, and this well-done TNT film is no exception. We also get fine performances from Harmon as the increasing agitated villain, from Brad Johnson as the cold-blooded killer he hires, and from Wilford Brimley as an old hand who once helped run the Rodney ranch.

Heck, William Sanderson of Deadwood TV series fame (Mayor E.B. Farnum) also has a fairly substantial role, as a bartender under Barkow’s thumb. Until he decides he doesn’t want to be under his thumb anymore.

An intelligent script and a three-sided final showdown help overcome a couple scenes that seem far-fetched, like a forced marriage in front of all the townsfolk and a chance encounter between Rafe and Red Cloud.

Directed by:
Simon Wincer

Cast:
Tom Selleck … Rafe Covington
Virginia Madsen … Anne Rodney
Mark Harmon … Bruce Barkow
Wilford Brimley … Joe Gill
David O’Hara … Rock Mullaney
hristian Kane … J.T. Langston
Barry Corbin … Sheriff Moncrief
Joanna Miles … Melissa Thompson
Brad Johnson … Beau Dorn

Runtime: 96 min.

Memorable lines:

Charles Rodney: “I ain’t afraid of dying. What’s that you told me?”
Rafe Covington: “Tis a poor thing to fear the inevitable.”
Rodney: “Who said it?”
Rafe: “Someone who wasn’t dying.”

J.T., looking over the Rodney spread: “It ain’t heaven, but it’s near enough.”
Rafe: “Close as we’re likely to get.”

Rafe, hearing Anne play piano: “Moonlight Sonata.”
Anne: “You don’t look like a man who knows Beethoven.”
Rafe: “My mother used to play that.”
Anne: “Really?”
Rafe: “Don’t I look like a man who had a mother.”
Anne: “I guess I was condescending.”
Rafe: “You were. I read somewhere Beethoven used to wear his clothes til they came apart and fell off his body.”
Anne: “You can read. Another surprise.”
Rafe: “Even write a word or two. Short ones.”

Rafe: “Shave and a bath.”
Barber: “Shave first. No sense getting blood over a clean body.”

Rafe: “Guess today ain’t my day to die.”
Joe Gill: “Day ain’t over yet.”

Barkow: “Go to Kansas. Find Beau Dorn. Bring him back here.”
Barkow’s man: “Beau Dorn don’t like to be brought.”
Barkow, handing his man a wad of cash: “He likes to be paid.”

Dorn, speaking of his offer to Barkow to kill Rafe in exchange for part of the Rodney ranch: “It ain’t all that bad. I could just kill you and keep the bitch and her patch of dirt all to myself.”