South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Dwight Yoakam is Valentine Casey, marshal in a small Western town preparing for Christmas eve.

Then the Henrys show up for a reunion. Seems after his entire family died of fever, the Henrys took Valentine in and raised him.

But they’re no good and they’re up to no good. Later that night, led by patriarch Leland (Luke Askew) and favorite son Taylor (Vincent Vaughan) they return to town with a Gatling gun, rob the local bank and kill several people.

The incident prompts Valentine to hang up his badge and become a horse trader.

But there’s another reunion in store a couple years later, this time at Dunfries hotel.

Taylor leads the gang in a holdup that leaves several people dead, several more wounded. The wounded include Adalyne Dunfries (Bridget Fonda), the new love in Valentine’s life.

Adalyne begs him to forget about violence, to head off with her to San Francisco.

Valentine Casey, a decorated hero from the war in Cuba, decides it’s time to end the violence once and for all.

Dwight Yoakam as Valentine Casey, catching his first glimpse of Adalyne Dunfries in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Bridget Fonda as Adalyne Dunfries, realizing the Henrys men to cause her trouble in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Review:

A film with a great cast and some great scenes — the hot air balloon ride, for instance — that has all the looks of a classic for the first 30 minutes or so.

But it comes unraveled as the blood-letting escalates. And it descends into silliness in the final showdown at the Henry ranch, when the dynamite appears and the body parts start flying through the air.

It doesn’t help that every character but Valentine is afflicted, damaged or just downright crazy. Valentine’s love, Adalyne, has scars on her wrist from a suicide attempt and is desperately trying to save herself. Even Valentine’s partner — the oddly named U.S. Christmas — rides around in a skirt, proclaiming others as odd.

Luke Askew as Leland Henry, the man who helped raise Valentine and still regards him as a son in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Vince Vaughn as Taylor Henry, getting reaquainted with his long-lost ‘brother’ in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Directed by:
Dwight Yoakam

Cast:
Dwight Yoakam … Valentine Casey
Vince Vaughn … Taylor Henry
Luke Askew … Leland Henry
Billy Bob Thornton … Brig. Smalls
Bridget Fonda … Adalyne Dunfries
Peter Fonda … Shoshonee Bill
Paul Reubens … Arvid Henry
Bud Cort … Agent Otts
Michael Jeter … Uncle Jude
Bo Hopkins … Angus Dunfries
Matt Clark .. Burl Dunfries
Natalie Canerday … Sissy Henry
Terry McIlvain .. U.S. Christmas

Runtime: 106 min.

Terry McIlvain as U.S. Christmas, a man who wears a dress because it once helped him survive an Indian attack in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Bo Hopkins as Doc Angus Dunfries, sometimes blacksmith, sometimes doctor in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Memorable lines:

Sissy to Valentine: “I bet you were real handsome when you were shot.”

Skirt-wearing U.S. Christmas of Burl Dunfries: “Now he’s an odd bird.”

Valentine Casey: “I guess we’re all looking for someone to save us.”
Adalyne: “All any of us can do is save ourselves, but most of us have forgotten how. I’m pretty worthless as a savior, but I wish you’d come with us.”

Leland: “Harvey, you put that pistol down or I’m gonna come across there and shoot you with every god damn gun in this room. Cause I’m havin’ to think real hard right now ’bout why I need the useless half of a worthless set of twins. None of you are killing anybody. I still decide who dies around here and who don’t.”

Dwight Yoakam as Valentine Casey and Terry McIlvain as U.S. Christmas, scouting out the Henry ranch in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Peter Fonda as Shoshone Bill, leader of a Wild West show, buying horses from Valentine Casey in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Billy Bob Thornton as Brig. Smalls, one of the men escorting Adalyne to Dunfries waystation in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Amber Taylor as Tess Bonaventure, Valentine’s girlfriend in Los Tragos until the Henrys come calling in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Matt Malloy as Harvey, introducing himself and his gang to Adalyne Dunfries in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Michael Jeter as Uncle Jude, preparing to take a ride at Adalyne’s expense in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Dwight Yoakam as Valentine Casey and Bridget Fonda as Adalyne Dunfries on a hot air balloon ride in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Joe Unger as Nogales Sanchez, a member of the Henry gang in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Bud Cort as Agent Otts, the hard-luck government man who encounters the Henrys in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Bridget Fonda as Adalyne Dunfries, trying to encourage Valentine Casey to follow her to San Francisco in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)

Dwight Yoakam as Valentine Casey, ready for a showdown with the family that helped raise him in South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)