The Thornton boys are small-time bandits caught and hanged after committing a robbery in which the banker’s daughter is killed.
They leave behind three widows — Maxine, Claire and Bridget — and rumors that they’ve hidden the bank loot.
Maxine would be content to live the life of a rancher’s wife. Claire is a former school teacher turned drunk. Bridget is a former whore turned wife.
Now they find themselves on the run because the banker, the sheriff (Patrick Bergin) and a sometimes preacher (James Gammon) believe they know where that loot is.
After a while, they’re determined to find the loot, too.
But if they do, will they turn it in, as Maxine prefers, or keep it for themselves to start life anew, as Claire would prefer?
Suzanne Andrews as Maxine Thornton in The Far Side of Jericho (2006)
Lissa Negrin as Bridget Thornton in The Far Side of Jericho (2006)
Review:
Great scenery, decent acting, with a cast of three women probably closer to what you’d find out West than in “Bandidas” or “Hooded Angels.”
But subtract 2 stars because 30 minutes in, the ghosts of the Thornton boys start showing up (the first time is while Bridget is squatting to go to the bathroom).
And subtract another for the implausibilities in the plot that include three maps that need to be pieced together to find a hidden treasure and a posse that has its prey cornered, but then decides to return to town for a round of drinks!
This film marked one of the final major roles for James Gammon, who died in 2010 at age 70. He was a regular in later Westerns, appearing in “Wild Bill,” “Streets of Laredo” and “Wyatt Earp,” for instance. He also played the role of the manager in the “Major League” comedies.
Judith Burnett as Claire Thornton in The Far Side of Jericho (2006)
Patrick Bergin as Jake in the Far Side of Jericho (2006)
Directed by:
Tim Hunter
Cast:
Suzanne Andrews … Maxine Thornton
Judith Burnett … Claire Thornton
Lissa Negrin … Bridget Thornton
Patrick Bergin … Jake
Lawrence Pressman … Van Damm (the banker)
James Gammon … The Preacher
Zachard Ray Sherman … The Kid
C. Thomas Howell … Little Jimmy Thornton
John Diehl … Cash Thornton
Steve Cornier … Frank Thornton
Tim DeKay … The Stranger
Score: Mark Alder
End tune: “Jericho” by Patrick Bergin
Runtime: 99 min.
Lawrence Pressman as Van Damm in The Far Side of Jericho (2006)
James Gammon as The Preacher in The Far Side of Jericho (2006)
Memorable lines:
Maxine: “What now?”
Claire: “Kiss the bastards goodbye and then have a drink might be traditional at this point, I think.”
Bridget: “I ain’t gonna kiss no dead man, honey.”
Townsman 1: “That damn woman could shoot the hair’s off a frog’s ass at 40 steps.”
Townsman 2: “Frogs ain’t got no hair.”
Claire: “I ran into Cash. Or his ghost. Or maybe the remains of one of his farts. I don’t know.”
Bridget: “I saw Little Jimmy.”
Maxine: “Jesus Christ on a broken crutch, what’s wrong with you people?”
Maxine: “Do you know your way to Al Monster Man’s pecker?”
Claire: “Bridget could find a pecker in a blizzard.”
The last brother, to Maxine: “I don’t want to kill you, but I wouldn’t mind shooting your toes off.”
John Diehl as the ghost of Cash Thornton in The Far Side of Jericho (2006)
Steve Cornier as Frank Thornton in The Far Side of Jericho (2006)
C. Thomas Howell as Little Jimmy Thornton in The Far Side of Jericho (2006)
Zachary Ray Sherman as The Kid in The Far Side of Jericho (2006)
Tim DeKay as The Stranger in The Far Side of Jericho (2006)
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