When Ransom Pride is killed in a gun-deal gone bad, his lover/whore Juliette Flowers sets out to fulfill a promise that he be buried beside his mother in Glory, Texas.
There’s just one problem. In the gun battle in which he died, Ransom shot and killed a priest.
Now his body and soul has been claimed by the sister of the priest, a combination madam/witch with a disfigured face. ”
The body of Ransom Pride will be fed to the devil’s black vultures,” she says. “For there must be atonement.”
But Juliette has an offer: She’ll trade Ransom’s live brother for her lover’s body.
And so she rides off to Glory to fetch that brother, Champ.
Convincing him to leave with her to retrieve the body isn’t a problem. Champ admires Ransom. Besides, he lives with his father, a half-mad preacher whose wife died when Champ was born.
Getting to Mexico and back might prove more difficult. Because the Rev. Early Pride might resent his second son, but he sure as hell doesn’t want to lose a second boy to that no-good whore Juliette.
So he calls in a favor from an old Confederate army buddy named Shepherd Graves, then later joins the search for Champ himself.
But Champ and Juliette find allies, too. A dwarf who runs a circus. Siamese twins who perform in that circus. And a philosopher/soldier who’s wise enough to know everyone would live their life differently, given a second chance.
Lizzy Caplan as Juliette Flowers, arriving back in Glory with news of Ransom’s death in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Dwight Yoakam as the Rev. Early Pride, revealing his disgust for Juliette Flowers in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Review:
At a time when most Westerns released are low-budget, straight-to-DVD crap, this scores high marks for acting, originality, script and action.
Everything is just a little odd, from the characters to their costumes to the black and white, slow-motion flashbacks. And nearly everything works.
Lizzy Caplan makes a captivating heroine; handsome Jon Foster learns quickly under her tutelage. But the supporting roles also help bring this to life, including W. Earl Brown of “Deadwood” fame and Jason Priestly — yes, the kid from “90210.” Go ahead and see if you can pick his character out in this cast of misfits.
And Dwight Yoakum delivers a deliciously believable performance as the tortured preacher/dad of the Pride kids. A salute to everyone involved in this bizarre little film.
And, yep, that’s Peter Dinklage of “Games of Thrones” fame in the role of the dwarf.
Jon Foster as Champ Pride, the brother trying to help retrieve his brother’s body in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Cote de Pablo as Maria La Mareno, the witch who wants the body of a Pride family member in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Directed by:
Tiller Russell
Cast:
Lizzy Caplan … Juliette Flowers
Jon Foster … Champ Pride
Dwight Yoakam … Rev. Early Pride
Cote de Pablo … Maria La Morena
Jason Priestly … John
W. Earl Brown … Matthew
Peter Dinklage … Dwarf
Scott Speedman … Ransom Pride
Kris Kristofferson … Shepherd Graves
Blu Mankuma … Sergeant
Joe Bird … The Apache
Alfonso Quijada … Cerce
Rene Quijada … Solomon
Runtime: 83 min.
Kris Kristofferson as Shepherd Graves, vowing vengeance against Juliette for causing the death of a good friend in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Blu Mankuma as the Sergeant who winds up helping Juliette Flowers and Champ in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Memorable lines:
Juliette Flowers: “The last thing Ransom Pride said to me is, ‘I was always a lover, despite the killings'”
Rev. Early Pride: “I don’t need God’s help for this, Graves. I need a son of a bitch.”
Juliette Flowers: “Which one of you sorry mother f—ers wants breakfast in hell first?”
Champ Pride, of his brother Ransom: “I feel like I’m back in Glory, finishing up his chores. For whatever reason, he honestly believed certain tasks were beneath him.”
Juliette Flowers: “Man with vision can’t be bothered with piss-ant details. How many times did I hear that?”
Jason Priestley as John, the Graves’ relative who accompanies Matthew on his search for Juliette in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
W. Earl Brown as Matthew, the former Confederate colleague Graves sends after Juliette and Champ in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Sergeant, reflecting with Juliette and Champ: “If I had my life to live over, I would never say no to a woman.”
Matthew to John, who gets momentarily distracted by an Indian girl: “Put your little pig sticker back in your britches and remount.”
Rev. Early Pride, holding Juliette at gunpoint: “Jesus wept.”
Juliette Flowers: “I won’t.”
Rev. Early Pride to Juliette: “I’m gonna kill you now. It’s gonna take some time. First, I’m gonna shoot you in the stomach. And you’re gonna holler out for the Lord Jesus Christ to save your soul. But he’s not gonna hear a word you say through those whore lips. And they’ve had their last daliance with my offspring.”
Lizzy Caplain as Juliette Flowers, embarking to retrieve Ransom’s body in The Late Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Peter Dinklage as the circus dwarf, answering a door with guns at ready in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Alfonso Quijada as Cerce and Rene Quijada as Solomon, the dying Siamese twins in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Scott Speedman as Ransom Pride, trying to negotiate a gun deal in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Jon Foster as Champ Pride, pulling a derringer on an adversary in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Lizzy Caplan as Juliette Flowers, washing up and catching Champ’s attention in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Lizzy Caplain as Juliette Simms, taking in the Sergeant’s philosophy lesson in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Lizzy Caplan as Juliette Flowers, blazing away at unwelcome intruders in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Lizzy Caplan as Juliette Flowers, under the gun of the Rev. Early Pride in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Lizzy Caplan as Juliette Flowers, finally disclosing her intent to Champ Pride (Jon Foster) in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
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