Warden of Red Rock (2001)

James Caan is John Flinders, warden of Red Rock Prison. He’s a warden with a conscience. He makes sure his prisoners get fed and treated right. He offers death-row inmates a chance to eat their last meal with him. He’ll grant them a final wish, within reason.

As a last wish, one inmate asks Flinders to deliver a ring and final message to his wife and young daughter. That puts the warden in contact with Maria McVale (Rachel Ticotin) and her daughter, Delores.

They’re living a hard life in a rundown home. Being a lonely man, Flinders finds comfort in their company. He even rents them a home in town so Delores can make friends and go to school.

But his conscience and kindness doesn’t mean Flinders won’t show remarkable tenacity when former friend Mike Sullivan (David Carradine) breaks out of his prison with a small band of fellow inmates, including Macon, Reese and a young horse thief named Otis.

Sentenced to life in prison, Sullivan admits he’s never grown up.

And now he’d rather go out in a blaze of glory than rot away in prison for the rest of his days.

Review:

A made-for-TV movie that’s neither great nor bad. Pretty predictable in spots, though the final showdown has a nice little twist.

Carradine is particularly effective as the hard case who can be downright cold-blooded when the occasion calls for it … or at least when he thinks it does.

Brian Dennehy rounds out the cast of old-timers with a relatively small role as sheriff of the town where Flinders rents a home for Maria and her daughter.

Carradine was 65, Caan 61 and Dennehy 63 when the film was released.

Directed by:
Stephen Gyllenhaal

Cast:
James Caan … John Flinders
David Carradine … Mike Sullivan
Rachel Ticotin … Maria McVale
Brian Dennehy … Sheriff Church
Jim Beaver … Jefferson Bent
Billy Rieck … Harry Joe Reese
Gisela Sanchez … Delores
Lloyd Lowe Jr. … Ray Otis
Kirk Baltz … Gil Macon
Sergio Calderon … Toro
Gregory Cruz … Taza

Runtime: 89 min.

Memorable lines:

Warden Flinders: “Anything I can do for you?”
Carl McVale: “Before you kill me, you mean?”
Warden: “I’m not killing you, McVale. Territory of Arizona is doing that.”

Warden Flindes, explaining his career in law enforcement after a wild youth: “I guess I just grew up, Solly.”
Solomon: “I guess I just didn’t.”

Warden Flinders, about taking a sick prisoner off the mining detail : “The territory sent him to us to keep, not to kill.”`

Flinders to his scout: “You ever married, Taza?”
Taza: “Came close once.”
Flinders: “What happened?”
Taza: “She was Navajo. I’d have to go up there live with her mother and take care of their damn sheep. So I passed.”

Reese: “How far to the border?”
Sullivan: “About 50 miles, I reckon.”
Reese: “You sure?”
Sullivan: “No I’m not sure. I said, ‘I reckon.'”