Jericho

This movie is a great example of why so many people are watching independent, "Indie", movies now. The absence of large amounts of capital requires the artists, (producers, directors, writers and actors) to become more creative.

The story is original and the dialog is realistic. It passes my "Believability Test" for action/drama movies. (Do you believe this could happen, in this way?)

Leon Coffee is a surprisingly good actor. If he ever tires of dodging bulls, (he is a professional rodeo clown) Hollywood could certainly use his talent.

Many of the extras in this film were cowboy "re-enactors" from around Texas. They provided a bit of extra authenticity to the film.

We own a videos shop so we preview a lot of movies and we get very bored with bad ones very quickly. I found this film to be a wonderful film made the way good westerns were. It has many good values taught through out it; by people/characters trying to do what they feel is right. It doesn't fixate on violence with all sorts of meet me at high noon on Main Street for a shoot out. That isn't to say there isn't any bad guys in it, and there are shootouts. It is more real than that. I didn't feel it dragged it covered seven years of a man's life in a short space of time. Sum it up this way, my daughter who isn't into westerns and my husband who is both enjoyed it and that says a lot.

From its mysterious, Hitchcock-style opening to its satisfying conclusion, Jericho is a delightful and intriguing movie. Set in the old west, Jericho is a suspenseful story of friendship, loyalty, and determination. Filmgoers will find themselves sharing the fast-paced adventure of the main character who is searching for his true identity. Along the way, be prepared to experience a wide range of emotions. Beautiful cinematography and a stirring soundtrack suit this heartwarming story well. Our family enjoyed watching this movie twice!

It's amazing to see how different people can have such varying opinions of the same movie. One rated it a 10 and called it a great "family" film. I guess they missed out on the scenes about the man getting his head blown off with a shotgun or the rape or the hanging. And some rated it a 1. Come on! It wasn't going to win an academy award, but it was entertaining. I think it was somewhere in the middle. I just found interesting that Jericho could make it through all he did, spend all that time on the trail and remain so good looking and clean shaven.

Mark Valley's charisma and excellent acting are clearly on display. Leon Coffee is terrific as the itinerant cowboy preacher. Supporting roles by R. Lee Ermey (superb as always), Mark Collie (the country singer), and Lisa Stewart keep the story moving. While clearly a first movie from a young production company, they put together a very good film that is suitable for the entire family. Extraordinarily well-written story that is anything but predictable. Minimal violence but none of it graphic. I'm surprised that Valley didn't get offered additional movie roles on the basis of this. Believe that he and Coffee had excellent on-screen chemistry. There should be a sequel.