Johnson County War

This movie inspired me to do further research. There really was a Johnson County war in Wyoming. A number of events in the film, which I thought had to be fiction because they were so unbelievable, actually did happen although the names of the characters had been changed. The range wars of the West were extremely vicious.

Tom Berenger does a very good job and is very much the hero. The rest of the cast are also very good, particularly Michelle Forbes, Luke Perry, and Christopher Cazenove. Frankly, the scenery steals the picture. The mountains and the surrounding forests and streams are incredible and beautifully shot by the cinematographer.

I enjoyed the movie for its entertainment value. But a movie titled The Johnson County War should endeavor to tell the story of its namesake. Especially since it is not a well known event and viewers are likely to accept the movie as historically accurate.

The basics are intact. The cattle barons declared war on the small ranchers over the issue of open range. The small ranchers were liberally declared rustlers in order to justify prosecuting them with extreme prejudice. A small army of mercenaries was hired to do the dirty work. Those familiar with the history of the Johnson County War know that a rancher named Nate Champion stood off the mercenary army in his cabin for a considerable length of time.

The movie takes that event and fictionalizes it with Tom Berenger's Cain Hammett making that stand instead of Nate Champion. The details of that fight are fairly accurate. But Berenger's character is fictitious, with subplots about brothers and spouses. It is not Nate Champion by another name. So it makes little sense to me to make a movie about a historical event and pretend that it happened to someone different. Kind of like Custer's Last Stand with some fictitious guy named Clyde Smith as the leader of the Cavalry instead of Custer.

The movie makes for a good western. But Nate Champion's story is entertaining in itself. Christopher Walken portrayed him in Heaven's Gate, which is also about the Johnson County War. But in that movie, director Michael Cimino took the names of Jim Averill and Ella Watson, two small ranchers hanged early in the dispute, and assigned them to the Marshall portrayed by Kris Kristofferson and the prostitute portrayed by Isabelle Huppert.

The Johnson County War is a little known and interesting part of American history. Too bad that movie makers play so fast and loose with the facts.

This is a GREAT movie!! - The previous comment does not do it justice. In the steps of "Conagher," "One Man's Hero" (also Berenger), and "The Jack Bull," this movie speaks volumes about integrity, personal accountability & human worth. The ending is AWESOME. Could you do it? Is anything worth that much of you? If it matters, - if anything upright, ethical holds any position of importance to your psyche, you will understand when you see this motivating, way-overlooked treasure.

Tom Berenger is GORGEOUS! He plays a very strong character worthy of praise & remembrance!

Luke Perry's role far outplays '90210' and compares favorably to "8 Seconds."

The plot is easy to follow and enticing. The filming is magnificent, intelligent and complimenting of the plot & actors' accomplishments here.

A GREAT MOVIE!!

If you love the wide open space of horse & cattle country, you'll love this mini-series!

Spoiled rich cattle barrons in the 1800's want to drive out the poor squatter/settlers who gather up & keep any stray calves they may find. But that's not the real reason they have to be driven out. It's just plain greed & prejudice.

Rachel Ward is always likable & here plays a harlot w/a newspaper-writing husband.

Tom Berenger is clearly the star of this series & is the eldest & most respected of the 3 Hammett brothers doing battle w/the barrons & trying to keep the peace. Luke Perry is certainly playing a different role here & deservedly so. I heard he didn't know how to ride a horse before he signed on for this part. You'd never know it watching him do practically nothing BUT riding in this! (Goodbye, 90210!)

The ending is too long for my taste & is very disappointing. I will not spoil it here by telling you who else is killed though.

One romantic scene I must comment on: When Berenger is getting his hair cut out on the porch by his widowed sister-in-law. Ladies, you will totally melt...

This is an expertly made TV western with a top notch cast.

A grandiose kind of story involving cattle ranchers and their feuds with cattle barons gets a first rate production and presentation from Hallmark. The cast is great, Tom Berenger terrific as always, Luke Perry surprisingly tolerable and a very feisty and evil Burt Reynolds looks smashing.

One of the better recent westerns to have come out in long while. Beats out most of these big budget Hollywood releases by a long shot. Highly recommended.

8 out of 10.