La diligence sauvage

While watching this film, I was really wanting to enjoy the experience. All my favorite country singers were assembled into a cast that would make any fan of music quiver with anticipation. But soon into the film it was obvious that the quiver turned into shivers as most of the acting was low-quality.

The idea for the story was actually a nice idea. But what was missing was someone that could write a teleplay that would bring the idea to life and make the story interesting. In this movie, nothing seemed to gel. The writing was weak and the words delivered by people that really were not actors.

Johnny Cash, who is one of my all time favorite singers, was stiff as a board and seemed to be reading the lines with little, if any, emotion. Willie Nelson was nearly shameful playing Doc Holliday and having him deliver a baby was absolutely embarrassing and painful to watch. Throw in Waylon Jennings that seemed mortified to be on camera and you have a cast that brings nothing to the table. With the weak script and the poor acting- this movie never had a chance.

I will credit Kris Kristofferson, John Schneider and Elizabeth Ashley with their acting ability as they are the bright spots in this dismal cast. Even Anthony Newley and Mary Crosby did a nice job with their character but it was not enough to help the unfortunate situation.

It was a movie I so wanted to enjoy but felt uncomfortable the entire time. Not sure anything could have helped this troubled project.

The acting is fine. The scenery is great. The plot is famous. The directing is good. The country music is fantastic. And if you can't watch Willy, Waylon, Kris, Johnny, and a great cast you should stick with the Hollywood crowd cause you don't understand fine movies by legendary entertainers of several skills. Personally, I love all these guys and they made a thousand movies I'd watch them all.

The original 'Stagecoach' from 1939 is to me a timeless classic and one of the finest westerns ever made. The 1966 film was a fair one, very much inferior and uneven and one questions the point of it but at the same time it had several big pluses to make it watchable.

Admittedly, when hearing of this 1986 film expectations were very low. As talented as these country and western stars are, the whole concept just screamed of one big gimmick that could easily have gone disastrously wrong. That it had a limited budget too further added to the intrepidation, which had potential to severely diminish the western atmosphere, which ideally should have excitement and tension which was likely not to happen with low-budget.

Seeing it, and judging it on its own merits, 'Stagecoach' (1986) turned out to be not as bad as expected with some serviceable things. As feared though, it is even more uneven than the 1966 version, has more (and bigger) flaws, it is a little gimmicky somewhat and even on its own merits many people (myself included) are likely to question the point of it or find any reason for it to be made in the first place.

Certainly, there are some good things. Things do pick up in the second half, where the pace is given a sharper kick and more happens while the build up to the climax and the climax itself are exciting and suspenseful. The soundtrack is infectious and a lot of fun, while the costumes suit the western genre well. Some of the performances are good. Anthony Newley clearly is enjoying himself in his brief appearance, while Tony Franciosa does his nervous act well, John Schneider is handsome and charismatic enough, Mary Crosby allures and Kris Kristofferson while not as charismatic as John Wayne has far more presence and likability (also appropriately stoic) than the wooden and vacuous Alex Cord.

However, Johnny Cash is somewhat stiff while both Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings look uncomfortable, Jennings actually looks as though he didn't want to be there and Nelson clearly had no idea how to portray the character. Elizabeth Ashley looks pained throughout too, exposing a limited acting ability, lack of experience and lack of connection with her character (which is admittedly not an interesting one in the first place).

Furthering hindering the film are in particular a long-winded and drawn-out script that veers on the preachy at times. The direction is pedestrian, aimless even in the first half and failing to inject any urgency until late into the film. The story lacks the fun and tension of especially the 1939 film, and lacks the necessary grit too making everything feel bland. It also really struggles to come to life in the first half, although improving in the climax and its build up. The limitations in budget hurt 'Stagecoach' (1986) also, with a choppy and drab look that was crying out for more majestic sweep and the production design looking like it was constructed in haste. This is sad because the scenery is actually quite nice.

On the whole, definitely could have been much worse but just didn't see the point. Interesting to see so many country and western stars together, who are very talented at what they do in their own way, but some fare significantly better than others while others flounder. 4/10 Bethany Cox

The iconic characters of Ernest Haycox's Stage To Lordsburg is given yet another remake with four country/western legends in the cast. Kris Kristofferson is the Ringo Kid, with Johnny Cash as the US Marshal, Willie Nelson is Doc Holiday, and Waylon Jennings as the gambler Hatfield. It's not the desert poetical version that John Ford made, but this can hold its own.

As you can see the doctor on the trip is the famous true life Doc Holiday instead of the inebriated former Union Army surgeon that Thomas Mitchell won an Oscar playing in the first version. There are other plot changes as well.

However without the showdown of Ringo Kid with Luke Plummer and the Apache attack on the moving coach this would not be Stagecoach and rest assured it is most definitely included. They are staged well if different from the 1939 and 1966 versions.

Others in the cast are John Schneider as the driver and he's not the comic figure that Andy Devine was. Anthony Newley is the whiskey salesman and Anthony Franciosa is the banker Gatewood who makes a very sudden decision to travel just as in the original.

The women are Elizabeth Ashley as Dallas the saloon girl and Mary Crosby plays the pregnant army captain's wife Mrs. Mallory. Her father Bing Crosby was Doc Boone in the 1966 remake.

The quartet of legends makes this one really work.

Stagecoach (1986)

** (out of 4)

Made-for-TV remake of John Ford's classic 1939 film is pretty lifeless from start to finish but fans of country music (or at least the actors here) will find some mild entertainment to be had. Willie Nelson (Doc Holliday), Kris Kristopherson (Ringo Kid), Johnny Cash (Marshal Curly Wilcox) and Waylon Jennings (Hatfield) lead the stagecoach into Apache territory where Geronimo is wanting some scalps. I'm somewhat shocked that they even bothered calling this STAGECOACH as it owes very little to the John Ford film. Sure, the entire set up is the same but it seems this film was more interesting in dialogue than any sort of action or drama. I think a lot of people will hate this movie with a passion or turn it off at the half way point unless they're fans of the cast and if that's the case they'll probably be able to make it through simply on their charm. I've always found Cash to be a fairly good actor (see THE GUNFIGHT with Kirk Douglas) and he clearly steals the film with his down to earth qualities that really come off quite charming. I think he fit the role perfectly well and there's not a second where you see Johnny Cash but instead you see the character. Kristopherson also comes off pretty well as he should since he's the most credited member of the cast. Nelson, as Doc Holliday, isn't going to go down as one of the greatest to ever play the role but he's not too bad and he does manage to get a few laughs with that dry sense of humor. Jennings doesn't get as good of a role but he's not too bad either. Fans of the Ford film really shouldn't compare the two movies as they're clearly both trying to do something different. This film here just wants to be fun and the cast delivers that but I think the screenplay is still full of holes and I have to wonder why they waited until the very end of a 100-minute movie to throw in some action. I think the film would have been better had some been sprinkled in towards the start of the film. With that said, country music fans will certainly want to see these legends acting together in one film and we even get the title song sung by Nelson. Look fast for other country folks including June Carter Cash and David Allan Coe.