Strangely enough, I watched the films in the Tom Selleck Western boxed set that I bought in June in reverse chronological order of when they were made and, perhaps, when they were set. Monte Walsh was made in 2003 and was set in 1892; Crossfire Trail was made in 2001 and was set in 1880; this film was made in 1997 and was set in 1865.
In this film, Selleck plays a returning Confederate Civil War veteran who comes back to his family in Texas after years away at war. He’s estranged from his wife and family and did not even learn that the youngest died while he was gone. They pack up to return to their homestead in Arizona (territory, of course, as it would not actually become a state for almost fifty years–1912) but find that other local ranchers, including one who served in the Union army, have moved into the valley. Conflict arises, abetted by a Confederate sympathizer running the local store and smuggling guns for the cause. Things come to a head, of course, and there’s gun play, and a resolution that brings the neighbors together and gets the husband and wife to start to reconcile.
Pretty stock stuff. To be honest, after watching three television Westerns in a row (and watching in the genre in watching The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. over the course of the last year or so), I’m ready to switch genres for a while. I actually watched this a couple of weeks ago not long after Crossfire Trail (I guess it’s only been a week and a half maybe–the review is dated July 17) but am only now getting to review it (and eventually to shelve it).
But I still like Tom Selleck as long as we can spread out the television Westerns over a longer period of time.
The film had Tracey Needham as the daughter of the rival ranching family.
She tempts Selleck’s character but fails to seduce him.
She has worked mostly in television starting with Life Goes On–man, I have not thought of that show in a long time. Never watched it because family dramas were not my thing when I was a young man (still aren’t, really). She also appeared in Veronica Mars and JAG.
You know what was my thing back when I was young? Blondes. When I was in college and shortly thereafter, it was almost a schtick that I mooned over blondes. But I guess my tastes have evolved. But Ms. Needham was and still is lovely.
