Silverado (1985)

A misfit bunch of friends come together to right the injustices which exist in a small town.

Director:

Lawrence Kasdan

Writers:

Lawrence Kasdan, Mark Kasdan

Stars:

Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Kline	...	Paden
Scott Glenn	...	Emmett
Kevin Costner	...	Jake
Danny Glover	...	Mal
Marvin J. McIntyre	...	Clerk
Brad Williams	...	Trooper
Sheb Wooley	...	Cavalry Sergeant
Jon Kasdan	...	Boy at Outpost
John Cleese	...	Sheriff Langston
Todd Allen	...	Deputy Kern
Kenny Call	...	Deputy Block
Bill Thurman	...	Carter
Meg Kasdan	...	Barmaid
Dick Durock	...	Bar Fighter
Gene Hartline	...	Bar Fighter

Storyline

In 1880, four men travel together to the city of Silverado. They come across with many dangers before they finally engage the "bad guys" and bring peace and equality back to the city.

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Plot Keywords:

small town | 1880s | action hero | wild west | gun fu | 

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Taglines:

Get ready for the ride of your life.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 July 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Outlaws

Filming Locations:

Abiquiu, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$33,200,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Delphi III Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kevin Costner was offered the role of Jake by Lawrence Kasdan, in part to make up for his role in The Big Chill being cut out of that film.

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Goofs

During the showdown in Silverado, Emmett is shot in his right leg, in a spot visible from most angles. After racing the horse to another end of town, and killing him, there is a shot of Emmett on the horse where you can see almost his entire right leg, and no bullet hole is visible, either in his leg or pants.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[Emmett saves Paden's life with a sip of water from his canteen after discovering him abandoned and baking in the desert]
Paden: Pleased to meet you.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Last of the Wild Horses (1994)

User Reviews

Cult Classic Tribute to Western Clichés...

By 1985, the movie 'western' was a genre long dormant, with film critics quick to point out that audiences had become far too 'sophisticated' for old-fashioned "shoot-'em-ups". Two film makers decided to test the waters, however; Clint Eastwood, reviving an older version of his "Man with No Name", directed and starred in his SHANE homage, PALE RIDER; and Lawrence Kasdan, fresh from the huge success of THE BIG CHILL, fulfilled his life-long dream to make a western, with SILVERADO. Neither film was successful at the box office, and pundits predicted they would soon be forgotten...but a new force in the movie industry was emerging, video rentals, and SILVERADO, with it's spectacular action sequences, charismatic heroes, and sweeping, unforgettable music score (by Bruce Broughton), was an unexpected and overwhelming hit, drawing Hollywood's attention to the new market, and lifting the film to the near-classic cult status it enjoys today.

While PALE RIDER would focus on Clint Eastwood's continuing demythologizing of the West (which would culminate in 1992's UNFORGIVEN), SILVERADO embraces all the 'classic' Western clichés, serving them up with such exuberance that they seem 'fresh'. The story of four likable 'shootists' of nearly superhuman skills, bonding, and ultimately taking on a corrupt sheriff and his brutal gang of deputies in the town of Silverado, trots out one traditional element after another, from the classic 'bushwhack' (with a John Ford 'Doorway Framing' homage shot) to the 'pretty widow' in a wagon train; from the 'saloonkeeper with a heart of gold' to the 'crooked gambler with a concealed weapon'...and even climaxes with that most traditional of finales, as two ex-partners face off on a dusty street in an old-fashioned Western shootout.

The four leads couldn't have been cast more perfectly; Scott Glenn channels Gary Cooper as a laconic cowboy fresh from an undeserved 5-year prison stretch; Kevin Kline exudes his signature charm as an ex-gang member whose life changed because of "a dog"; Danny Glover is warm and reassuring as a man moving west from Chicago to help his family, armed with a legendary Henry rifle; and, best of all, young Kevin Costner, in his breakout performance, is irresistible, wild and acrobatic, as Glenn's ever-optimistic, carefree younger brother, a part Kasdan wrote specifically for the actor, after his scenes were cut from THE BIG CHILL.

The supporting cast is equally superb, with standout performances by giant Brian Dennehy, John Cleese (as a sheriff who knows 'where' his jurisdiction ends), Jeff Goldblum, Linda Hunt, James Gammon ("You led a posse to my best hide-out??"), Jeff Fahey, and, in a wonderful if brief role, breathtaking Rosanna Arquette, as the widow courted by both Kline and Glenn. With a cast THIS good, it is remarkable that the film had to 'go to video' to achieve success!

The final line of SILVERADO, "We'll be back!", shouted by Costner as he and Glenn ride 'into the sunset', has had countless fans wishing that a follow-up movie had been made (a 1999 nationwide video poll chose SILVERADO as the film "Most Deserving of a Sequel"), but time has, sadly, eliminated that possibility. The film that 'failed' when released, in a genre that 'experts' considered passé, is, after nearly 20 years, still winning new fans.

As Kevin Kline and Linda Hunt say, as a toast: "Here's to the good stuff...May it last a long time!"