The Outsider (2002) (TV)

Director:

Randa Haines

Writers (WGA):

Penelope Williamson (book)
Jenny Wingfield (teleplay)

Release Date:

10 November 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Plot:

A western love story revolving around the forbidden love between a young widow from a Quaker-like religious group and a cold-blooded gunslinger whom she takes into her home after he is wounded. |

Plot Keywords:

Forbidden Love | Amish | Based On Book

Cast

Tim Daly	...	Johnny Gault
Naomi Watts	...	Rebecca Yoder
Keith Carradine	...	Noah Weaver
David Carradine	...	Doctor Lucas Henry
Thomas Curtis	...	Benjo Yoder
Brett Tucker	...	Ben Yoder
John Noble	...	Fergus Hunter
Grant Piro	...	Woodrow Wharton
Peter McCauley	...	Isaiah Miller
Jason Clarke	...	Ray Childress
Todd Leigh	...	Mose
Aaron James Cash	...	Samuel Miller (as Aaron Cash)
Simon Watts	...	Abram Miller
Eamon Farren	...	Levi Miller
Kim Knuckey	...	Sheriff Getts

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence and a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Company:

Coote Hayes Productions

Trivia:

The hauntingly beautiful background music in the movie was mostly Norwegian folk songs - Bla Tonar Fra Lom & Jenta I Saueflokken and although, the "Plain People" in the movie appear to be something like Quakers, Amish or Mennonites - there were no Norwegian settlements of this kind in the US. Most of these groups came from Germany & Switzerland. Most Norwegians coming to the US during this time period were Lutherans. Also, the hymn they sing during the barn religious ceremony was sung in Norwegian.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Woodrow is laying on the ground after being thrown from his horse and Johnny is holding his rifle on him, a con trail can be seen in the sky over Johnny's shoulder

It's the gunman and the widow again- but quite satisfying

Aw, shucks, so "The Outsider" (a Showtime original so it will eventually show up in video stores) is based on the kind of a romance novel (by Penelope Williamson) that probably has a flower on the cover.

But beautiful Queensland, Australia fills in quite nicely for Montana as the usual isolated farmhouse works romantic wonders on a hardened gunman (Tim Daly, in a surprisingly convincing tough guy undergoing physical and slow psychic rehabilitation turn) and a kind, religious yet horny widow (Naomi Watt with an excellent American accent) threatened by evil cattlemen.

From the opening shots, the twist is that she makes the significant moves and decisions in her relationships, and the two leads have dynamic chemistry together.

Another twist is that we get to see two Carradines not playing brothers, and neither gets the girl.

Credit to director Randa Haines for the combination of emoting, setting, cinematography, and editing to emphasize the characters' conflicts and changes.