Young Guns (1988)

A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted.

Director:

Christopher Cain

Writer:

John Fusco

Stars:

Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emilio Estevez	...	William H. Bonney
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Doc Scurlock
Lou Diamond Phillips	...	Chavez y Chavez
Charlie Sheen	...	Dick Brewer
Dermot Mulroney	...	Dirty Steve Stephens
Casey Siemaszko	...	Charley Bowdre
Terence Stamp	...	John Tunstall
Jack Palance	...	L. G. Murphy
Terry O'Quinn	...	Alex McSween
Sharon Thomas Cain	...	Susan McSween (as Sharon Thomas)
Geoffrey Blake	...	J. McCloskey
Alice Carter	...	Yen Sun
Brian Keith	...	Buckshot Roberts
Thomas Callaway	...	Texas Joe Grant (as Tom Callaway)
Patrick Wayne	...	Pat Garrett

Storyline

1878 in New Mexico: John Tunstall picks up young gun men from the road to have them work on his ranch, but also to teach them reading and to civilize them. However he's a thorn in the side of the rich rancher Murphy, as he's a competitor in selling cattle. One day he's shot by Murphy's men. Judge Wilson can't do anything, since Sheriff Brady is one of Murphy's men. But attorney Alex persuades him to constitute Tunstall's young friends to Deputies and give them warrants of arrest for the murderers. Instead of arresting them, William Bonney just shoots them down. Soon the 5 guys become famous and William gets the name "Billie the Kid" - but they're also chased by dozens of Murphy's men and the army. The people however honor him as fighter for justice.

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Plot Keywords:

peyote | interracial romance | campfire | antihero | villain | 

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Taglines:

Six reasons why the west was wild.

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Genres:

Action | Western

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 August 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jovenes Pistoleros

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,011,393, 14 August 1988

Gross USA:

$45,661,556

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$45,661,556

Company Credits

Production Co:

Morgan Creek Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Billy has Doc write a letter to the Governor, Emilio Estevez wanted to make it look like he was making the speech off the top of his head, so the crew made a cue card for him to read. His eyes move while he is reciting the speech.

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Goofs

When the Regulators are saying prayers before a meal, Richard starts the Lord's Prayer with "Our Father, who art in heaven". At the time, the Lord's Prayer started with "Our Father, which art in heaven".

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Quotes

[When the cavalry arrives]
Doc: Billy, we're good, but this is getting ridiculous.
William H. Bonney: I like these odds...

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Connections

Referenced in Talking Dead: Service (2016)

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Soundtracks

Auld Lang Syne
(uncredited)
Written by Robert Burns
[Sung at New Year's Eve dance]

User Reviews

A pack of young stars take on the western legend known as Billy the Kid.

The year is 1870 and the place is Lincoln County in New Mexico territory. A young William H. Bonney is rescued from a possible hanging by John Tunstall, who befriends the youth and makes him part of the family of young guns known as Regulators. This puts Billy in the midst of a territorial dispute between Tunstall and the Santa Fe Ring, led by Lawrence G. Murphy, villainously portrayed by Jack Palance. Another western legend, Pat Garrett, is played by Patrick Wayne, the son, of course, of John Wayne.

After the killing of Tunstall by Murphy's henchmen, the Regulators and Billy hit on all cylinders in extracting revenge for the slaughter of their benefactor. The Regulators are branded as outlaws, and the "legal forces" of Murphy attempt to pare them down to nothing. This leads to a final shootout on the streets of Lincoln, and very few of the original Regulators escape, which leads to the sequel of "Young Guns," appropriately called "Young Guns II." The cast of young and upcoming Hollywood stars include Emilio Estevez as Billy, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Lou Diamond Phillips, Casey Siemaszko, and Dermot Mulroney.

One final note: the DVD includes as part of its special features section a Trivia Track, which flashes western facts and information about the stars or the characters being portrayed on screen without detracting from the viewing of the film. This is worth seeing and owning.