The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Robert Ford, who's idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the reforming gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.

Director:

Andrew Dominik

Writers:

Andrew Dominik (screenplay), Ron Hansen (novel)

Stars:

Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 26 wins & 68 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brad Pitt	...	Jesse James
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Zee James
Brooklynn Proulx	...	Mary James
Dustin Bollinger	...	Tim James
Casey Affleck	...	Robert Ford
Sam Rockwell	...	Charley Ford
Jeremy Renner	...	Wood Hite
Sam Shepard	...	Frank James
Garret Dillahunt	...	Ed Miller
Paul Schneider	...	Dick Liddil
Joel McNichol	...	Express Messenger
James Defelice	...	Baggagemaster (as James DeFelice)
J.C. Roberts	...	Engineer
Darrell Orydzuk	...	Ukranian Train Passenger
Jonathan Erich Drachenberg	...	Young Train Passenger

Storyline

Taking place in Missouri in the early 1880s, the film dramatizes the last seven months in the life of famed outlaw Jesse James, beginning with the Blue Cut train robbery of 1881 and culminating in his assassination at the hands of Robert Ford the following April. In the time between these two fateful events, the young and jealous Ford befriends the increasingly mistrustful outlaw, even as he plots his demise.

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Plot Keywords:

based on a novel | jesse james character | bob ford character | long title | assassination | 

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Taglines:

Beyond the myth lies America's greatest betrayal.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong violence and brief sexual references

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cinematographer Roger Deakins has called the arrival of the train in darkness is one of the high points of his career.

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Goofs

The glass on Jesse James nightstand Bob Ford picks up and handles is a mid-20th century 10 sided 750 ml. Luminarc made glass. Thick durable tempered glassware and mainstay of French kitchens, the Luminarc brand was created in 1958. The typical water glass of the period would be a handmade mouth blown vessel, blown into a mold or pressed.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: He was growing into middle age, and was living then in a bungalow on Woodland Avenue. He installed himself in a rocking chair and smoked a cigar down in the evenings as his wife wiped her pink hands on an apron and reported happily on their two children. His children knew his legs, the sting of his mustache against their cheeks. They didn't know how their father made his living, or why they so often moved. They didn't even know their father's name. He was listed in the city ...

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Crazy Credits

The film does not contain either an opening title nor intro credits. The film title is displayed first after the final fadeout.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies You Should Watch If You Liked Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)

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Soundtracks

Oh, Susanna
(uncredited)
Written by Stephen Foster
Sung by Unknown

User Reviews

Casey Affleck's best work to date

Casey Affleck's has officially come into his own. Fantastic performance!

Brad Pitt's performance complex and stunning as usual. Brad does not shy away from the real roles and proves time and time again what a brilliant actor he is.

Roger Deakins shots are stunning, capturing the true beauty that lies within the Canadian rockies. The artistic shots through the old style glass is fantastic.

Score is very unorthodox yet amazingly effective.

The only downside to the film many say is the running time, but I admire that Andrew allowed for the performances of the actors to be the showcase. Many scenes with not a lot of background music, just the intense performances.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Warner Bros. [United States]

Country:

USA Canada UK

Language:

English Danish

Release Date:

19 October 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Assassination of Jesse James

Filming Locations:

Fort Edmonton Park - Fox Drive and Whitemud Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$147,812, 23 September 2007

Gross USA:

$3,909,149

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,001,776

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Jesse Films Inc., Scott Free Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

160 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1