A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)

As a cowardly farmer begins to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, he must put his new-found courage to the test when her husband, a notorious gun-slinger, announces his arrival.

Director:

Seth MacFarlane

Writers:

Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin

Stars:

Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Seth MacFarlane	...	Albert
Charlize Theron	...	Anna
Amanda Seyfried	...	Louise
Liam Neeson	...	Clinch
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Edward
Neil Patrick Harris	...	Foy
Sarah Silverman	...	Ruth
Christopher Hagen	...	George Stark
Wes Studi	...	Cochise
Matt Clark	...	Old Prospector
Evan Jones	...	Lewis
Aaron McPherson	...	Ben
Rex Linn	...	Sheriff / Narrator
Brett Rickaby	...	Charlie Blanche
Alex Borstein	...	Millie

Storyline

Set in 1882 in the American west, Albert is a lowly farmer with a nice girlfriend. But when she leaves him for the more successful and handsome owner of a moustachery store, Albert returns to his lonely daily life of trying to avoid death. Then the mysterious Anna rides into town and captures Albert's interest and heart, but with her deadly husband in town, Albert is going to have to become the western gun-slinging hero he never was. It won't be easy because there are a million ways to die in the west.

---

Plot Keywords:

snake poison | marijuana cookie | low self esteem | shooting range | sperm on face | 

---

Taglines:

Bring protection

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Western

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong crude and sexual content, language throughout, some violence and drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook [Netherlands]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Navajo Mandarin

Release Date:

30 May 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pueblo chico, pistola grande

Filming Locations:

Monument Valley, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,069,000, 1 June 2014, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$43,139,300

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$86,408,083

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bluegrass Films, Fuzzy Door Productions, Media Rights Capital (MRC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min 136 min (Unrated)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (ACES)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The long-legged sheep in the drug trip are a visual reference to Salvador Dali's painting "The Temptation of St. Anthony".

---

Goofs

When Anna first meets Foy and Louise at the fair, she moves her hand from Stark's elbow to his shoulder. In the next shot of her, her hand is back where it was before. In the next it's on his shoulder again, where it stays for the rest of the scene.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Some people are born into the wrong time and place. This was the American frontier in 1882, a hard land for hard folk. Food was scarce, disease was rampant, and life was a daily struggle for survival. Hell, this was Miss America in 1880.
[picture of a leathery middle-aged woman]
Narrator: Holy shit. To build a home and a life in this harsh, unforgiving country required that a man be bold, fearless, and tough as iron. The men who were courageous and resilient were the men who prospered. But ...
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

There is a post-credits sequence involving the gunman at the fair from the final scene.

---

Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: Think Like a Man Too (2014)

---

Soundtracks

Back to the Future Theme
Written by Alan Silvestri
[From the Motion Picture Back to the Future]

User Reviews

I loved it!

Yeah, yeah; it's getting lacklustre reviews, and I half understand why.

It's not a timeless piece of comedy, but it's got spunk, wonderful production values, inspired comedic acting (even the 'bit' roles), and it has well-turned moments of stunningly genuine romance. Of note: If other comedy films are "better", why did I find more good ol', down-home belly laughs in this one? I think I know why: Sure, MacFarlane can play it blue and scatological, but he also values that other timeless comedic tradition; that which is Truly Funny Because It Is True.

Special Mention for Sarah Silverman. I think she struggles to reach out and touch with her unique and beautiful style, and goes largely unappreciated. MacFarlane gave her a great vehicle, and she lived up to it with the kind of aplomb and vivacity that I've certainly come to expect from her. I sincerely hope moviegoers will recognize this and watch her career with heightened expectations.

One thing I thought a bit odd: The Onion reviewer's main critique was that MacFarlane was "recycling" gags. I was half-expecting to find a tiresome rehashing of a few gags. I started watching, and found it engaging and surprising.

Anyway, it sorta looks like the horse is out of the barn. The flick did sh1t at the box office, and it'll go to DVD and maybe recoup its outlays. Too bad! It deserves better.