In the 1990s (and a couple
of years beyond), TNT was the “best little movie studio on television.” In
other words, they produced some darn good original pictures, and in particular,
some darn good Westerns. As a teenager in the ‘90s, I tried to catch as many of
them as I could (this was in the days before the blessed invention known as the
DVR, and my VCR recording skills weren’t particularly great). Somehow I missed Riders of the Purple Sage from 1996, and
have been waiting to see it ever since. It has been on VHS for a number of
years, but until recently was not on DVD. I would check for the DVD release
several times a year (along with one of my favorites, The Avenging Angel) but was always disappointed to discover it was
still not available…until now! Thanks to the Warner Brothers Archives, most of
the TNT Originals are now on DVD, and I for one could not be happier. As a
devoted and loyal Western fan, I recognized that TNT has given us some of the
best modern films in the genre. Thankfully, they do not seem as much like a
made-for-television movie as does, say, Hallmark Originals (this is not to say
Hallmark doesn’t have some good Westerns, but even the best ones feel like long
episodes of a television series, not necessarily a movie). TNT offered great
casts, great stories, and some good action.
I say all of this to get
around to my review of Riders. Based
upon the Zane Grey novel from 1912, this version stars Ed Harris as Lassiter
and Amy Madigan as Jane Withersteen. I will admit, I have never read the entire
book, but only pieces here and there for a Western literature class I took in
college. But, I did notice this filmed version has several differences from the
novel. First of all, Zane Grey specifically identified the villains of his
story as being Mormons. The 1996 movie does not actually mention Mormonism by
name, and I am alright with this. I believe Grey unfairly characterized
Latter-day Saints in his book, so I’m fine with that aspect being omitted. In
the movie, it is simply a sect of some religious order that is not overtly
identified.
Secondly, the movie
completely omits a side plot regarding the adoption by Jane Withersteen of a
young girl. But, the book may be overly plot heavy, so some trimming was
certainly needed in adapting the work for screen.
The movie moves along a bit
slowly at times, but I actually never lost interest. In fact, the
cinematography is great, and I almost got the feeling that I was actually in
Southern Utah watching the storms roll in over the mesas. The beauty of the
landscapes alone was enough to hold my interest. But the plot moves along at a
fairly good pace, and there are some gunfights sprinkled throughout to keep
things interesting. And speaking of gunfights…minor spoiler alert…the final
gunfight taking place at the church is one of the best Western gunfights filmed
in the last few decades. It had this fan of cowboy action shooting very happy!
Overall, I give TNT’s Riders of the Purple Sage a rating of 4
out of 5. It is a beautifully filmed Western, with a strong story and great
acting. The plot drags just a bit in the middle, keeping the film from scoring
a perfect five. But, the action packed final twenty minutes makes for some
great viewing.
If you are interested in
purchasing Riders of the Purple Sage,
it can be bought directly from Warner Brothers or from Amazon. Happy watching.
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