IMDb > Appaloosa (2008)
Appaloosa
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Appaloosa (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 87 | slideshow) Videos (see all 28)
Appaloosa (2008) -- This is the theatrical trailer for Appaloosa, directed by Ed Harris.
Appaloosa (2008) -- Clip: Aren't either of you afraid?
Appaloosa (2008) -- Interview: Ed Harris "On the friendship between "Virgil Cole" and "Everett Hitch""
Appaloosa (2008) -- In his new film "Apaloosa," four-time Academy-Award nominee Ed Harris plays a marshal brought in to clean up a western town. Harry Smith reports.
Appaloosa (2008) -- Two friends hired to police a small town that is suffering under the rule of a rancher find their job complicated by the arrival of a young widow.
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Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   18,901 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Director:
Ed Harris
Writers (WGA):
Robert Knott (screenplay) &
Ed Harris (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Appaloosa on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
3 October 2008 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Western more
Tagline:
Feelings get you killed.
Plot:
Two friends hired to police a small town that is suffering under the rule of a rancher find their job complicated by the arrival of a young widow. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
2 wins more
NewsDesk:
(107 articles)
The apocalypse goes "1970s pop sci-fi" in The Arcadian
 (From QuietEarth. 24 November 2009, 11:38 AM, PST)
Viggo Mortensen Interview The Road
 (From Collider.com. 21 November 2009, 9:26 PM, PST)
User Comments:
An old school western that more than gets the job done. It's a tour de "fource" for Ed Harris more (156 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ed Harris ... Virgil Cole

Viggo Mortensen ... Everett Hitch

Renée Zellweger ... Allison French

Jeremy Irons ... Randall Bragg

Timothy Spall ... Phil Olson

Tom Bower ... Abner Raines

James Gammon ... Earl May
Ariadna Gil ... Katie
Benjamin Rosenshein ... Town Boy

Cerris Morgan-Moyer ... Tilda

Timothy V. Murphy ... Vince

Luce Rains ... Dean

Erik J. Bockemeier ... Fat Wallis
James Tarwater ... Chalk (as Jim Tarwater)
Freddie Hice ... Bragg's Third Man (as Fred Hice)
more
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for some violence and language.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
115 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Apache languages
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Certification:
Ireland:15A | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:15 | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | France:U | USA:R (certificate #44389) | Argentina:Atp | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Greece:K | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Africa:13V | Netherlands:9 | Australia:M | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Mexico:B
Filming Locations:
Austin, Texas, USA more
Company:
New Line Cinema more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Jeremy Irons' character, Randall Bragg, claims to have a political connection to the 21st President of the United States, Chester A. Arthur, which turns out to be factual. In Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), Jeremy Irons' villainous character, Simon Gruber, plants a false bomb in Chester A Arthur elementary school in New York in order to distract the NYPD. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: On the sign outside their office is the word 'Marshall'. Marshall is a name; 'Marshal' (with one L) is a law man. more
Quotes:
Vince: You shoot him, you think we're just gonna ride away?
Virgil Cole: Nope.
Vince: We'll kill you and Hitch.
Virgil Cole: You'll try.
Vince: You're willing to die to keep us from taking him?
Virgil Cole: Sure.
Vince: Hitch, you willing to die, too?
Virgil Cole: Of course he's willing to die. You think we do this kind of work because we're scared to die? You.
Vince: Me?
Virgil Cole: You afraid to die?
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Edited into "De wereld draait door: (#4.162)" (2009) more
Soundtrack:
Goodbye, Old Paint more

FAQ

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
What song does Ed Harris sing in the movie?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
100 out of 152 people found the following comment useful.
An old school western that more than gets the job done. It's a tour de "fource" for Ed Harris, 2 October 2008
9/10
Author: Splinter_Spy from United States

Films are made for us to escape to a new reality, whether that reality be complete fantasy, present day, the future, or in this case, the good old West. What we have here is a great western that looks and feels like a classic in the making, an old school western with an old school touch of directing (and acting) from Ed Harris. Appaloosa is very accessible in a film genre that isn't so accessible. It's a straightforward film that, despite that, never becomes predictable and formulaic. Harris's wonderful job on all fronts make Appaloosa one of the most complete films of the year. It's got it all, great writing, killer acting, and a great atmosphere that allows the viewer to get trapped in this old western world.

Set in 1882 New Mexico, Appaloosa follows the fate of the town of the same name, which has fallen into the control of a ruthless outlaw (Jeremy Irons), and the powers that be have hired new hands to take control of the situation (Harris and Viggo Mortensen). However, when a mysterious widow (Renee Zellweger) arrives in town, loyalties will be tested, friendships will be put on trial, and guns will be fired.

The strong point, as I've said, is Ed Harris, who pulls the quadruple threat of acting, directing, writing, and producing. Despite all the work he did on this film, he still manages to turn in an Oscar worthy performance as the steadfast and unwavering commander of the town. Harris is subtle, nuanced, and never out of control. He commands the screen every time he's on it, without yelling or doing anything too crazy. Viggo Mortensen's near silent performance is not short on talent either, as one of silent acting's kings continues to show incredible versatility (the guy is a fantasy king, Russian mobster, and now an old west Deputy Marshall). To complete the trifecta of greatness, Jeremy Irons is the only guy I can imagine in the role of the film's villain. His freezing stare, mixed with the icy cold voice he is most known for, makes him one of the most memorable villains of the year.

Renee Zellweger really didn't add anything to the movie, though her character wasn't too interesting, and just serves as a plot device. This is what keeps the film from getting that "10" from me. The rest of the supporting cast is really a non-issue, as the story really only revolves around a few characters.

What I enjoyed most about the film is that it really made me feel like I was out west...right down to the little details, such as sandstorms, the presence of Native Americans, small drawls from the actors (thankfully none besides Zellweger had a bad one), and the different kinds of horses & guns in the film. Harris keeps the film moving nicely, and there's only a few moments where I felt it dragged a bit. Like I've said, it's hard to find a real fault here...the film is just well done all around, from a production standpoint.

When all is said and done, I knew how I felt about this film the second the lights went on. I clapped and said, "that was great". Appaloosa is an old school western that has everything a fan of the genre could want...including a suspenseful and tense gunfight and crazy Native Americans on horses! It's definitely one of the most complete westerns and films I've seen this year, and should be in contention for a few awards come Oscar season.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Appaloosa (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Renee Zellweger looks like a troll in this movie. dcobra
Modern westerns don't have any atmosphere forfarmarkus-1
Plot movie for a TV serie Kavadarli
Renee ruined this movie jtg49wgx
What a DREADFUL Screenplay film_ophile
a really good film. michael247
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