This is the movie that made lifetime stuntman Richard Farnsworth a bonafide Movie Star. I've had it in my DVD library for ages, and am so glad to see that you've posted it here, for all to see. Richard's son, Diamond, is also an actor, stuntman and stunt coordinator for TV shows like NCIS and JAG. Again, thank you for posting this!
Richard Farnsworth was an old(er) man when he became an actor. He had been a stunt man for many years before becoming a "credited" actor as, for instance, the assistant coach in "The Natural" and the Sheriff ("Buster") in "Misery." His final movie role was in "The Straight Story" in 1999 (he died in 2000 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while suffering from cancer). Mr. Farnsworth was an untrained actor: a natural, whose minimalist style was both effective (he was nominated twice for an Oscar, and won many other acting awards) and endearing. It was impossible to not take notice of his characters, no matter who they were. Some film viewers have recognized him as one of the Comancheros killed by Clint Eastwood's "Josie Wales" character when he rescues the "pilgrims" from the Comancheros in the film "The Outlaw Josie Wales." Mr Farnsworth's character's disingenuous line (to Wales) was "We will give you a good price" (speaking of Wales's horse), just before Wales kills him and his companions. He was one of a kind.
I watched this film on vhs a long time ago.....a great story and well paced and shot film. The characters he played were gritty no nonsense types, not afraid to make a decision and ready to take responsibility for their actions and it appears he lived and ended his own life that way. A memorable character indeed
I read somewhere that Farnsworth's greatest acting achievement was that in all the films he was in, he never cursed once. Lol, like Ben Johnson, another real life cowboy that despised curse words. Johnson even demanded more pay for having to curse in the movie Dillinger.
It was in the late 1980s or early 1990s, I had just gotten out of the navy. I was in a shop and saw this movie I'd never heard of. But I recognized Farnsworth's face on the cover and knew if he was in the movie it would be good. I was correct LOL.
Thank god it was Farnsworth. He has a more believable and natural quality that Mr Elliott does not possess. Elliott is an image based actor, unlike Farnsworth, who portrayed the common man down to a tee.
He should've taken a better route out, his fiance was in the other room when he did it. My dad was terminal back in '19 and before he lost all his faculties from brain cancer he told me to let him go easy. So we did, his nurse was sympathetic and gave him a nice comfortable trip to the other side courtesy of propofol. She was an angel for doing that and he died in the his own home with his dignity intact and his trusty kitty laying by his to comfort him. My dad's name was Richard also, I hope they're better wherever they are.
