9 Smartest Decisions In Action Movie History

Too often the motif of a cowboy film is about machismo, ending in a lead-filled rampage and riding off into the sunset, alone. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, The Quick and the Dead, and The Big Country all have the motif of a cowboy, or girl, who rides into town, causes a big problem, solves the problem with gunfire, and then departs town - maybe with a lover or sidekick in tow.

But in Kevin Costner's 2003 film, Open Range, the whole motif is upended when Robert Duvall's character, Bluebonnet "Boss" Spearman, goes the RPG route and starts doing side missions and befriending the local townsfolk. In the big final showdown the frightened, seemingly powerless, folk come out to support Spearman and his side of things to achieve victory against the powerful and corrupt land baron Denton Baxter.

The film is also the last on-screen appearance of veteran actor Michael Jeter, who is so good the movie's worth watching just for him. But I specifically mention him because the scenes between Jeter's character and Boss Spearman sets up the motif of Spearman befriending and creating the atmosphere of friendly support with the locals.