Tombstonemight be Sam Elliott’s best-known Western, butConaghergave the veteran star one of his best characters. There have been many iconicSam Elliott movies and TV showsover the years, spanning fromMasktoThe Big Lebowskior1883; there’s alsoRoadhouse, of course. Maybe more than any other actor,there’s something about Sam Elliott that just fits neatly into a Western. While he’s done plenty of great roles outside the genre, few performers are as convincing playing a cowboy.
Elliott’s Western movie CVis an embarrassment of riches too. This began withcameos in the likes ofButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidbefore Ellitott fronted films likeThe Shadow Riders,The Quick and the DeadandTombstone. The latter cast him as Virgil Earp, older brother of Wyatt (Kurt Russell), with the story chronicling their violent clash with the outlaw gang, the Cowboys. The movie was a hit back in 1993 but has come to be regarded as one of the best Westerns ever made. Sadly, Elliott doesn’t get much to do as Virgil, especially compared to his role in 1991’sConagher.
Sam Elliott Gave A Great Performance In The Western Conagher
Elliott co-wrote this 1991 TV movie
Based on the Louis L’Amour novel of the same name,Conaghercast Elliott in the title role. Conn Conagher is a tough old cowboy who faces danger when he takes a job helping out an old rancher defend against a gang; Conn also romances a lonely widow named Evie (Katherine Ross) while she tries to make good of an isolated homestead with her children.Conagheris a thoroughly old-fashioned Western, and it’s easy to picture stars like Gary Cooper or John Wayne having adapted the book themselvesin the 1950s.
Conaugherhas well-staged shootouts, but it’s more of a drama about a decent man in a harsh landscape than a shoot-em-up Western.
Outside of a couple of bloody gunshots and punch-ups, the movie is tame in the violence department.Conaugheris an episodic story too, with the first act largely focused on Evie and the tough times she faces at her new home. From the second act on,Elliott’s Conaugher takes the focus, with the star giving a performance that is both nuanced and suitably manly. The story makes it clear that violence and killing are last resorts for Conagher - even if he’s good at them.
Conn takes no pleasure in killing either and even comforts an outlaw after mortally wounding him. Outside the subplots dealing with the ranch or his conflict with an outlaw gang,Conagheris a surprisingly sweet love story, as Conn and Evie slooooooowly admit their attractionto each other. Given that Elliott and Ross are married in real life, they share great chemistry, and they give their scenes together a genuine tenderness.
Sam Elliott and Katherine Ross co-wroteConagheralongside Jeffrey M. Meyer.
Conaugherhas well-staged shootouts, but it’s more of a drama about a decent man in a harsh landscape than a shoot-em-up. Its star got some deserved critical kudos too, andSam Elliott’s performance nabbed him a Best Actor nod at the Golden Globes in the Miniseries or Television Film category.Conaugheris one of Elliott’s lesser-talked about Westerns nowadays, but fans of the actor owe it to themselves to check it out.
Sam Elliott’s Western Run From The Mid-80s To Mid-90s Was Fantastic
There’s more to Sam Elliott’s Western work than Tombstone
Some actors or filmmakers get real hot streaks in their careers, where they rip through a run of quality projects. This happened to Sam Elliott around the mid-80s, where between big movies likeFatal Beautywith Whoopi Goldberg,Elliott starred in the well-received Alamo miniseriesGone to Texas, another L’Amour adaptationThe Quick and the Dead(no relation to the Sam Raimi movie),TombstoneandBuffalo Girls. There’s also the Civil War epicGettysburg, which may have been a box office bomb but received great reviews back in 1993.
Conaghercame about the midway point of Elliott’s wild Western run and is one of the best. Even when not fronting traditional Westerns,Elliott has brought his laconic cowboy vibes to movies likeGhost RiderandThank You for Smoking, and it’s a typecasting he has no trouble embracing.1883is one of his most recent outings in the saddle, with some critics regarding his performance as possibly his best.
Conagher
Cast
Conagher is a Western film starring Sam Elliott as Conagher, a rugged cowboy navigating the challenges of life in the frontier. Katharine Ross plays Evie Teale, a widow struggling to maintain her homestead and care for her children. Directed by Reynaldo Villalobos, the film explores themes of survival, honor, and love amidst the harsh landscape of the American West.
