American Outlaws (2001 film)

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American Outlaws
Americanoutlawsposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Les Mayfield
Written by Roderick Taylor
John Rogers
Produced by James G. Robinson
Bill Gerber
Starring
Cinematography Russell Boyd
Edited by Michael Tronick
Music by Trevor Rabin
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • August 17, 2001 (2001-08-17)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million [1]
Box office$13,678,913 [2]

American Outlaws is a 2001 American Western action film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, and Ali Larter.

Contents

Plot

Confederate guerillas attempt to raid a Union Army camp late in the American Civil War. The guerillas are ambushed, but thanks to the sharp-shooting of Frank James and the distractions of his brother Jesse they survive. The James, along with their cousins, the Younger brothers, congratulate themselves but learn that the Confederacy has surrendered and the war is now over. The group decides to return to Missouri to their families and farms.

When they arrive, their town is occupied by the Union Army. Jesse childhood friend and cousin Zee has grown into an attractive young woman, and there is a man hanging in the town square. Farmers are being pressured to sell their farms to the railroad company, who are expanding across the United States. If they don't sell their land to Thaddeus Rains, and his secret-service organizer, Allan Pinkerton, the farmers are burned out of their homes, or killed.

Frank finds the railroad doesn't even need their land. The James and the Younger brothers don't want to sell, and Cole Younger loses his temper when several railroad men approach him about selling and kills two of them. The army authorities decide to hang him, but his brothers Bob and Jim, along with Jesse, Frank, and Zee, decide to rescue him. During the rescue, Jesse is shot in the shoulder, and hides out at Zee's.

A few weeks later, when Jesse has recovered, the railroad sets fire to the James' home, killing Jesse's mother. The James and Younger brothers ride out for revenge against the railroad men but instead focus on the bank's payroll, reasoning that if they steal the money and attack supply trains, the army will notice. Dubbing themselves the James–Younger Gang, they set out robbing banks, with Pinkerton and Rains struggling to stop them. The James gang turns themselves into folk heroes in the process.

The gang struggles over leadership, with Cole feeling that Jesse is getting an overblown ego from the publicity of the gang's activities. Jesse backs down, after an argument, and lets Cole plan and execute a robbery; Cole's chosen target proves to be a trap set by Pinkerton and Rains. Jim is shot and killed, and Jesse and his brother leave the gang, with Jesse later marrying Zee.

The gang does not do well without the James brothers. People do not respect the Younger brothers as much as they did the James-Younger Gang. When Jesse and Zee attempt to start a new life, Pinkerton finds and arrests Jesse. During the train ride to the jail, Jesse is chained in a rear car, but tricks a deputy into showing his gun, which he takes from him and uses to escape to the top of the train car.

Zee and the remainder of the Gang shoot a cannon at the train, stopping it and rescuing Jesse. Confronted with Rains and Pinkerton, Jesse shoots neither of them but rather Rains' prized watch. Pinkerton tells Jesse that he should go to Tennessee, as 'the railroad has no interest in Tennessee'.

Cast

Production

In April 1995, it was reported Morgan Creek Entertainment was developing at western similar to Young Guns to be potentially directed by Dean Semler. [3] In July 1998, it was revealed the name of the project was Jesse James with Roderick Taylor writing the script and the search for a director was ongoing. [4]

In April 2000, it was announced Colin Farrell had been cast to play Jesse James with further re-writes being performed by John Rogers. [5] The following month, Scott Caan and Ali Larter joined the cast. [6]

Home media

The film was released on VHS and DVD on December 4, 2001. [7]

Reception

American Outlaws opened to dismal box office and mostly negative reviews. Many critics cited a poor sense of time and place as a major cause of the film's problems.[ citation needed ] Others just dismissed the film as another Young Guns ripoff.[ citation needed ]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 13% approval rating based on 103 reviews, with an average rating of 3.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "With corny dialogue, revisionist history, anachronistic music, and a generically attractive cast, American Outlaws is a sanitized, teenybopper version of Jesse James". [8] On Metacritic, it has a score of 25% based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [9]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "For years there have been reports of the death of the Western. Now comes American Outlaws, proof that even the B Western is dead." [10] Robert Koehler of Variety said the film "sadly symbolizes the decline of the Western. The 36th bigscreen version of the exploits of the James-Younger Gang is one of the least convincing." [11]

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times gave it a positive review and called it "a handsome and skillful retelling of a legend that imaginatively draws on conventions of both the western and the gangster movie to create an energetic yet thoughtful contemporary action-adventure." [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank James</span> American outlaw, Confederate guerrilla, and train robber

Alexander Franklin James was a Confederate soldier and guerrilla; in the post-Civil War period, he was an outlaw. The older brother of outlaw Jesse James, Frank was also part of the James–Younger Gang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Train robbery</span> Type of robbery involving the theft of money/valuables being carried aboard trains

Since the invention of locomotives in the early 19th century, trains have often been the target of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables. Train robbery was especially common during the 19th century and is commonly associated with gangs of outlaws in the American Old West. It has continued into the 21st century, with criminals usually targeting freight trains carrying commercial cargo, or targeting passengers of public transportation for their valuables.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James–Younger Gang</span> Criminal organization

The James–Younger Gang was a notable 19th-century gang of American outlaws that revolved around Jesse James and his brother Frank James. The gang was based in the state of Missouri, the home of most of the members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Larter</span> American actress (born 1976)

Alison Elizabeth Larter is an American actress and former model. She portrayed fictional model Allegra Coleman in a 1996 Esquire magazine hoax and took on guest roles on several television shows in the 1990s. She made her film debut in Varsity Blues (1999), which was followed by the horror film House on Haunted Hill (1999). Her role as Clear Rivers in the first two films of the Final Destination horror franchise earned her a reputation as a scream queen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Caan</span> American actor (born 1976)

Scott Andrew Caan is an American actor, director, photographer, writer, and former rapper. He received his breakthrough role in Ocean's Eleven as Turk Malloy, whom he played in the Ocean's trilogy, and starred as Detective Danny "Danno" Williams in the CBS television series Hawaii Five-0 (2010–2020), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Caan had a recurring role as manager Scott Lavin in the HBO television series Entourage (2009–2011). In the 1990s, he was a rapper and was a part of hip hop group The Whooliganz with The Alchemist, under the pseudonym Mad Skillz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cole Younger</span> American Guerilla turned Outlaw (1844–1916)

Thomas Coleman Younger was an American Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War and later an outlaw leader with the James–Younger Gang. He was the elder brother of Jim, John and Bob Younger, who were also members of the gang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Younger</span> American outlaw

Robert Ewing Younger was an American criminal and outlaw, the younger brother of Cole, Jim and John Younger. He was a member of the James–Younger Gang. He stood six feet, two inches tall and had deep blue eyes, muscular arms, and a thick neck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Younger</span> American outlaw (1848–1902)

James Hardin Younger was an American outlaw and member of the James–Younger Gang. He was the brother of Cole, John and Bob Younger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zerelda Mimms</span> Wife of American outlaw Jesse James

Zerelda Amanda Mimms James was the wife and first cousin of Jesse James.

<i>Jesse James</i> (1939 film) 1939 film by Henry King

Jesse James is a 1939 American Western film directed by Henry King and starring Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Nancy Kelly and Randolph Scott. Written by Nunnally Johnson, the film is loosely based on the life of Jesse James, the outlaw from whom the film derives its name. The supporting cast includes Henry Hull, John Carradine, Brian Donlevy, Jane Darwell and Lon Chaney, Jr.

<i>The Long Riders</i> 1980 film by Walter Hill

The Long Riders is a 1980 American Biographical- Western film directed by Walter Hill. It was produced by James Keach, Stacy Keach and Tim Zinnemann and featured an original soundtrack by Ry Cooder. Cooder won the Best Music award in 1980 from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for this soundtrack. The film was entered into the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford</i> 2007 film by Andrew Dominik

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 American epic revisionist Western film written and directed by Andrew Dominik. Based on Ron Hansen's 1983 novel of the same name, the film dramatizes the relationship between Jesse James and Robert Ford, focusing on the events that lead up to the titular killing. It stars Brad Pitt as James and Casey Affleck as Ford, with Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker, Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner, Zooey Deschanel, and Sam Rockwell in supporting roles.

<i>Frank and Jesse</i> 1994 film

Frank and Jesse is a 1994 American biographical Western film written and directed by Robert Boris and starring Rob Lowe as Jesse James and Bill Paxton as Frank James. Based on the story of Jesse James, the film focuses more on myths of The James Brothers than the real history. It originally aired on HBO.

<i>The Train Robbers</i> 1973 film by Burt Kennedy

The Train Robbers is a 1973 American Western film written and directed by Burt Kennedy and starring John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, Ben Johnson, and Ricardo Montalbán. Filming took place in Sierra de Órganos National Park in the town of Sombrerete, Mexico. Two brief scenes take place in the square that was used for the final shootout in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clell Miller</span> American outlaw

Clell Miller was an outlaw with the James-Younger Gang who was killed during the gang's robbery at Northfield, Minnesota.

<i>The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid</i> 1972 film

The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid is a 1972 American Western film about the James-Younger Gang distributed by Universal Pictures. It was written and directed by Philip Kaufman in a cinéma vérité style and starring Cliff Robertson. The film purports to recreate the James-Younger Gang's most infamous escapade, the September 7, 1876, robbery of "the biggest bank west of the Mississippi", in Northfield, Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse James</span> American outlaw (1847–1882)

Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie" area of Missouri, James and his family maintained strong Southern sympathies. He and his brother Frank James joined pro-Confederate guerrillas known as "bushwhackers" operating in Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. As followers of William Quantrill and "Bloody Bill" Anderson, they were accused of committing atrocities against Union soldiers and civilian abolitionists, including the Centralia Massacre in 1864.

Jesse James as the Outlaw is a 1921 American silent Western film directed by Franklin B. Coates, cast designed by Edgar Kellar and starring Jesse James, Jr., Diana Reed and Marguerite Hungerford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural depictions of Jesse James</span> Jesse James as depicted in media

Cultural depictions of Jesse James appear in various types of media, including literature, video games, comics, music, stage productions, films, television, and radio. James is variously described as an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla, and leader of the James–Younger Gang. After the American civil war, as members of various gangs of outlaws, Jesse and Frank James robbed banks, stagecoaches, and trains across the Midwest, gaining national fame and even sympathy despite their crimes. James became an iconic figure from the era, and his life has been dramatized and memorialized numerous times.

Jesse James Under the Black Flag is a 1921 American silent Western film directed and written by Franklin B. Coates. It is about the bandit Jesse James, who is portrayed by his son Jesse James Jr.

References

  1. ↑ "American Outlaws (2001) - Financial Information".
  2. ↑ "American Outlaws (2001) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on January 3, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Morgan Creek slate crests". Variety. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Creek rising again". Variety. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Farrell tall in saddle for 'James'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Caan, Larter don 'Jesse' oater roles". Variety. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  7. ↑ Wolf, Jessica (September 27, 2001). "Warner Offers Retailers Free DVD Players". hive4media.com . Archived from the original on November 1, 2001. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  8. ↑ "American Outlaws (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  9. ↑ "American Outlaws Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  10. ↑ Ebert, Roger (2001). "American Outlaws". Chicago Sun-Times . RogerEbert.com.
  11. ↑ Koehler, Robert (August 16, 2001). "American Outlaws". Variety .
  12. ↑ Kevin Thomas (film critic) (August 17, 2001). "'American Outlaws' Is Robust Retelling of Familiar Legend". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on August 21, 2001.
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