Last week, my boyfriend and I watched an old John Wayne western, and as much as I hated to admit it, it was kind of fun. I had always assumed westerns were just for guys, or were more like my own favorite westerns, like Dances with Wolves or Tombstone. But there are so many more great westerns! Here’s a list my boyfriend gave me of the top 8 westerns of all time…
1 Unforgiven
This is my own favorite western, which I love even more than “Tombstone.” It stars Clint Eastwood as an aging gunslinger who comes out of retirement to hunt down a group of cowboys who visciously attack a local prostitute. He sets out with his old friend, Morgan Freeman, and a younger, rookie sort of bounty hunter. It’s not a happy, feel-good movie, but it’s riveting.
Frequently asked questions
2 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
I love this western because it’s not the typical good-guy vs. bad-guy movie. A senator returns to his hometown to attend the funeral of a friend, and the truth comes out about a deed he did several years before, which led to his fame — he’s the man who shot Liberty Valance, who had been terrorizing the town.
3 The Outlaw Josey Wales
I was surprised how funny this movie was, and how realistic. Josey Wales is an outlaw on the run from the same Union soldiers who killed his family. The characters are all so realistic, so life-like, you’d think this was based on a true story — was it? Perhaps.
4 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Three bounty hunters and gunslingers form an uneasy alliance, all looking for a $200,000 gold treasure. The three, called the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly clash often, but need each other… how will it end? Who will get the treasure, and who won’t live to tell the tale?
5 High Noon
I love this film, even though it’s not the typical feel-good movie. It tells the story of retiring lawman Kane, who finds out, just as he’s about to leave town with his new wife, that the outlaw he put in prison years before is coming back that very day to seek his revenge. Kane decides to stay and face him, but the townspeople he’s protected for years back off, leaving him to stand on his own.
6 Stagecoach
What starts as a simple stagecoach trip becomes the western adventure of a lifetime, as an Indian chief is on the warpath. The travelers are diverse, all with their own motivations, including a banker who has stolen his clients’ money, and a doctor with a serious alcohol problem.
7 McLintock!
This movie is hilarious! If you loved Elizabeth Taylor in “The Taming of the Shrew,” you’ll love this movie! It stars John Wayne as a man who is constantly fighting with his wife, his daughter, and local politicians. In the end, of course, he wins, but his trials and tribulations are so funny!
8 Rio Bravo
This is one of my boyfriend’s favorite Westerns because he loves the characters! An unlikely group of men, including a grouchy handicapped man and a drunkard, have to keep a murderer from escaping until the marshall arrives to get him. There’s even a little romance!
We just finished watching The Outlaw Josey Wales, and I loved it! But don’t tell any of my girlie-girl friends or they’ll tease me forever. Have you ever seen any of these great Westerns? What did you think? Please let me know!
