"Anyone [who] loves westerns will sure love this one," a contributor recently declared on a movie forum board in regard to Kevin Costner's OPEN RANGE.

However, through the discerning eyes of many Western-genre fans, enthusiasm for the sagebrush saga has been waning at a time when it should be waxing, beginning with its slip from glory shortly after the release of the film's trailer on the Internet. Consider the opening scene:

Two cowboys are crossing a river a-horseback.
     The elder says to the younger, "How long we been ridin' together, Charley?"
     Charley (Costner) takes time to mentally sum the years then replies, "I don't know. What...nine, ten years?"
      "You know what they call that," asks his elderly riding pard (Duvall). "They call that a decade."
With that, the background music swells to prophetic heights.

Okay, so where the dialogue is a little lame, the music is impressive.

Still, the level of cautious optimism is further heightened by other annoyances in the Internet trailer. For example, the word 'kill' or variation thereof is used no less than five times within two minutes. (You know what they call all that kill-killed-killing talk? They call that overkill.)

But we've seen worse. Much worse. Apparently prescribing to the 'If you film it, they will come' theory, Westerns like AMERICAN OUTLAWS and TEXAS RANGERS had failed miserably. Yet for some reason, as if it's now boiled down to a chancy all-or-nothing gamble, many are hanging their highest hopes on OPEN RANGE, praying it will become a box office smash and save the dayfrom what, exactly, remains unclear because in spite of the most harmful failures the Western has survived.

For Costner, it will be a valiant effort, nonetheless. According to The Daily Northwestern, Costner believes "only good pictures create revivals," and says he hopes "to revive the great American classic genre personified by John Wayne."

Back in 1994, however, when Costner did his last Western WYATT EARP, his goals apparently weren't so lofty. In fact EARP performed poorly in contrast to its contemporary, TOMBSTONE. But the passing of a decade sure can change a man. With his eye now on the coveted prize of Revival, it could mean Costner probably has another Western waiting in the wingsall the more reason this baby really needs to fly.

Will Costner achieve his goal?  Some feel the film's "shoot-em-up" trailers and word-of-mouth may turn out to be its Achilles Heel. Considering overall ticket sales are down nearly 5% this year is proof movie-goers are becoming either sensibly frugal or simply fussy these days. Any way you look at it, Costner has a long row to hoe. 

While Costner is of the opinion most modern Westerns have been little more than "costume dramas," reports the Alameda Times-Star, any promise of his ability to raise the bar isn't exactly gaining him notable favor just yet. Though Costner readily admits he "would like to have a big, fat hit," it's as if a great percentage of the population has been suddenly baptized in Missouri, leaving them mired in the 'Show Me' modethe kind of curiosity that may not necessarily convert into bountiful ticket sales.

At the time of this writing, forum boards across the Internet reveal early reaction to the film is quite mixed. On one hand, the actor's die-hard fans rave over the film's trailer, calling it everything from "promising" to "a classic" and praise the film as being a product of Costner's apparent "down-to-earth" change in attitude.  "Looks like an Unforgiven meets Silverado type thing," touts one forum visitor, "THIS is [Costner's] comeback movie."

On the other hand, others glibly shrug off any come-back talk, often referring to the actor/director's string of past film failures as products of Costner's "bloated" ego, with some even brutally applying criticism to OPEN RANGE: One critic bluntly calls the film "an anachronism in an era of franchise films," someone else notes it is "cliché ridden" and another says, rather tongue-in-cheek, "I liked this better when it was called High Noon...or Unforgiven."

On the Ain't-It-Cool News movie forum, one individual with a particularly sharp sense of wit took the Costner-jabbing to a unique degree, claiming in his post that he'd rather watch "realistic movies, like [THE] HULK."

Adding to the mix are those who sincerely acknowledge how much they "want to like" this latest cinematic epic of Costner's, and thus are turning to others in their desperate search for a valid reason.

Their confusion is easy to understand. In one instance, one of the film's own crew members openly criticized Craig Storper's script for its lack of character development. But then from the get-go the script had already taken some heavy hits. 

Script reviewer Christopher Wehner writes: "unfortunately the material felt dated" and reads more like "High Noon meets Red River."  Yet in contrast he closes by saying that although the "shoot-out at the end was pretty formulaic.... it was exciting."

John Shea says in his review: "The script wants to look at what it means to kill a man and what price that exacts on your soul. But the problem comes when it can't seem to find the line between justice and vengeance." 

However, just as The Good rides with The Bad and The Ugly, Shea concludes, "The script also does a great job of bringing this lifestyle alive..... A good cinematographer could have a field day with this script."

Respectfully discounting the cinematic quality of the Canadian Rockies (where the movie was filmed), as well as any excessively glowing reviewswhich forum board devotees commonly write-off as posts planted by film studios or their hired guns (i.e. Internet damage control agencies whose mission is to fill theater seats, pumping the almighty green into the ever-important opening day figures that delight studio heads)the overall prediction in cyberspace is that while OPEN RANGE will in all likelihood come in well below the legendary shadow cast by Costner's 1991 Academy Award-winning DANCES WITH WOLVES, most agree this Western will at least be entertaining. But even then, this seems chiefly due to Robert Duvall's involvement in the flick.

Back in 1989, Duvall earned a special spot in the beloved kingdom of Cowboy heroes after audiences fell in love with his portrayal of Gus McCrae in the television mini-series "Lonesome Dove." Naturally fans are now thrilled with seeing the 72 year-old Academy Award-winning actor up on the silver screen and back in the saddle again, no matter whose horse he's astride.

In fact one gets the impression should Duvall ever appear riding a-horseback alone on screen for 2 hours, in a film without plot nor dialogue, to nothing more than musical score and sprawling scenery, it would still become a huge box office hit. After all, it was a much younger Duvall who stole the scene from the late Gregory Peck in the classic TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, and he did so without uttering a word. That is true screen presence in its rawest formand that in itself may be exactly what Costner has been banking on all along.  As one OPEN RANGE forum contributor put it: "...with the inclusion of one of my all time favorite actors, Robert Duvall, I will make this one of my 'must-see' films."

And if Duvall doesn't draw 'em in, maybe 45 year-old Annette Bening will. New York Post columnist Liz Smith seemed particularly awed by that bit of casting genius: "A mature woman as love interest," she wrote in a recent column, "Wow! Another kudo to Costner for this still radical approach to man-woman relations on-screen."  Indeed.  Of course Liz must have missed Isabella Rossellini's performance as Martine, Tom Sellecks love interest in the television western Monte Walsh when it aired in January of this year. Rossellini recently celebrated her 51st birthday, which certainly would  make her more mature (if not older) than Bening.  C'mon, Liz, for every kudo Costner gets, Tom Selleck should get four.

Casting ploys and kudos aside, box office success boils down to what audiences want. Interestingly, according to a recent Yahoo movie poll, when given the choice of upcoming westerns and horse-related movies, a greater percentage of mainstream movie-goers say they plan to put their money on HIDALGO (October 2003), Ron Howard's THE MISSING (with Tommy Lee Jones), and John Lee Hancock's THE ALAMO. And for those in desperate need of a Robert Duvall fix, the September 23rd release of SECONDHAND LIONS (filmed in Texas, and co-starring Michael Caine) promises to be a sure bet for all, superb family fare.

While it is yet to be determined how well OPEN RANGE will perform at the box officegood news or badand whether or not it has the right stuff to become an Oscar contender, is all beside the point. The best news of all is that for the first time in a long time, theater-goers and genre fans actually have a variety of Western films from which to choose, and that in itself is cause for celebration.

Go forth and choose wisely.

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American Western Magazine readers' poll results: OPEN RANGE starring Kevin Costner & Robert Duvall

Do you plan to go to the theater to watch OPEN RANGE? Yes 36% Yes, but only because Robert Duvall is in it 6% Yes, but only because Kevin Costner is in it 1% No 26% No, but I might buy it when it comes out on DVD or video 10% Not sure 20%