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Movies / On DVD / The Shootist
The Shootist

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The Shootist (1976)

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Reviews Counted:14

Fresh:13

Rotten:1

Average Rating:7.9/10

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Westerns

Synopsis: John Wayne, in his last film appearance, stars as famed gunfighter J.J. Brooks. After learning from Dr. Hostetler (James Stewart) that he's dying of stomach cancer and has no more than two months... John Wayne, in his last film appearance, stars as famed gunfighter J.J. Brooks. After learning from Dr. Hostetler (James Stewart) that he's dying of stomach cancer and has no more than two months to live, he moves into a boarding house in Carson City run by Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son, Gillom (Ron Howard), to die quietly. But when word gets around that the old gunslinger is in town, curiosity seekers come out of the woodwork to get a look, and the ridiculous local marshal (Henry Morgan) contemplates a showdown with the legend. Annoyed by the attention and realizing that if he waits long enough, he'll die in great pain, Brooks decides to seek out his enemies and go down with guns blazing. Yet he works to persuade the hero-worshiping Gillom to foreswear the life of violence he's led. Director Don Siegel fashions a poignant, gracious farewell to the great star, who, like his character, was dying of cancer as the film was being shot. A stellar cast, which includes Western stalwarts such as Richard Boone, Hugh O'Brian, John Carradine, and Johnny Crawford, adds much to the film's resonance. As much a meditation on the burden of celebrity as an elegy for the Old West, it's most revealing in its star's final renunciation of violence. [More]

Starring: John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart

Starring: John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart, Bill McKinney, Richard Boone, John Carradine, Scatman Crothers, Richard Lenz, Harry Morgan, Sheree North, Hugh O'Brian

Director: Don Siegel

Director: Don Siegel
Screenwriter: Miles Hood Swarthout, Scott Hale
Producer: M.J. Frankovich, William Self
Composer: Elmer Bernstein

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jul 24, 2001

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Shootist

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1 - 17 (sorted by date)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
01/21/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

John Wayne's very last film, an elegy for a dying cowboy, expresses the essence of his screen image, while borrowing elements from his own life.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment 1 Comment
01/13/07
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out

That rare film where a star and an audience get to say goodbye to each other.

comment Comment
01/19/06
Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

John Wayne's swan song is a touching tribute to the legendary star and the Western.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
09/28/05
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
01/11/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Duke's last is valiant, underplayed western.

comment Comment
11/01/04
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
07/02/04
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

No review available.

comment Comment
02/10/04
Spence D.
Spence D.
IGN Movies

Effective swan-song for Wayne.

comment Comment
07/21/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/21/03
Richard Eder
Richard Eder
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
12/13/02
Nicolas Lacroix
Nicolas Lacroix
Showbizz.net

A fitting and melancholy farewell to The Duke.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
09/11/01
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
Apollo Guide

there is a sense of gravity to Wayne's presence on-screen that you won't find in any of his other movies

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
08/12/01
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

A true must-own

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
08/04/01
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
 
 
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