A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
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A cowardly frontiersman finds courage through a female gunfighter to face a villainous outlaw.
The story
In 1882, in the town of Old Stump, Arizona, timid sheep farmer Albert Stark is dumped by his girlfriend, Louise, for his refusal to defend himself in a duel. He prepares to leave the frontier, believing it offers him nothing. Meanwhile, a notorious outlaw named Clinch Leatherwood is on the run with his wife, Anna. After a series of events brings them both to Old Stump, Albert and Anna become close friends. When a local bully challenges Albert to a duel, Anna helps him prepare. However, the situation escalates when Clinch's presence threatens both of them, forcing Albert to find his courage.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1882, timid sheep farmer Albert Stark is dumped by his girlfriend Louise for his cowardice. He meets Anna, the wife of outlaw Clinch Leatherwood, who is hiding in Old Stump. After a series of mishaps, including a duel against a local bully named Foy, Albert and Anna become close. When Clinch discovers Anna's location and demands a duel, Albert must find his courage. After a series of events, including a drug-induced vision of his past, Albert confronts Clinch. He uses a bullet dipped in rattlesnake venom to defeat the outlaw. Albert ultimately rejects his former girlfriend and begins a relationship with Anna, using his reward money to buy more sheep. The film ends with a post-credits scene featuring a character named Django Freeman.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Seth MacFarlane
- Writers
- Seth MacFarlane · writer; Alec Sulkin · writer; Wellesley Wild · writer
- Cast and characters
- Seth MacFarlane · Albert Stark; Charlize Theron · Anna Barnes-Leatherwood; Amanda Seyfried · Louise; Giovanni Ribisi · Edward; Neil Patrick Harris · Foy; Sarah Silverman · Ruth; Liam Neeson · Clinch Leatherwood
- Genres
- Western; comedy
- Themes
- Courage; Romance
- Tone and mood
- Comedy; Satire
- Setting
- Old Stump, Arizona in 1882
- Premise and plot tags
- Western; Comedy; Romance
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 33% · scale: percentage · review count: 212; Metacritic · score: 44 · scale: 100 · review count: 43; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The character of Albert was inspired by the film Montana.; The scene with Django Freeman was added after test audiences reacted poorly to a shooting gallery.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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