Martin Bradley
We've been down this road before and to better effect but "The Outsider", a made-for-television variation on both "Shane" and "Witness", isn't at all bad. Naomi Watts, (excellent), is the Mennonite widow who takes in a wounded gunfighter, (Timothy Daly), who in turn helps her in her battle with the men who murdered her husband and naturally they fall in love, much to the displeasure of her family and community. It's fairly conventional but it's well acted and it's entertaining. The director was Randa Haines, who made "Children of a Lesser God", and a good supporting cast includes the Carradine brothers, David and Keith.
ssra_25
I remember seeing this for the first time about...13 years ago. Close to its release date anyway. I liked allot and regretted for many years for not having seen it again, on any of the local TV channels. That was until recently. And 14 years later I still love this movie. It has a simple scenario, a simple setting, but it's well played and the entire movie is just so relaxing to watch. It's not too cheesy, there aren't any exaggerated action scenes, little to no cursing, and yet it has a certain something. In conclusion, it's far, far better than many of those expensive productions that we see nowadays. And Naomi Watts is gorgeous, even dressed in that plain outfit. :)
bfd21552
Not bad at allThinly veiled re-spreading (Mennonites instead of Mormons?) of Zane Grey's "Riders of the Purple Sage"--previously made into at least five films . . . Naomi Watts and others do a more-than-passable job of carrying off this version--despite a contrived happy ending for starry-eyed teens and readers of romance novellas. Indeed, it is the acting that makes this one a better-than-average (for modern westerns) effort. The 1941, George Montgomery film is notably more revealing of social and religious conflicts and dogmas than any of the later films--under whatever title and despite their somewhat dubious originality. Still, perhaps these works fall into the category of "imitatio" rather than straight copying?--at least one may always hope!
damejoybean
Like the user who commented before me I agree that the story is predictable. When the movie came on my TV (gotta love The Hallmark Channel) I though, "Oh Naomi Watts playing an Amish woman, that's interesting". So I had to watch. In the movie Naomi Watts doesn't call herself Amish, she calls herself "plain". While watching this movie I was getting a "Witness" (Harrison Ford movie) vibe from it, until near the end. The "plain" widow who befriends and eventually falls for an outsider. Now she must choose between love, or her faith. I figured that Naomi Watts' character would choose her faith, but she doesn't. She chooses love, and eventually gets banished from her family and friends. I liked the movie because of the choice she made, and how she stood up to her family about her feelings, saying that they were not bad. Or maybe I liked this movie because it hit close to home. I had to choose between love and my faith. Like Naomi Watts' character, I chose love. This movie is worth watching, and I was surprised to find that it is available on DVD.
AD
