6/02/2007

Broken Trail (2006)

Print Ritter (Robert Duvall) sets out to find his estranged nephew, Tom Harte (Thomas Haydn Church), to inform him of the death of his mother and the settlement of her modest estate. Despite their strained relationship, the men decide to try to make some money together in the 1898 way -- by deliving a herd of horses to a wealthy rancher in Montana.

Before long the two find themselves guardians to five frightened and vulnerable young Chinese girls who have been imported for the brothels in the West. This eventually leads them to recruiting Lung Hey (Donald Fong) to interpret for the girls and drive the chuck wagon and saving Nola Johns (Greta Scacchi), the kind hearted prostitute who is trying to escape from her abusive boyfriend.

But Big Rump Kate (Rusty Schwimmer), the bordello's madam, is not happy about losing the five Chinese girls as they would command high dollar. And other men also have their eyes on the girls, the prostitute and the large herd of horses.

Can the two men guide this entourage to safety and claim the money for the herd?

Directed by Walter Hill. Duvall was also one of the producers.

This two-part TV miniseries originally appeared on AMC and cleaned up in the Emmy Award wins for the "Miniseries, Movie or a Special" category with top awards to Duvall as Outstanding Lead Actor, Church as Outstanding Supporting Actor, and captured the top award for best Miniseries of 2006. It also won an Emmy for Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special. Greta Scacchi was also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. The production was nominated for numerous other Emmy Awards, and captured high honors as nominees or winners for several other prestigious awards.
My personal rating: B+

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