Tonight's MovieMovie: Johnson County War
Posted 01.19.13 by BrentJS
"Vengeance would not be out of place. Not anymore."
The Civil War effectively ended in April 1865 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, but another civil war was already brewing out west. The "Western Civil War of Incorporation" found Americans at odds with one another yet again, only this time the battle lines were drawn between rich capitalists and settlers. In the spirit of such classic movies as The Virginian, Shane and True Grit, tonight's MovieMovie is based on one of the most notorious conflicts of this war, the Wyoming Range or Johnson County War of 1892 in which large corporate ranchers hired gunmen to intimidate and kill any independent ranchers or settlers that defied them.
A Hallmark original movie directed by David Cass (Uncorked), Johnson County War is based on the novel Riders of Judgment by Frederick Mandred, a fictionalized account of the conflict told from the perspective of the settlers (unlike The Virginian). Tom Berenger, Luke Perry and Adam Storke star as a trio of brothers torn apart over the love of a woman who must band together if their small ranch is going to survive against the wealthy and powerful corporate ranchers. Burt Reynolds, Rachel Ward and Michelle Forbes also star.
Johnson County WarMovies nightly on Reelz, check listings