You don't have to like Westerns to enjoy 'Liberty Valance'

RACHEL BREWER, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Friday, January 25, 2002

Vintage videos

- "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962, unrated): Ransom Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) is an attorney fresh out of law school who arrives in the untamed west. On his way there, Ransom's carriage is ambushed by feared gunman Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Liberty and Ransom become immediate adversaries when Ransom stands up to Liberty.

Once in the small town of Shinbone, Ransom meets and falls in love with Hallie (Vera Miles). But rugged westerner Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) also has his eyes on Hallie. While struggling to win Hallie's love, deal with Tom and stand up to Liberty, Ransom also tries to establish a system of law and justice in Shinbone. Both Ransom and Tom clearly love the land they live on, but they have different personalities and ideals.

Tom thinks that the "wild west" is just that, and that it's every man for himself, but Ransom comes along with his idealistic plans and tries to modernize the west. Ransom and Tom compete for both Hallie's love and a solution to Liberty's lawless domination of the town. One man gets Liberty, the other gets Hallie ... and the glory.

Even if you don't like Westerns, you'll like this one. There are plenty of action scenes and the movie still has that Western feel, but that's not the main idea.

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" isn't about action or outlaws, it's more about society, change and irony. Probably one of the saddest Westerns made, this movie is thought-provoking. It does seem kind of cheesy and old sometimes, but overall it's a great movie.

This movie can be rented at Tumwater Video and Blockbuster Video on Pacific Avenue in Lacey.

Recently released rentals

- "The Glass House" (2001, PG-13): When Ruby (Leelee Sobieski) and Rhett's (Trevor Morgan) parents are killed in a car crash, they go to live with their trusted former neighbors, Terry (Stellan Skarsgard) and Erin (Diane Lane) Glass. They move into their new house and receive everything they want from their new guardians.

Rhett is relatively happy with his new life, but Ruby isn't quite so satisfied by material things and grows suspicious. After being constantly haunted by the memory of her parents' death, Ruby tries to find out how they died and discovers that the Glasses are not the perfect parents they seem to be. Erin is a drug addict, and Terry has a money problem; he's been using Ruby and Rhett's inheritance to pay off his debts.

The Glasses seem to be everywhere at once, and yet never around. Terry finds out about everything Ruby does, and Ruby finds she can trust no one. In a world where no one will believe her, Ruby has a hard time escaping from the Glasses.

After many plot twists and turns, Ruby and Rhett finally escape and the movie ends as expected. The plot is fairly predictable, and the story is filled with unexpected events as well as expected ones. Although sometimes you find yourself screaming at the characters for being so stupid, it's an enjoyable movie with few flaws. The set is really good and works well with the movie. Suspense is created early and is kept alive throughout the rest of the movie.

"The Glass House" can be rented at Tumwater Video, Blockbuster Video in Tumwater and both Blockbuster Videos in Lacey.

Rachel Brewer is a junior at Black Hills High School.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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