Watched this movie with my Father-in-Law, who loves these kinds of films but has apparently never seen The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Once the end credits came up, we both made that pouty squinty nod and simultaneously said "cute".

It is</> a cute Western, for a number of reasons. For one, Jimmy Stewart, mr. goody upstanding American man, is the protagonist, and he insists on law, order and due process... in the Wild West. Secondly, John Wayne, the dude himself, mostly just stands around throwing barbs and pining for Vera Miles, not even shooting a single person (or does he... 🤔). And, the cutest of all, outlaw Liberty Valance played by the always entertaining Lee Marvin goes around robbing people and whipping people to death only to do things like go to restaurants, play at the casino, and put in his two cents at the town miting de avance right after. I can't.

In a weird way, all these elements make this Western the equivalent of the 90s-2010s Anti-Western, but in the completely opposite direction. It's so wholesome I kind of love it.