The Homesman trailer teases a promising new western
We don’t see a lot of Tommy Lee Jones these days, which is a shame. The man was all over the place in the ’90s. Fortunately, he’s been quietly establishing himself as a director, and his latest film, The Homesman, has a new trailer that’s worth watching. Jones looks to be having fun while tackling an epic western, something else we don’t see enough of, and the film is packed with some very talented familiar faces.
Watch the first trailer for The Homesman after the jump.
It’s hard not to compare this trailer to the recently released tease for David Fincher’s Gone Girl. Both trailers set up a strong atmospheric tingle, but The Homesman does more to pull viewers in and get them excited to see more. That said, trailers have an uncanny ability to completely rock you before the weight of a film not living up to expectations crushes you. Here’s hoping this is an excellent western ala Unforgiven, Open Range, and the Coen Brothers’ True Grit.
Learn a little more about the film by reading a synopsis for The Homesman:
A claim jumper and a pioneer woman team up to escort three insane women from Nebraska to Iowa. The Homesman is a devastating story of early pioneers in 1850s American West. It celebrates the ones we hear nothing of: the brave women whose hearts and minds were broken by a life of bitter hardship. A “homesman” must be found to escort a handful of them back East to a sanitarium. When none of the county’s men steps up, the job falls to Mary Bee Cuddy—ex-teacher, spinster, indomitable and resourceful. Brave as she is, Mary Bee knows she cannot succeed alone. The only companion she can find is the low-life claim jumper George Briggs. Thus begins a trek east, against the tide of colonization, against hardship, Indian attacks, ice storms, and loneliness—a timeless classic told in a series of tough, fast-paced adventures.
The Homesman stars Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Hailee Steinfeld, Tim Blake Nelson, John Lithgow, Meryl Streep, Jesse Plemons, William Fichtner, Miranda Otto, and James Spader. The film doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s expected to play at Cannes in May.