I'll tell you why so serious

A different way of telling a story

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

RELEASED IN 1968 and directed by Vincent McEveety, "Firecreek" stars Jimmy Stewart as a farmer living on the outskirts of a small town of 'losers' where he's the 'honorary sheriff.' When a group of ne'er-do-wells comes to town he's compelled to take action. Henry Fonda plays the leader of the rabble-rousers while Inger Stevens appears as the quiet woman who sparks his interest. Gary Lockwood plays the top troublemaker with Jack Elam & James Best in tow. BarBara Luna is on hand as an irresistible squaw and Robert Porter as the "stable boy," the catalyst.The director was a reliable TV director of shows (e.g. Star Trek) & movies, but "Firecreek" was his first theatrically-released film. While his oeuvre includes a handful of other theatrical films, he mainly stuck with TV. I point this out because "Firecreek" has a bit of a TV Western feel to it, which isn't to say it's not a solid Western, it's just not on the level of the contemporaneous "Bandolero!", also starring Stewart. The build-up is long and low-key, but the dialogues are good for the most part and you get to know the characters and their situation in a remote town of 'losers,' as Dean Jagger's character humbly describes them.Speaking of the town, this is a decidedly town-bound Western, with some scenery shots at the beginning. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as the celebrated "Rio Bravo" (1959) was a town-bound Western, but this limits the movie. In other words, don't expect a wilderness Western with numerous breathtaking scenic shots in the background, e.g. "Jubal" (1956).Stevens plays the notable intelligent lady that trips the trigger of Fonda's character. Unfortunately, she'd be dead less than two years after the release of "Firecreek" from (supposedly) intentional overdose. She was only 35; what a shame.The producers made a good decision to NOT make Fonda's character a one-dimensional villain. Actually, the man's nothing of the kind, but he has to fulfill his part, his duty, in order to maintain the respect of his men. The success of the movie all depends on if Stewart can deliver the goods when the protagonist is finally forced to make a stand, come hell or high water. And he does so superbly.THE FILM RUNS 104 minutes and was shot in North Ranch, Agoura Hills, California, as well as Warner Brothers Burbank Studios with establishing shots in Sedona, Arizona. The screenplay was written by Calvin Clements Sr. ADDITIONAL CAST: Morgan Woodward, Ed Begley, Jay C. Flippen, Jacqueline Scott & Brooke Bundy.GRADE: B/B- (6.5/10)

I wonder if anyone has ever figured out how many Western movies have been made over the years. Thousands? And they all boil down to a half-a-dozen basic plots. You could probably take 90% of the Westerns ever made and dump them in a vat of hydrochloric acid, and not many people would ever notice. You'd still have hundreds left.So the question is, what makes a Western worth watching now that we are well over the 1950s mania for Westerns. Well, somewhat unique plots get extra points (perhaps along the lines of "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence"). Star power is another factor (such as in "Rio Bravo"). Or the unique ability of a particular director who can weave something special out of very common cloth (such as John Ford)."Firecreek" is certainly not one of the GREAT Westerns. But I wouldn't dump it in that vat of HCL acid, either. It's saving grace are the performances of the 2 primary stars -- Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda. And, the director (whom you probably never heard of) does a nice job (though not award winning level) of telling the story. That story is simple -- the bad guys ride into town (in this case they appear to be ex-Confederates), and it's up to the honorary sheriff (Stewart) to solve the problem. There is a twist -- the chief of the bad guys is none other than Henry Fonda. Of course, Stewart has a family, including a wife who is about to deliver a baby.There's a problem here, and one that I rarely am concerned with. Jimmy Stewart was 60 years old when he made this film, and yet he's going to be a father again. Not impossible, but this was out of his age range. I much preferred him in "Bandolero" (with Dean Martin), made the same year, where he pretty much acted his age. So, to enjoy "Firecreek", you're going to just have to get over the age issue. I was thinking that they could have solved the issue by having the wife of Stewart's son, who was away for some reason, and Stewart acting as the father/grandfather. That would have worked. I've always felt, also, that Stewart sometimes overacted PHYSICALLY in some action scenes, and he does here; perhaps it's just because of him being so lean and lanky. But it's still a really fine performance.I'm a little surprised that Henry Fonda accepted this role. In it, he plays a totally pathetic character. He has far fewer good scenes than Jimmy Steward, although a few are really good.Another problem with this film is that most of the film is a growing menace, and it takes a very long time for the real action to start. When it does, I am reminded of Gary Cooper in "High Noon". Although it's hardly the same story, once again it is one man against the bad guys.One of the best scenes in the film belongs to Dean Jagger.The film has some of the best supporting actors around at the time. Inger Stevens An old Dean Jagger. An old Ed Begley. An old Jay C. Flippen. Jack Elam in one of his final films.This is not one of the great Westerns, but it is heads above your average Western. Recommended.

First off, anyone calling this typical, cliché, or done-before wasn't really paying attention. I can't recall any other Western I have ever seen that is as personally intense. I believe if this was a Japanese movie involving samurai, the same reviewers saying as much would have been praising it and it would be hailed as an example of originality and how great many unappreciated Japanese films are.To really get an idea of what you're going to watch when you watch this film, realize that it is closer to 12 Angry Men and The Crucible than it is to your typical shoot-em-up Western.I believe that this is an excellent movie for student-actors to watch and study. Stewart and Fonda both deliver powerful, compelling performances. There roles are near perfect classic examples of protagonist and antagonist. Yet, while their respective roles as 'good guy' and 'bad guy' are familiar this is an ultra-intense dive into who their characters are, what has brought them to this point, and the gritty depths to which each is willing to plunge into themselves to win the day. Both characters are inextricably tied to their respective companions with both parallels and extreme contrasts as to why they are so heavily influenced by those around them. Yet each has a core integrity that *seems* unshakable despite constant challenges pushed upon them by the profound flaws that define their respective groups.If you allow yourself to become immersed you'll discover an inglorious, unflattering, gritty hero versus villain tale unlike the vast majority of movies that exist in any genre, let alone Westerns. A dry, dusty, brutal struggle for survival in an isolated Western scenario. It gives you little hope for positive resolution throughout. You can feel the tension and you'll cringe at what seems inevitable tragedy. Unique, gritty, and intense, I claim without hesitation that this is one of the best Westerns of all time.

"Firecreek" is a slow-paced, grisly Western starring two old buddies - James Stewart and Henry Fonda - but the characters they play are NOT friends, oddly enough. (If you have not yet seen this picture, please DO NOT read any further.) Stewart plays Johnny Cobb, a farmer and part-time sheriff with a family. Fonda plays Bob Larkin, the leader of a ruthless gang of hired guns who ride into the sleepy town of Firecreek and stir up trouble. Their horsing around and crude manners persuade the townspeople to try to convince Cobb to place these unwanted visitors in jail, but Cobb refuses. In a short time, however, he comes to realize that turning his back will not mediate tensions, and he finally displays the determination to take a stand against the gang.The best thing about "Firecreek" is the casting. In addition to the wonderful James Stewart as the morally solid farmer and Henry Fonda as the chief villain with yet a strong sense of decency, the cast includes Inger Stevens as Evelyn, owner of a boarding house where Bob Larkin holes up for a while in order to nurse a bullet wound. (I must admit that I find the attempted romance between Larkin and Evelyn completely unconvincing, hence I am not surprised at the final resolution.) In Larkin's gang are Earl (Gary Lockwood), Drew (James Best), Norman (Jack Elam, one of my favorite Western villains), and Willard (Morgan Woodward). Reverend Broyles is played by the great Ed Begley, and storekeeper Whittier is played by Dean Jagger. Plus we have Brooke Bundy as the strong-willed teen Leah; Louise Latham as Dulcie, Leah's stern mother who hides a heart of gold; J. Robert Porter as the mentally challenged stable boy Arthur; Barbara Luna as Meli, an attractive Native American lady; Jacqueline Scott as Cobb's wife Henrietta; and the wonderful Jay C. Flippen in a small role as Evelyn's crippled father.The following are my personal favorite scenes from "Firecreek". I absolutely love the gloomy minor-key music score about thirteen and a half minutes into the picture, when Larkin and his gang finally ride into sleepy Firecreek and watch Meli's toddler playing in the mud. While inside Meli's hash house, Norman grabs Meli in an inappropriate place, generating laughter from the Larkin gang as Norman comments about the importance of taking shortcuts and about how Meli "passed inspection". The church service becomes more interesting when the Larkin gang disrupt the proceedings, forcing Cobb to try to settle them down. Loaded with alcohol, Earl and Drew conduct themselves like a matador and bull, respectively. Cobb shares a tender moment with his pregnant wife Henrietta after her false labor. During the showdown, Cobb stabs Norman in the stomach with a pitchfork after a brutal fight. And finally, best of all, is the scene in which Cobb, with a bullet in his leg, hobbles into Whittier's shop demanding a handgun to help him do away with the outlaws; Cobb becomes ENRAGED as he displays his outright determination that the town of Firecreek is NOT full of losers, that it HAS to be worth defending, that it CAN be a place in which its residents can finally have some pride! "Firecreek" was unfortunately not a successful Western, but, my favorite actor James Stewart being the professional that he was, he gave the role of Johnny Cobb his 100% effort. It may have seemed odd that the Stewart & Henry Fonda characters were cast against each other, but it wouldn't be long until "The Cheyenne Social Club" (1970) would cast them as the two old buddies they always were in real life.