Movie Profile: CROSSFIRE TRAIL (2001)
| Attribute | Details |
| Title | Crossfire Trail |
| Release Date | January 21, 2001 (TNT Premiere) |
| Director | Simon Wincer |
| Writer | Charles Robert Carner |
| Based On | Crossfire Trail (1954 novel) by Louis L’Amour |
| Genre | Western, Action, Drama |
| Runtime | 100 minutes |
| Distributor | TNT / Warner Bros. Television |
| Accolades | Broke cable television viewership records at the time (~12.5 million viewers) |
| Lead Cast |
• Tom Selleck (Rafe Covington) • Virginia Madsen (Ann Barkow) • Wilford Brimley (Joe Gill) • David O’Hara (Rock Mullaney) • Christian Kane (J.T. Tap) • Mark Harmon (Bruce Barkow) • Barry Corbin (Sheriff Bo Darnell) • Brad Johnson (Bo Dorn) |
Trailer
Plot Overview
Wandering cowboy and gunman Rafe Covington (Tom Selleck) makes a solemn deathbed promise to his dying friend, Charles Redwick: Rafe will travel to Wyoming to take over Redwick’s ranch and protect his wife, Ann Redwick (Virginia Madsen).
Upon arriving in the small Wyoming town, Rafe discovers that local land grabber Bruce Barkow (Mark Harmon) has deceived Ann into believing her husband abandoned her rather than died. Barkow, aiming to seize the valuable ranch land, manipulates Ann into marrying him while secretly hiring ruthless gunslingers—led by Bo Dorn (Brad Johnson)—to intimidate locals and drive Rafe off the property.
With the help of a few loyal allies, including veteran cowboy Joe Gill (Wilford Brimley) and sharp-shooters Rock Mullaney (David O’Hara) and J.T. Tap (Christian Kane), Rafe stands his ground. Refusing to break his promise, Rafe prepares for an inevitable, bloody showdown against Barkow and his hired killers to defend the ranch and reveal the truth to Ann.
Key Themes & Production Highlights
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Louis L’Amour Adaptation: Celebrated for its faithful adherence to Louis L’Amour’s classic Western themes—honor, integrity, keeping one’s word, and rugged self-reliance.
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Tom Selleck’s Western Legacy: Further solidified Tom Selleck as one of modern television’s iconic Western figures, re-teaming with director Simon Wincer (Quigley Down Under).
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Record-Breaking Viewership: Stood as one of the highest-rated original movies in cable television history upon its January 2001 premiere on TNT.