Ride with the Devil

views updated

Ride with the Devil ★★½ 1999 (R)

Clunky Civil War saga adapted from Daniel Woodrell's novel “Woe to Live On.” Lee concentrates on the 1862 Border Wars between the Southern-sympathizers known as the Bushwhackers and the pro-Union Jayhawkers. Best pals Jack Bull Chiles (Ulrich) and Jake Roedel (Maguire) join a group of Bushwhackers and both become involved with a young farm widow, Sue Lee (singer Jewel in her acting debut). After some loses, Jake and the remaining band join in Quantrill's (Ales) infamous raid on the abolitionist stronghold of Lawrence, Kansas. Film serves as a coming-of-age story for the teenaged Jake and Maguire, at least, is up to the challenge. 139m/C VHS, DVD . Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jeffrey Wright, Jewel, Simon Baker, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, James (Jim) Caviezel, Tom Guiry, Tom Wilkinson, Jonathan Brandis, John Ales, Matthew Faber, Steven Mailer, Zach Grenier, Margo Martindale, Mark Ruffalo, Celia Weston; D: Ang Lee; W: James Schamus; C: Frederick Elmes; M: Mychael Danna.