The spectacular wilderness and small towns of Wyoming are idyllic settings for storytelling, whether it's of the fact or fiction variety. That's why, for over a century, many movies have been filmed in the Cowboy State. It's always nice to get the nod from Hollywood that our state is breathtakingly beautiful and photogenic, but it's even better when the story is about Wyoming. Starting in 1914, over 50 movies have been made with Wyoming as the setting. Here, we've picked a dozen of the best that need to go on your must-see list.
1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977
Possibly the single movie most closely associated with Wyoming, Close Encounters had to be included on the list. The Devil's Tower in the northeastern corner of the state plays a key role in the storyline when it becomes fixed in the minds of several people who experience the same UFO encounter. Everyone heads for Wyoming which ends up being the setting for a meet and greet between extraterrestrials and humans.
2. Shane, 1953
3. Unforgiven, 1992
Few actors these days can play a gunslinger like Clint Eastwood, and Unforgiven proves that he is still King Cowboy, as well as a talented director. In the movie, Eastwood's character, William Munny, is another retired gunfighter trying to live a quiet life. When a young man looking to make a name for himself and claim a bounty asks for his help and offers him a cut of the reward, Munny reluctantly agrees to help on the condition that his partner - played by Morgan Freeman - be included.
4. Druid Peak, 2014
5. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
Said to be based "loosely" on fact, this classic starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford follows the exploits of the legendary outlaws as they pull off train robberies in Wyoming before heading to South America when the law starts closing in.
6. Flicka, 2006
7. Spencer's Mountain, 1963
Henry Fonda in the starring role alone makes this movie set in Wyoming a classic that should be in everyone's library. It tells the story of the large Spencer family, headed up by hard-working patriarch Clay Spencer. His most heartfelt wish is to build a house for his wife and their large brood on a piece of land in the Snake River Valley, but seeing the dream come true could mean depriving his oldest son of a future. If you grew up watching the Waltons, you will notice more than a passing similarity between this movie and the show, and you should - the Waltons television show was based on the movie Spencer's Mountain.
8. Red Rock West, 1993
9. Monte Walsh, 2003
10. The Hateful Eight, 2015
Leave it to the king of genre filmmaking to put out one of the best westerns of the century. The Hateful Eight consist of a bounty hunter, a hangman, a prisoner, a sheriff, a cowboy, a Confederate general, and two other nefarious characters who take shelter from a treacherous Wyoming winter storm at a stage stop in the middle of nowhere. In addition to being a terrific western movie with an all-star cast, it's a fascinating mystery that will have you guessing until the end. It's a Tarantino film, so be prepared for plenty of blood.
11. Taking Chance, 2009
After Private First Class Chance Phelps is killed in Iraq, Marine Colonel Michael Strobl - played by Kevin Bacon - escorts his body back to Phelps's hometown of Dubois, Wyoming. The movie takes viewers along on the journey, and was featured at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009.
12. Wind River, 2017
Jeremy Renner takes a break from the Avengers to play a Wyoming Fish and Wildlife Service tracker. When he discovers the body of a murdered Wind River Indian woman, he sees it as an opportunity to right a wrong from his own past if he can solve the crime.
Have you seen all of these films?
What other movies about Wyoming are your favorites?
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