Red Headed Stranger (1986)

**_A minister moves West with his beautiful wife to pastor a church in Montana_**

This is a surprisingly good Western based on the storyline of Willie Nelson’s 1975 album. I say “surprisingly” because (1) Nelson is a musician not an actor and (2) I assumed this was a TV production like Nelson’s other Westerns from the 80s, “Stagecoach” and “Once Upon a Texas Train,” not to mention Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler.” Turns out, it had a limited theatrical release and is R-rated.

Whatever you do, don’t read the descriptive blurb on IMDb or streaming channels since the ones I’ve read give away a key plot point. I’m glad I didn’t read ’em beforehand and so was taken aback by the turn of events, in a positive way. Let me put it this way, the story’s not as one-dimensional as it might first appear.

R.G. Armstrong stands out as Sheriff Scoby. Morgan Fairchild, Royal Dano and Katharine Ross are other notables. For those who think Fairchild was miscast, she wasn’t. Think about it.

It runs 1h 48m and was shot in late spring at Spicewood, Texas, which is about a half hour drive northwest of Austin, plus nine other spots in the area. The main town set dubbed “Willieville” was built over the course of two years across the street from Nelson’s golf course.

GRADE: B+/A-