BILL TILGHMAN AND THE OUTLAWS
An old-fashioned western with Christian redemption, lively action, and classic charm.
Should You Watch It?
If you love classic Hollywood westerns, this is a pleasant trip back to an older kind of movie. It offers good cinematography, solid dialogue, funny scenes, exciting action, well-done fistfights, and an exciting gunfight. Its moral center is also welcome: marriage, honesty, decency, law and order, redemption, and Christian faith all receive strong support.
The film is not perfect. Some sections are slow, campy, and over the top. Foul language, drinking, and smoking make it less suitable for younger viewers, while the violence includes fistfights and gunplay. One outlaw carries his Bible and tries to explain the Gospel, and the film gives viewers a positive portrait of a Christian pastor.
For older children and adults who enjoy westerns, WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESIn 1915, as the Wild West fades into memory, Hollywood producer William Selig travels to Oklahoma to hire Marshal Bill Tilghman to play himself in a bank-robbery movie. The production will also feature real outlaws, including Cole Younger and Frank James.
Tilghman gathers convicts to appear in the film, but the prisoners have personal scores to settle. As the movie-within-the-movie takes shape, the boundary between acting and reality becomes increasingly dangerous.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means an entertaining western with good moments, even though it does not always maintain its momentum. The movie features good acting, good cinematography, strong dialogue, terrific scenes, funny scenes, and solid action. The fistfights are well done, and the gunfight is exciting.
The weaknesses are clear, too. Some of the film is slow, campy, and over the top. Still, for viewers who love classic Hollywood westerns, those strengths make the film a delight to watch.
The Worldview
The film presents a light redemptive worldview with strong moral elements and substantial Christian content, though it is not intended to be evangelistic. Church services, a character who comes to Christ, and a Bible-carrying outlaw who tries to explain the Gospel all place Christian faith within the historical setting. Others mock this character, including his mother, but the film still offers a positive portrait of a Christian pastor.
The movie supports marriage, honesty, decency, law and order, and self-sacrifice. Crimes and lies are shown as wrong, even as the story includes bank robbery, outlaws, and other forms of immorality. Its central longing for redemption points toward the Gospel’s promise: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Light redemptive worldview with strong moral elements and lots of Christian content but not meant to be evangelistic, rather in an historical setting with church services, a character comes to Christ and carries a Bible but others make fun of him, including his mother, with a key element of self-sacrifice and crimes committed and lies told but shown as bad and marriage upheld
Foul Language
16 mostly light obscenities and two very light profanities
Violence
Western action violence such as bank teller shot in the arm, several fist fights, people punched out, culminating in large gunfight where some people are shot and killed, dynamite is used to attract attention
Sex
Several kisses, outlaw makes lewd remarks to the sheriff about the sheriff’s wife and to the wife herself
Nudity
No nudity
Alcohol Use
Alcohol use, and the town drunk is a featured character
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
Smoking;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Lying, deceit, bank robbery, gangs, and outlaws.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film supports marriage, honesty, decency, and law and order. Which of those virtues is hardest to practice when doing the right thing costs you something?
Micah 6:8 · Romans 12:21One character carries a Bible and tries to explain the Gospel even when others mock him. How can you speak about your faith with courage and humility?
1 Peter 3:15 · Colossians 4:5–6The story includes criminals, lies, and self-sacrifice. What does genuine redemption require beyond simply regretting wrong actions?
2 Corinthians 7:10 · Ephesians 4:28The film includes a Christian pastor and church services. How should a church respond to people whose lives have been marked by serious wrongdoing?
Galatians 6:1–2 · Luke 15:20–24The Final Word
This old-fashioned western offers good action, humor, moral clarity, and a redemptive Christian element. Its slower, campier moments and content concerns make parental judgment important, but western fans may find much to enjoy. Our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
