Beauties on the Run

In a time when a woman's choices ran the not-so-wide gamut from a wife to a prostitute, four unique and strong women come together in a brothel to make a new life for themselves.

Madeline Stowe portrays the unofficial leader, Cody Zamora. A one-time outlaw, turned prostitute, turned outlaw once more, Cody leads her feminine sidekicks Andy MacDowell, Drew Barrymore and Mary Stuart Masterson through the lands of tumbleweeds and gunfights in search of freedom and a kind of vigilante justice.

When a customer gets out of hand in the brothel, Cody steps up to defend her fallen co-worker and ends up killing a man. The foursome then ends up on a chase across the plains to escape the law and start a new life with one woman's homesteader claim.

They use their wits, their skills as gunfighters and their looks to bewilder and beguile their chasers. Along the way, bonds are tightened, romances are begun and a few amusements are to be had.

In particular, Drew Barrymore stands out as Lily, the youngest of the group, daughter of a trick rider. She truly has never looked more radiant with cascades of pale golden hair. In a group of four amazingly beautiful women, Drew shines.

The film itself is entertaining, but forgettable. Sadly, even though this film could hold its own against the Young Guns movie, this film just never manages to captivate. Still, it fairs better than most female westerns (can you think of another?!)