Woman Walks Ahead

Name: Woman Walks Ahead
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Western
Released: June 29, 2018
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 51
Cast: Bill Camp, Boots Southerland, Chaske Spencer, Ciarán Hinds, David Midthunder

2018

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	Your Score
6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Ratings

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Woman Walks Ahead

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Movie Details & Credits

Batrax Entertainment | Release Date: June 29, 2018 | R

Starring: Bill Camp, Boots Southerland, Chaske Spencer, Ciarán Hinds, David Midthunder, Jacob Browne, Jessica Chastain, Kindall Charters, Louisa Krause, Luce Rains, Michael Greyeyes, Michael Nouri, Rachel de la Torre, Rod Rondeaux, Sam Rockwell, Sharon Anne Henderson

Summary: Based on true events, Woman Walks Ahead tells the story of Catherine Weldon (Jessica Chastain), a widowed artist from New York who, in the 1880s, traveled alone to North Dakota to paint a portrait of Chief Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes). Her arrival at Standing Rock is welcomed with open hostility by a US Army officer (Sam Rockwell), whoBased on true events, Woman Walks Ahead tells the story of Catherine Weldon (Jessica Chastain), a widowed artist from New York who, in the 1880s, traveled alone to North Dakota to paint a portrait of Chief Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes). Her arrival at Standing Rock is welcomed with open hostility by a US Army officer (Sam Rockwell), who has stationed troops around the Lakota reservation to undermine Native American claims to the land. As Catherine and Sitting Bull grow closer, and as their friendship—and his life—are threatened by imperious government forces, Catherine must contend with the violence that underlies her position.… Expand

Director: Susanna White

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Western

Rating: R

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

Kenneth Seward Jr.

Jul 26, 2018

Woman Walks Ahead has some narrative issues but is ultimately a well-acted biographical drama. Read full review

Rex Reed

Jun 29, 2018

Strongly acted, beautifully shot and sincerely aimed at clearing up some of the misconceptions about the Old West that have been passed off as history by Hollywood movies. Read full review

Allan Hunter

Apr 24, 2018

Woman Walks Ahead is a story of defying expectations, finding common ground and gaining knowledge. Read full review

Katie Rife

Jun 28, 2018

Despite the sensitivity of its storytelling, and Chastain’s career-defining passion for playing headstrong, independent women like Mrs. Weldon, it also never really comes to life. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Susan Wloszczyna

Jun 29, 2018

Clumsily conflates our country’s racist genocide of Native Americans with the era’s marginalizing of women and their lack of rights. Read full review

Jeannette Catsoulis

Jun 28, 2018

It’s all ridiculously romanticized and self-serving. But the performances are so good (Mr. Greyeyes, in particular, is a miracle of intelligence and dignity) and Michael Eley’s vistas, shimmeringly shot in New Mexico, are so stunning, it feels churlish to resist. Read full review

Chuck Bowen

Jun 25, 2018

As a character, Catherine Weldon suffers the same fate as Sitting Bull, having been reduced to a signifier of the filmmakers' retroactive political correctness. Read full review

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User Reviews

debie

Apr 27, 2021

Entertaining. Well acted. Good cinematography. Slow paced, character driven, decent script that does have several historical inaccuracies, but also portrays some informative historical facts on the 1887 Dawes Act, the Sioux Bill, the treatment of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux and their leaderEntertaining. Well acted. Good cinematography. Slow paced, character driven, decent script that does have several historical inaccuracies, but also portrays some informative historical facts on the 1887 Dawes Act, the Sioux Bill, the treatment of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux and their leader Sitting Bull, and the unrest in the Dakota Territory. Not sure why it has the R rating, no blatant nudity or language with 2 mildly violent scenes. If you watch, not for historical accuracy, but purely for entertainment value, this is a compelling and enjoyable movie worth 7 stars IMHO! (to get the historically accurate info, I suggest looking up Sitting Bull and Catherine Weldon after watching the film) /April 2021… Expand

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TVJerry

Aug 30, 2020

Jessica Chastain plays Catherine Weldon, a widowed artist who travels from New York to North Dakota in the 1880s to paint a portrait of Chief Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes). While there, she becomes part of the movement to help the Lakota maintain the rights for their land (Sam Rockwell isJessica Chastain plays Catherine Weldon, a widowed artist who travels from New York to North Dakota in the 1880s to paint a portrait of Chief Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes). While there, she becomes part of the movement to help the Lakota maintain the rights for their land (Sam Rockwell is one of the hostile Army officers). Exposing these injustices never gains much dramatic traction and her relationship with the Chief has potential, but also fails to fully develop. Overall, this is an interesting historical footnote with strong performances, but not a very compelling movie.… Expand

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JLuis_001

Jun 30, 2018

A film well done in all the extension of the word but enormously lackluster and too inclined towards the melodrama which lacks solidity in spite of the good interventions of its actors.

This film reminds me of Mary Shelley that I recently saw and not because they have something in commonA film well done in all the extension of the word but enormously lackluster and too inclined towards the melodrama which lacks solidity in spite of the good interventions of its actors.

This film reminds me of Mary Shelley that I recently saw and not because they have something in common but because both films are two good ideas with simplistic and boring executions.… Expand

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