The Shootist
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: August 20, 1976 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
77
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
Don Siegel's terrific film is simply beautiful, and beautifully simple, in its quiet, elegant and sensitive telling of the last days of a dying gunfighter at the turn of the century. Read full review
90
The TelegraphPhilip Horne
The Shootist is a fitting memorial to a great star – and leaves his image indelibly fixed on our imagination. Read full review
90
NewsweekJanet Maslin
Wayne's proud, quietly anguished performance, one of his very best and certainly his most moving, has a richness that seems born of self-knowledge; he lends the film a tremendous sense of intimacy and a surprisingly confessional mood. [16 Aug 1976, p.68]
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The cast is excellent because it understands the material, and sympathizes with it: James Stewart, as the doctor, and Lauren Bacall, as the widow, play scenes with Wayne that absolutely make us forget we're watching a movie. Read full review
88
Chicago ReaderDave Kehr
A brilliantly crafted work and a remarkably moving experience. Read full review
80
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
A subtle, touching valedictory tribute to both Wayne and the Western in general. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
The Shootist is an uneven, elegiac tribute to a great career. The script leaves a lot to be desired, but is compensated for by some fine performances (especially Wayne's), Bruce Surtees' poignant cinematography, and Don Siegel's carefully paced direction. Read full review
80
EmpireWilliam Thomas
The Duke's last hurrah is one of the very best of a cycle of 70s movies that served as obituaries for the Western itself. Read full review
50
The New YorkerPauline Kael
The script, by Miles Hood Swarthout and Scott Hale, is a mechanical demonstration of how greedy and unfeeling the townspeople are, and Don Siegel's directing lacks rhythm--each scene dies a separate death.
50
The New York TimesRichard Eder
Mr. Siegel's lack of form and fidelity to his own story means that as the movie proceeds, even those things that are charming turn to lead. Read full review
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