“Buffalo Daze” Takes the Trail Between Sheridan’s 1883 and 1923

Cody, Wyoming USA – The depth of history in Buffalo Daze is as breathtaking as the landscapes of Montana and Wyoming that frame the narrative. The Double Diamond X Ranch near Cody, Wyoming at the East gateway to Yellowstone National Park and also at the historic Irma Hotel served as a few of the backdrops for this western docudrama. Cody locals also served as extras from within the Cody Community Theater: Led by Donna Lynn Murray.

As Entertainment Monthly put it, “Eric Nelsen is mesmerizing”. The Emmy and Tony award-winner knows something about westerns and was one of the stars of Taylor Sheridan’s epic Yellowstone prequel, 1883. Now, Nelsen returns to the saddle in Buffalo Daze: The Times and Life of Jim Grinder, portraying the legendary Western artist, Charles M. Russell.

“In Buffalo Daze, every scene paints a story, every dialogue embodies the legacy of the West. Telling the story through Charlie’s eyes, I felt the weight of history. It was more than acting; it was a profound journey back in time that viewers can now take with me,” Nelsen says.

Nelsen is the movie’s guide, appearing between chapters to contextualize where we’re headed next in what is an epic adventure from both sides of the “medicine line” between the US and Canada. So powerfully written and performed are Nelsen’s monologues, they could be delivered on Broadway or a West End stage in London.

Written and directed by Raen LeVell, Buffalo Daze defies convention. It’s short on Western tropes and violence, high on rich historical characters, and quirky enough to justify the Coen brothers’ comparisons it has already garnered.

“Raen and Taylor (Sheridan) are very similar in some ways. Directors need to create space for actors to engage with the emotional and spiritual perspectives of their characters, and they do that,” explains Mo Brings Plenty, one of the most popular stars from Sheridan’s Yellowstone. “They both also share my passion to depict our history and culture correctly, and Buffalo Daze is a true depiction of who we are and gives us the freedom to express ourselves as American Indian actors, to show our triumphs, our struggles, and our resiliency.”

Here, Brings Plenty gives one the most powerful performances of his career as Flathead Indian Reservation leader, Sam Resurrection.

True to history, Charlie Russell knew Jim Grinder. A classic drifter, Grinder’s life story is anything but predictable. A First Nation’s cowboy on the run from the law in his native British Columbia, he sought out an old acquaintance, the Sundance Kid, and ended up with Butch and the Wild Bunch as his travails with Uncle Sam began. Was he a hero or outlaw? A reservation Robin Hood or a common thief?

With one of the great figures in Hispanic-Tribal history, Michel Pablo, Grinder contributed to saving the buffalo from extinction. Pablo is played by Glen Gould, best-known for Tulsa King alongside Sylvester Stallone.

Among many surprising twists, Grinder, played by Brady Jandreau, was a rodeo pioneer and bronc busting rival of Jackson Sundown, became an outspoken opponent of Montana’s anti-miscegenation laws. Stevie Johnson (CSI-Miami) gives a stirring cameo as Booker T. Washington’s associate, Joseph Blackburn Bass, who recruited Grinder to that cause as editor and publisher of the Montana Plaindealer.

There resides one of the strengths of this visually gorgeous film: The Montana Plaindealer was one of four African American newspapers in late frontier-early twentieth century Montana. Who knew?

“Buffalo Daze is a true story and that truth was the heartbeat of the drama. The principal advisers were some of Jim Grinders closest living relatives, including Minnie Grinder, his 87-year-old niece!” shares Brady Jandreau, who was the lead in Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao’s The Rider.

Other members of this incredible ensemble cast include Eugene Brave Rock (Dark Winds), Canadian Screen Awards winner, Crystle Lightning (Lawmen: Bass Reeves), Leenah Robinson (1923), screen veterans Chris Mulkey (Boardwalk Empire) and Georgina Lightning (The West Wing), Eddie Spears (Hell on Wheels), Shelby Factor (Reservation Dogs), Mark Anderako (Heartland) and Country music star, Ned LeDoux.

Buffalo Daze is now available for streaming via Amazon Prime video rental or purchase. Take time to settle in with friends and family to watch this well curated western docudrama which West Hollywood Weekly says, “Will leave a lasting impact on audiences and the Western genre”.

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