| Kris Kristofferson | James Averill |
| Christopher Walken | Nathan D. Champion |
| Isabelle Huppert | Ella Watson |
| John Hurt | Billy Irvine |
| Jeff Bridges | John L. Bridges |
| Sam Waterston | Frank Canton |
Harvard graduate James Averill is the sheriff of prosperous Jackson County, Wyo., when a battle erupts between the area's poverty-stricken immigrants and its wealthy cattle farmers. The politically connected ranch owners fight the immigrants with the help of Nathan Champion, a mercenary competing with Averill for the love of local madam Ella Watson . As the struggle escalates, Averill and Champion begin to question their decisions.