How the West Was Fun
Encyclopedia
Synopsis
Twin girls Jessica and Susie (Mary-Kate and Ashley OlsenMary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen are American actresses and entrepreneurs.Both have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have continued their celebrity through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements...
) live with their father, Steven (Patrick Cassidy
Patrick Cassidy (actor)
Patrick Cassidy is an American actor best known for his roles in musical theatre and television.-Personal life:...
) in the city. They have a dream about somebody saying "This town ain't big enough for the 3 of us" and having a shootout but argue who makes their move first. One day, they receive a letter from their godmother Natty (Phillips) inviting them to a dude ranch
Dude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
. Natty, not knowing about their mother's death, wants their mother to come help her at the ranch. Natty is having financial problems because the ranch has too few paying visitors and, although she has offers, Natty does not want to sell the ranch. The girls try to ask their Dad's uptight boss, "The Dragonlady", for their dad's vacation time, only to get him fired. They lie and say that The Dragonlady said that they could go. The girls and their father go to the ranch and attempt to help Natty.
As they arrive they meet a Native American called George Tailfeathers (Cardinal) and Natty's not-too-bright son Bart Gafooley (Mull). Jessica and Susie's deceased mother's horse, Lightning, leads them to their mother's secret hideout carved in a tree. They find half of a stone owl and a bear, plus their mom's diary which tells how Bart had once tried to set fire to the ranch plus Bart's secret hideout in a place called "The Bear's Mouth". As the girls finish reading, they see smoke and start running towards it, thinking it's another fire but they find out it's Bart burning papers. The girls lie to him that a piece of paper landed on the roof so they can find out what they are. They find out that Bart has been turning people away from the ranch. Trying to take a paper to Natty to show what Bart's doing, they are chased by Bart who falls in the pig sty and gets covered in mud. Bart tears up the paper and snarls, "This ranch ain't big enough for the 3 of us", which brings the girls to a conclusion that Bart was the one in the dream.
Right before Bart can do any more, George backs them up with a riding lesson. At lunch, despite Bart's orders not to, the girls convince Natty to fix up the ranch and open it again. Later, Bart finds out that Steven is fired and is about to tell him the truth but gives the girls a chance to tell them themselves. Despite Natty's offers, Steven turns down her job offerings. Later, the girls find a hidden trapdoor under a stuffed bear (The Bear's Mouth) and go inside and find out that Bart is selling the ranch to make Gafooleyland Theme Park. Before Natty is about to sign the deed to the ranch to Bart, the girls convince her what Bart is up to. Heartbroken, she orders him off her land or else he'd "get a good spanking".
Meanwhile, Steven tries to get a loan but is turned down. What he doesn't know is that the bank is already with Bart on the whole deal. That night, the girls run off to Denver to convince Leo McRugger, the guy who Bart is selling the ranch to, to not go through with the deal. Their offers are so interesting, McRugger and his executives decide to come down for a week just to see if the place is actually what the girls are talking about. The ranch is fixed up with the help of George, Steven, Natty, the girls, and Laura Forrester (Greene) Steven's girlfriend. The activities are set up. However, every activity is sabotaged by Bart. Just when all is lost, the girls decide to find a lost treasure since they have a map. But first, they trap Bart so he can't do any more damage. The girls and everyone else find the gold, which turns out to be Fool's Gold, but still pleases McRugger and his executives. He agrees to spare the ranch.
As they head to the river, they are confronted by Bart. Bart tries to escape in a canoe. The girls go after him only to be grabbed by him and taken down the river. Bart heads them down rapids and then realizes that they're headed for a dam. Down the river, the girls see a rope hanging off a bridge. They grab it and hang on: "Hasta La Vista, Bart". "HEY!!!!!" Bart yells and gets mad as he plunges down the dam, not dying but getting severely injured and forced to watch the people dance. Pretty soon, the girls write their own diary...
Cast
- Mary-Kate OlsenMary-Kate OlsenMary-Kate Olsen is an American actress, producer, author and fashion designer. She made her career debut in 1987 alongside her twin sister Ashley Olsen in the television series Full House...
... Susie Martin - Ashley OlsenAshley OlsenAshley Fuller Olsen is an American actress, fashion designer, producer, and author. She co-founded luxury fashion brand The Row and the more affordable line Olsenboye with her twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen and started her own fashion company called Elizabeth and James...
... Jessica Martin - Martin MullMartin MullMartin Mull is an American actor who has starred in his own television sitcom and acted in prominent films. He is also a comedian, painter, and recording artist...
... Bart Gafooley - Michele GreeneMichele GreeneMichele Dominguez Greene is an American actress, singer, and songwriter, perhaps most well-known for her role as attorney Abigail "Abby" Perkins in L.A. Law from 1986 - 1991. She returned to that role in 2002 for the TV "reunion" film L.A...
... Laura Forester - Patrick CassidyPatrick Cassidy (actor)Patrick Cassidy is an American actor best known for his roles in musical theatre and television.-Personal life:...
... Stephen Martin - Ben Cardinal ... George Tailfeathers
- Leon PownallLeon PownallLeon Pownall was a Welsh Canadian actor and director.He was born in Wrexham in Wales and came to Hamilton, Ontario with his family in 1957...
... Leo McRugger - Peg PhillipsPeg PhillipsPeg Phillips was an American actress best known for playing storekeeper Ruth-Anne Miller on the television series Northern Exposure....
... Natty - Wes Tritter ... Cookie
- Heather Lea MacCallum ... Leona
- Shaun Johnston ... Phil
- Daniel Libman ... Roger
- Elizabeth Olsen.....Girl In Car
Production
How the West Was Fun was filmed in the Canadian RockiesCanadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
, one hour west of Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
at Rafter Six Ranch Resort. Shots in the city were done within Calgary, including a ride on Calgary Transit
Calgary Transit
Calgary Transit is the public transit service which is owned and operated by the city of Calgary, Alberta. In 2008, an estimated 95.3 million passengers boarded approximately 960 Calgary Transit vehicles , which thus provided 2.31 million hours of service .-History:What would eventually become...
's C-Train
C-Train
C-Train is the light rail transit system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has been in operation since May 25, 1981. The system is operated by Calgary Transit, a department of the Calgary municipal government.-Operations:...
.