The film begins with the arrival of an aging Ransom "Rance" Stoddard, a U.S. Senator to a small town called Shinbone in the company of his wife Hallie. It raises questions as to why the Senator is in that town considering it is almost obsolute and has nothing to offer to engage a U.S. Senator 's visit. It is even more perplexing that the senator is there to attend the funeral of a man who lived in the town, an apparent nobody, Tom Doniphon. As ordinary citizen 's it is obvious that curiousity takes its course when an important person whether a politician or celebrity comes our way in the absence of an important event taking place. It is believed that "these" kind of people only visit the places where ordinary citizen 's live when there is a …show more content…
In the case of Senator Rance Stoddard, his unplanned encounter with a total stranger is the beginning of his flashback. The then young attorney was on a stagecoach since the rail road had not come to Shinbone yet and the region was still a Western territory with the intention of setting up a law office in the small town. The world has a funny way of bringing people together whether it is by use of acquaintances or chance encounters. The stagecoach that Rance was riding is waylaid on its way by outlaws who are out to rob the passengers. Rance being the charismatic and fearless man he is, dares the outlaws and in the process earns himself a brutal beating and is left for the dead. This unfortunate event is the start of a long term relationship with a rancher called Tom Doniphon. This man demonstrates the human virtue of pity and selflessness when he takes the badly beaten Rance to his friend 's home to be taken care of. Rance gains more friends in that family, Peter and his wife Nora and their daughter Hallie. These people become his new family and even offer him a job in their restaurant once he is back to his two