A Million Ways to Die in the West

Albert, a timid farmer in a rough-edged frontier town, falls for the mysterious new woman in town. He decides to reinvent himself, hoping to win her heart by mustering real courage. Trouble arrives when Anna's husband, a feared gunfighter, rides in seeking trouble for everyone nearby. The story follows his clumsy attempts to dodge danger and prove his bravery while keeping the romance alive. The tone stays light as misadventures collide with a stubborn sense of pride, testing whether a coward can become someone worth loving without losing who he is. Friends and rivals populate the town as Albert awkwardly fumbles through schemes and misreads signals.

Released in 2014, the film was directed by Seth MacFarlane and written by Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. It is based on an original screenplay, with a cast led by Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, and Liam Neeson. Directed by MacFarlane, it leans on bright visual gags, quick banter, and the director's signature meta humor. The ensemble balance aims to blend romance with roughshod Western chaos.

The movie grossed about 86.4 million worldwide against a 40 million budget, marking a solid return for a genre spoof and signaling decent audience turnout for a Western comedy. Its box office performance helped position it as a solid mid tier success for a star driven comedy.

The film leans into Western conventions with a self aware wink, pairing MacFarlane's irreverent humor with strong performances by Theron and Seyfried. The action scenes mix spoof value with real stunt work, delivering playful parodies of saloon brawls, standoffs, and frontier bravado that fit the tone.

Critical response was mixed, with praise for chemistry between the leads and some clever gags, but criticism for uneven humor and tonal shifts. The film uses its jokes to probe courage and self reinvention in a frontier town, while skewering myths of masculine bravado.