A mysterious and possibly otherworldly stranger comes to the rescue of a frontier town in this Western, which was strongly influenced by the George Stevens classic, Shane . The peace of a small mining community is shattered when Coy LaHood ( Richard Dysart ), the ruthless proprietor of a powerful strip-mining company, arrives in town with his son Josh ( Christopher Penn ) and a posse of hired guns to drive out the townspeople and take control of the territory. Megan ( Sydney Penny ), a young girl whose pet was killed in the melee, prays to God for someone to defend the village from the marauders; soon, the Preacher ( Clint Eastwood ) arrives on a pale horse, and joins forces with Hull Barrett ( Michael Moriarty ), the unofficial leader of the miners and one of the few who attempts to defend himself, to take a stand against LaHood and his men. As the Preacher and Barrett try to organize the miners to fight the invaders, both Megan and her mother Sarah ( Carrie Snodgrass ) find they're drawn to the Preacher, who keeps to himself and seems to have more than his share of secrets. Pale Rider was also directed by leading man Clint Eastwood ; it was his first Western as both director and star since the acclaimed The Outlaw Josey Wales . — Mark Deming