Walking Tall (2004)

Walking Tall is a 2004 remake of the 1973 film of the same name. It stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Johnny Knoxville. Like the original film, it was based on real-life Sheriff Buford Pusser, however, the main character's name is "Chris Vaughn," and the setting was changed from McNairy County, Tennessee to Kitsap County, Washington, U.S.A.

Plot: Former U.S. Army Special Forces sergeant Chris Vaughn (Dwayne Johnson) returns to his small home town (Kitsap, Washington). Looking for work he finds the local cedar mill has closed down three years prior and a new casino in town, owned by his school friend Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough), that is taking advantage of the chaotic economic situation. While checking out the casino Vaughn sees the craps dealer use loaded dice and when he tries to draw attention to this the security guards severely beat him in the basement and dump him on a road side. He is found, hospitalized and eventually recovers. Vaughn goes to the Sheriff (Michael Bowen) to press charges against the guards, but the Sheriff refuses to allow him to do so because the casino is viewed as too important to the town's economy, stating that because of their position that the casino is considered a "no fly zone". After this, Vaughn also learns that his nephew, Pete (Khleo Thomas), experimented with crystal meth, which was sold to his friends by a casino security guard. Infuriated, Vaughn goes to the casino, and using a piece of lumber as a club, he beats the security guards, and makes his point to Jay Hamilton that he will not tolerate the crime in his town anymore. Vaughn is apprehended by the Sheriff and his deputies when he is trying to drive home.

In the ensuing trial, all of Hamilton's security and staff testify against Vaughn. When the judge allows Vaughn to present his defense, he fires his appointed attorney (it is implied that Vaughn's attorney is under Hamilton's payroll as he sits back and does nothing to object to the testimonies of the security guards, and encourages Vaughn to take a plea bargain instead). After making a civic speech about the town's great former self (to the rebuttal of the opposition lawyers), Vaughn tells the jury and the rest of the town that if he's cleared of the charges, he will run for sheriff and clean up the town (even going so far as to show the jury and the rest of the audience the knife carving wounds due to the security team's assault on him at the casino prior to the latest incident). He is then acquitted, retrieves his lumber saying to the judge; "this is mine", later winning the election for sheriff. Upon taking office, he dismisses the entire police force and deputizes his friend, Ray Templeton (Johnny Knoxville), whom he knows will remain loyal and fight for what he knows is right despite being a convicted criminal.