What gives a western cross-over appeal?

Here is a discussion question. What westerns have successfully crossed over and reached a broader audience with out being cross-genre themselves? And what were the qualities that allowed them to reach that broader audience? With our western heritage slowly fading in the consciousness of today's generation of techno-kids (my own included), how is the traditional western going to continue to find an audience without adapting ? I cringe at the idea of seeing the western mutate into an art form with modern day sensibilities (hopefully not into the cowboys and space aliens-Wild, Wild West type goofiness, which can be fun in itself) merged into it until it no longer seems authentic. I don't have cable and never saw Deadwood, but I understand the profanity (although it existed during the period) was closer in quantity to today's society than it ever would have been back then. Are we going to have to sacrifice the authenticity of the genre to attract readers and viewers? Or am I kidding myself that actual authenticity exists in the genre and that it is more a combination of myth and exaggeration than accuracy? A lot of questions, I know, but ones I would really like to get a handle on.

Want to see Rango

I have yet to see Rango, although I want to take my kids to it. It may take this type of treatment to introduce the younger generation to the era that was the Old West. I found it interesting that when Pixar developed Toy Story they decided to make the kid enjoy fantasizing about western scenarios at a time when cowboy toy were passe. I don't really mind seeing something like cowboys and aliens, providing they don't try to inject a lot of modern sensibilities into the cowboy characters. It will be much more interesting to see humans defeat the aliens if the characters are consistent with the era in thinking and solutions.