Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life (1992) (TV)

Director:

Peter Werner

Writer:

William D. Wittliff (writer)

Release Date:

14 April 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Between heaven and the hangman stands...

Plot:

Alone on "Executioner's Row," Ned Blessing is a haggard, old cowboy and former sheriff. With nothing...

Plot Keywords:

Cowboy | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Daniel Baldwin	...	Ned Blessing
Luis Avalos	...	Crecencio
Chris Cooper	...	Anthony Blessing
Sean Baca	...	Young Ned Blessing
Taylor Fry	...	Young Jilly Blue
Julia Campbell	...	Jilly Blue
Rene Auberjonois	...	Marquis
Timothy Scott	...	Deputy Sticks Packwood (as Tim Scott)
Bob Gunton	...	Texas Preacher
Miguel Sandoval	...	Bruto Half-Tongue
Jeff Kober	...	Tors Buckner
Tony Frank	...	Raby
Jimmie F. Skaggs	...	Ignacio
Vince Davis	...	Prison Reporter
M.C. Gainey	...	One-Armed Jack Sample

Also Known As:

Lone Justice (video title)
Ned Blessing

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Company:

Hearst Entertainment Productions

Quotes:

Bruto Half-Tongue: What are you doing sitting under my little shade tree?
Anthony Blessing: Your shade tree?
Bruto Half-Tongue: Yes my shade tree. Isn't that right Ignacio?
Anthony Blessing: Well our apologies. We didn't know it was your shade tree.
Bruto Half-Tongue: Well, it's too late to say I'm sorry, amigo. Look, you have already used up all the shade. Now there is none left for me.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Ned Blessing: The Story of My Life and Times" (1993)

UNDONE BY ITS LACK OF PURPOSE

This is an augmented television pilot, not advertised as being so, with an abrupt ending distressing to a viewer who might be so unfortunate as to still be watching a production insulting to any with a modicum of intelligence, due to a storyline that makes no pretense at logic, rather instead stringing together a structure of episodes each more foolish than that preceding, with essentially no sense of continuity. It would seem that the primary purpose of this affair is to demonstrate the costuming talents of Michael Boyd, whose work is often very effective, but here only grotesque, as surely never were denizens of the Old West so brightly raimented in such an array of heterogeneous colours, with all garments seemingly impervious to even a scantling of soil. Director Peter Werner ("We Were The Mulvaneys") and scriptor William Witliff ("Country"; "Barbarosa") are accomplished craftsmen and it is difficult to accept this clichéd and terminally stupid composition as handiwork from either, a possible explanation being preparation and production interference for what purportedly became a popular television series based upon the lead character from this film, Ned Blessing (Stephen Baldwin). There is innovative camerawork, crisp editing, and some fine players earning credit for their skill at delivering their lines with straight face, but the plot provides nothing in the way of character development or plausible motivation, yet offers perhaps the most protracted and cartoonish scene of meaningless violence ever shot.