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

Leaves on a vengeance quest

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 15 July 2013]

Daniel Baldwin of the Long Island acting Baldwin brothers stars in this obvious pilot for a western series that never apparently was picked up by the networks. Had it been maybe a lot of loose ends left from this film would have been cleared up. There were certainly enough left in this film.

In fact Baldwin only spent half the film in the title role, the bulk of the portrayal of Ned Blessling is done by young Sean Baca.

I won't go into details the story has an old Ned Blessing recounting his life story from a jail cell awaiting execution. Presumably had additional films been made we would have learned more. What we found out was that he was separated from his father Chris Cooper by Comanchero bandits, then later reunited, becomes sheriff of their town as an adult. A rendezvous with childhood friend Julie Campbell in another town leaves him absent when a gang led by Jeff Kober robs the bank and leaves a bloody mess in the town.

After that Baldwin leaves on a vengeance quest. It looked like an interesting concept for at least a mini-series, but as just a stand alone movie, too much is unanswered.

Information that should have been in the movie

[ruthinchicago · 6/10 · 30 June 2012]

The woman had a baby out of wedlock and was abandoned by the father Anthony Blessing. The photograph in his watch is the woman and baby he rejected and left behind. Some years later, Anthony Blessing returns realizing he loves her. But too late her family insisted she give the baby away to the Buckner family in another town to avoid disgrace. He looks at the picture with regret and love. The couple marry and have a second son, Ned. However, the memory of her first son haunts her. The betrayal eats away at her until she remarries someone else. The watch his mother gave to his father with their picture in it had a musical tune. The mother showed it to Tors on one of her secret visits at the Buckner family's home.

Warning DON'T watch this movie.

[hyattjenny18 · 4/10 · 14 December 2020]

I watched this movie as a kid and was disappointed because it was so good then it just ends before the story is finished.

UNDONE BY ITS LACK OF PURPOSE

[rsoonsa · 1/10 · 6 January 2004]

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.

Do not buy this film

[moewadle · 1/10 · 13 January 2013]

I bought this film as one of ten in a two-DVD set at a Wal-Mart dump bin for $5. Well, you get what you pay for. That, technically, made it 50 cents per movie but I bought the set for this one because the others were westerns you always see on real cheap DVDs. Anyway, this was made in 1992 and I was bitterly disappointed when the story ended very abruptly with no resolution, whatsoever, to the mystery created in the story or the finding of the bad-guy, etc. It just ended....well, I found out rapidly why, that as I had guessed, this was a pilot for a TV series and the series, I am sure, was supposed to eventually resolve all the unresolved in the pilot. Imagine how cheated I felt and how you will feel if you do buy this and watch it. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!! I might also add that the story is no where enjoyable enough otherwise to make up for the ending which cheats the viewer.

The Revenge of Daniel Baldwin

[wes-connors · 2/10 · 31 December 2011]

While waiting for the hangman's noose, wizened outlaw Daniel Baldwin (as Ned Blessing) writes "The True Story of My Life" while narrating. We flashback to his boyhood (played by Sean Baca) traveling from Texas to California with noble father Chris Cooper (as Anthony). They meet straggly cutthroat Miguel Sandoval (as Bruto) and our hero is kidnapped and made a slavery cook "flea" after calling his new master a "fat monkey." We learn how Mr. Sandoval acquires the nickname "Half-Tongue" and become acquainted with pretty Taylor Fry (as Jilly Blue)...

Almost 20 years later, Mr. Baldwin meets her as a adult actress Julia Campbell. Through the years, a silver lining is heavily-accented mentor Luis Avalos (as Crecencio). He wisely says, "Everybody's got to be somewhere," and cooks a stew which was hard to sit through, let alone swallow. This TV movie is structurally very confusing due to the framing sequences and, frankly, the understandable revenge plot meanders to a halt.

** Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life (4/14/92) Peter Werner ~ Daniel Baldwin, Luis Avalos, Chris Cooper, Sean Baca

Abrupt Ending

[Edmund_Dantes · 2/10 · 25 August 2006]

I liked the movie. I was enjoying it when it suddenly and inexplicably ended! Looking back, I have the impression that it is a two hour pilot for a TV series, not a movie. The length is about right and there are so many unfinished story lines, like: Does Ned Blessing evade the hangman? Does he get back with Jilly Blue? Does Jilly Blue detect the double dealing of the count? Does Ned Blessing avenge Anthony Blessing's (his father's) murder? I didn't really understand how Tors Buckner became Ned Blessing's enemy, but that is another unfinished part of the story. If Tors Buckner was his mother's second husband, who abused Ned Blessing, why didn't Ned recognize him? I understand that Tors Buckner might not have recognized Ned Blessing as an adult. I also found that without subtitles, it was really hard to understand Bruto Half Tongue (what a name!) after he bit his tongue off. The low score is because of the unfinished aspect, otherwise I would have given it an 8.

Great TV Movie, Then It Falls Apart At The End!

[FightingWesterner · 8/10 · 14 March 2010]

Ned Blessing (Daniel Baldwin) sits in his jail cell. As he awaits execution, he writes the story of his life, about how he was kidnapped as a child by Mexican bandits, lost the love of his life twice, and began the road that led him to the gallows.

Most of the time this made-for-television movie is delightful. Luis Avalos gives an incredible performance as a cook/mystic, also imprisoned by the bandits, who becomes young Ned Blessing's surrogate father and mentor. He's a joy to watch, as is Miguel Sandoval, who plays the sadistic leader of the pack.

There's great character actors throughout, including Chris Cooper, Jeff Kober, Rene Auberjonois, Bob Gunton, and M.C. Gainey.

However, all the fun is ruined by the dark, unsatisfying final act and abrupt ending, making this seem like only the first half of a mini-series and leaving many of the various subplots very much open-ended.

I seriously hope that the short-lived TV series and other related Ned Blessing projects clear things up a bit, otherwise this is not recommended!

Horrible- this movie ends at the middle !!

[ebochan · 14 January 2004]

Spoiler The movie begins with the character at the end of his life and awaiting his hanging. The story then goes back to his beginnings in the west; it continues (rather feebly) to the middle of his life........ and then the movie just ends ! There is no connection to his later years, why he is sentenced to hang, or what happened to the other characters in the story, you don't even find out if he does hang (the character does elude to a plot to capture the bad guy- but we never find out). It seems this may have been a two-segment story, but there is no mention whatsoever to a second DVD. This movie is put out in DVD by PLATINUM DISC CORP.