Ruby Jean and Joe (1996) (TV)

Director:

Geoffrey Sax

Writer (WGA):

James Lee Barrett (written by)

Release Date:

11 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

The elderly and fading rodeo-rider Joe Wade (Tom Selleck) picks up the young female hitchhiker Ruby Jean (Rebekah Johnson)...

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | Rodeo | Modern Day | Interracial Relationship | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tom Selleck	...	Joe Wade
Rebekah Johnson	...	Ruby Jean
JoBeth Williams	...	Rose
Ben Johnson	...	Big Man
Eileen Seeley	...	Margaret Johnson
John Diehl	...	Harris Johnson
Margo Martindale	...	Frankie
Larry Soller	...	Harry
Robert Guajardo	...	R.J.'s Hitchhike Driver
Robert Starr	...	Motel Clerk
Forrie J. Smith	...	Birthday Drunk
Ed Adams	...	Bar Bully
Darwin Hall	...	Annoyed Cowboy
Warner McKay	...	Homer
Boots Southerland	...	Telephone Cowboy

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief nudity, sensuality and language.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Sweden:11 (video rating) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bisbee, Arizona, USA

Company:

TWS Productions II

Trivia:

Final TV role of Ben Johnson.

Quotes:

Harris Johnson: You do drink, don't you Mr. Wade?
Ruby Jean: You don't have to answer right away, Joe. You can give it some thought.

Intelligent, adult, and thought provoking.

As this movie began I saw the crystal clear colour, sharp focus, and Western setting, and was about to turn it off. Then the young hitch-hiker appeared and I thought. "Oh no! Cutesy-pooh-made-for-TV family schmaltz," but, I was home, sick, on the sofa, and Tom Selleck's usually worth watching so.... The movie hadn't got very far before I realised that I was watching something pretty extraordinary. It was a movie that was inviting me to think, to think about what it means to be a man, and and in particular, a strong man who is facing the alien world of age and declining powers. Tom Selleck's performance showed, to me, a man who, through his relationship with the girl (great actress by the way!) learnt something about life, and drew strength and comfort from the knowledge, whilst she drew greater strength and understanding of the world as a result of being treated like an adult for the first time. If a really cheesy director had been in charge, I can see these words rolling across the screen at the end: "Old age hath yet his honour and his toil; Death closes all: but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done, Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods." (Tennyson)