The Jack Bull (1999) (TV)

Director:

John Badham

Writers (WGA):

Heinrich von Kleist (book)
Dick Cusack (written by)

Release Date:

17 April 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

After being wrongfully denied justice, a horse trader seeks his own justice on a treacherous rancher.

Plot Keywords:

Justice | Wyoming | Native American | Irish Wolfhound | Hanging

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

John Cusack	...	Myrl Redding
John Goodman	...	Judge Tolliver
L.Q. Jones	...	Henry Ballard
Miranda Otto	...	Cora Redding
John C. McGinley	...	Woody
John Savage	...	Slater
Rodney A. Grant	...	Billy
Kurt Fuller	...	Conrad
Rex Linn	...	Shelby Dykes
Jay O. Sanders	...	Atty. Gen. Metcalfe
Drake Bell	...	Cage Redding
Nick Gillie	...	Ollie (as Nicholas E. Gillie)
Duncan Fraser	...	Edsel Fraser
Ken Pogue	...	Judge Wilkins
Glenn Morshower	...	Col. Jeffries (as Glen Morshower)

MPAA:

Rated R for some Western violence.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

CL Ranch - 45001 Township Road, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The same flag, with 50 stars, is waved by towns women when the Governor is having his photo taken in Cheyene with the women.

Quotes:

Myrl Redding: Did you see the horses?
Cage Redding: [nods]
Myrl Redding: How'd they look?
Cage Redding: Great.
Myrl Redding: Promise me something son...
Cage Redding: Sure, pa.
Myrl Redding: Don't ever sell 'em.
Cage Redding: I'll never sell 'em. Never.
Myrl Redding: They're the best two you and Billy ever raised... a lot of pride in those stallions. Come from a great line; you can build on 'em.

Movie Connections:

Version of Michael Kohlhaas (1967)

Soundtrack:

Ring them Bells

The Jack Bull will surprise you

WATCH IT. A great moral translated to a western tale. I have been a fan of Cusack for some time; my first impression was that in a Western he would not be strong enough. As Myrl Redding, the strong true and moral man pushed too far, he is driven and tortured by theft and the death of his wife; and he is wonderful.

The great thing about this movie is that L.Q. Jones' Ballard is not evil just the antagonist. This movie is filled with good people trying to do what they feel is the right thing including John Goodman as Judge Toliver. <br> The best compliment I can give is that it reminds a lot of `The Crucible' by Arthur Miller, though to be honest, I am never sure who is on the side of right . Since the movie is also set against the statehood debate there are so many subplots. Both Redding & Ballard are pushed and pulled by so many other forces, I am never quite sure to whom is delivered `More Weight' as was Giles Corey in the Crucible but the result is very watchable. That's why in the final analysis I like this film, it is not about `white hats' and black hats just sadly about flawed people.