Ace Bonner returns to Arizona several years after he abandoned his family, Junior Bonner is a wild young man. Against the typical rodeo championship, family drama erupts.
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Title: Junior Bonner (1972)
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2 nominations.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Steve McQueen | ... | Junior Bonner | |
| Robert Preston | ... | Ace Bonner | |
| Ida Lupino | ... | Elvira Bonner | |
| Ben Johnson | ... | Buck Roan | |
| Joe Don Baker | ... | Curly Bonner | |
| Barbara Leigh | ... | Charmagne | |
| Mary Murphy | ... | Ruth Bonner | |
| Bill McKinney | ... | Red Terwiliger (as William McKinney) | |
| Dub Taylor | ... | Del | |
 |
Sandra Deel | ... | Nurse Arlis |
| Don 'Red' Barry | ... | Homer Rutledge (as Donald Barry) | |
| Charles H. Gray | ... | Burt (as Charles Gray) | |
|
|
Matthew Peckinpah | ... | Tim Bonner |
|
|
Sundown Spencer | ... | Nick Bonner |
|
|
Rita Garrison | ... | Flashie |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
A week with Junior Bonner, a rodeo pro on the wrong side of 40, broke, bruised, and headed into Prescott, his home town, for the annual 4th of July Frontier Days. His dad, Ace, is a dissolute dreamer fixed on finding gold in Australia; his mom is resigned to Ace's roving; his brother Curly is tearing up the countryside to make a million in real estate. Junior just wants to stay on a bucking Brahma for eight seconds, hang out with Ace, find a way to spend time with a beautiful woman whose eyes catch his, and earn enough to get to next week's rodeo. As the old West and its code give way to progress, Junior is lonesome, laconic, and on the road - just where he wants to be. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Plot Keywords:
neo western | father son relationship | accordionist | card game | cowbell |Taglines:
Steve McQueen going down his own road, tougher than ever, as "Junior Bonner" See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
20 July 1972 (UK) See more »Also Known As:
Junior Bonner See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$3,200,000 (estimated)Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Curly Bonner: That's a good idea, Ace.
Elvira Bonner: Boys, times have changed. I changed them.
See more »
Words and Music by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter
Sung by Alex Taylor
Courtesy of Capricorn Records
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
One of 3 movies concerning rodeo cowboys that came out in 1972; J.W. Coop (written and starring Cliff Robertson) and When the Legends Die (starring Richard Widmark and Frederic Forrest) being the others. See more »Goofs
When Ace and Junior are sharing a bottle of whiskey, the bottle jumps from Ace's right hand to his left between shots. See more »Quotes
Junior 'JR' Bonner: Didn't you always save the first dance for mom, Ace?Curly Bonner: That's a good idea, Ace.
Elvira Bonner: Boys, times have changed. I changed them.
See more »
Soundtracks
Bound to Be Back AgainWords and Music by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter
Sung by Alex Taylor
Courtesy of Capricorn Records
See more »
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How much you enjoy the film overall depends on your interest or affection for the rodeo but there are some really fine performances. McQueen is excellent, a bruised thoughtful performance, but Robert Preston and Ida Lupino really take acting honors as his parents. The scene between them on the stairs is an example of what great actors can do to make characters live on the screen. Something that helps sell the story is that the two of them really look like they could be Steve's parents. Junior's a rambler who is happy to go his own way but finds the modern world getting in the way. A subtle drama of the kind that is rarely made today.