IMDb RATING
6.4/10
9.6K
YOUR RATING
A rodeo star past his prime steals his company's horse and rides into the desert, accompanied by a feisty reporter.A rodeo star past his prime steals his company's horse and rides into the desert, accompanied by a feisty reporter.A rodeo star past his prime steals his company's horse and rides into the desert, accompanied by a feisty reporter.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
9.6K
YOUR RATING
- Writers
- Robert Garland(screenplay by)
- Paul Gaer(screen story by)
- Shelly Burton(based on a story by)
- Stars
- Writers
- Robert Garland(screenplay by)
- Paul Gaer(screen story by)
- Shelly Burton(based on a story by)
- Stars
James Sikking
- Dietrich
- (as James B. Sikking)
Quinn K. Redeker
- Bud Broderick
- (as Quinn Redeker)
Lois Hamilton
- Joanna Camden
- (as Lois Areno)
- Writers
- Robert Garland(screenplay by) (screen story by)
- Paul Gaer(screen story by)
- Shelly Burton(based on a story by)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe name of Sonny Steele's horse in the film is "Rising Star". The star steed was played by a 5-year-old bay thoroughbred called "Let's Merge" after a 6-month equine talent search. Robert Redford bought the horse after production was complete and owned him for 18 years before the horse passed away.
- GoofsThe video footage shown on television of Sonny Steele's speech about the horse doesn't match what Alice would have actually shot. The camera movement, lighting and direction of where Steele was facing while talking is completely different.
- Alternate versionsThe film's original soundtrack has been changed in different ways for its two DVD releases:
- The Image DVD replaces Dave Grusin's beautiful "Freedom Epilogue" score music (where the horse is set free) with a reprise of "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" by Willie Nelson, originally heard during the opening credits. This actually works well, though one wonders why a piece of original score had to be changed.
- The newer Universal release goes a step further, removing "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" from the opening credits (and in fact from the film completely) as well as "Freedom Epilogue" and replaces them both with a very inappropriate generic harmonica-driven instrumental which is meant to sound like a Willie Nelson song.
Review
Featured review
A Little Internal Consistency Would Help
I liked this movie for the chemistry of the stars & the message (that not everything should be subjected to the Almighty Dollar). As others have pointed out, the story is a bit too simple, but that's OK too. What caused me to lower my rating from 6-7 to a rating of 5, is the lack of internal consistency. Redford's character is tremendously concerned over the welfare of this beautiful thoroughbred horse, & I'm concerned, too. The main premise of the film is that the horse's welfare is more important than the money to be made off this animal. The horse has ligament damage in a front leg ("it's full of water," per Redford), so Redford saves the horse from exploitation (being part of a stage show & being photographed) by stealing it. Later, to try to escape the police, Redford rides this injured horse for about 10 miles (it seems), at high speed (perhaps 20-25 mph?) over hill, dale, gullies, a bridge, through water, rock strewn ravines, etc. Never mind the lack of reality here (that an injured horse would never be able to accomplish this). But how about Redford's feeling for the animal? He's supposed to be so concerned for the horse's welfare, but it is he who subjects the horse to the most grueling damage possible! The lack of internal consistency in this film is that the man who supposedly cares the most about the horse, is the one who inflicts the most injury to it. And this makes no sense within the context of the film.
helpful•1012
- wrbtu
- Jan 27, 2008
Details
Box office
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