The Newton Boys (1998)

The story of the Newton gang, the most successful bank robbers in history, owing to their good planning and minimal violence.

Director:

Richard Linklater

Writers:

Claude Stanush (based on the book by), Richard Linklater (screenplay by)

Stars:

Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Skeet Ulrich

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew McConaughey	...	Willis Newton
Skeet Ulrich	...	Joe Newton
Ethan Hawke	...	Jess Newton
Gail Cronauer	...	Ma Newton
Jena Karam	...	Orphan Singer
Casey McAuliffe	...	Orphan Singer
Regina Mae Matthews	...	Orphan Fiddler
Lew Temple	...	Waiter
Dwight Yoakam	...	Brentwood Glasscock
Charles Gunning	...	Slim
Glynn Williams	...	Farmer Williams
Charles 'Chip' Bray	...	Bank Teller
Chloe Webb	...	Avis Glasscock
Gary Moody	...	Crooked Banker
Julianna Margulies	...	Louise Brown

Storyline

Four Newton brothers are a poor farmer family in the 1920s. The oldest of them, Willis, one day realizes that there's no future in the fields and offers his brothers to become a bank robbers. Soon the family agrees. They become very famous robbers, and five years later execute the greatest train robbery in American history.

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Plot Keywords:

bank robber | train | brother brother relationship | explosive | crime spree | 

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Taglines:

Four brothers. Eighty banks. One hell of a good time.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | History | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence including bloody aftermath of a shooting, and for language

Details

Official Sites:

20th Century Fox

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Newton fiúk

Filming Locations:

Martindale, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$27,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,010,245, 29 March 1998, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$10,297,897, 17 May 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Detour Filmproduction, Newton Boys Ventures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The oil rig tool pusher that Matthew McConaughey's character Willis Newton punches in the face, is actually McConaugheys older brother, Rooster McConaughey.

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Goofs

When Willis is in jail talking to the investigator, Aldrich, Aldrich leans over to whisper something to him. In the first shot, taken from behind Willis, Aldrich is speaking into Willis's right ear. The scene immediately cuts to a different angle, taken from behind Aldrich, and Aldrich is now speaking into Willis's left ear.

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Quotes

Dock Newton: You ain't any less of a drunk now than you was when hooch was legal.
Jess Newton: Well, you see, there's my point. That particular law ain't really doin' it's job, now is it?

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Crazy Credits

As the credits roll, portions of two interviews are shown, each with one of the brothers. The interview with Joe Newton is from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Episode #19.165 (1980); the interview with Willis Newton is from The Newton Boys: Portrait of an Outlaw Gang (1976).

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Connections

References Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

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Soundtracks

Spanish Nights
Composed by Ray Davies
Courtesy of ProMusic

User Reviews

Tremendous cast, good, but not great, historical narrative

In a way, it seems like a waste to gather Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Skeet Ulrich, and Vincent D'Onofrio for this movie, because they should've been able to do something great, although, if it weren't for them, it would have been boring. It is a straightforward assembly of the facts of the incredible run of 80 bank robberies by the Newton brothers. Then they go for the big one, a train robbery of Federal Reserve funds. It is entertaining, but I was most entertained during the running of the credits. Over to the left, they show clips of Joe Newton at about age 79, on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, interspersed with film clips of an interview with Willis Newton in his 80's, both giving their views of what it was like and how they felt about what they had done. After seeing Hollywood's version of their lives, it was interesting to see what they were like in old age.