RODEO MOVIES TO GET 'ER DONE

AUGUST 8, 2012 - RODEO MOVIES TO GET 'ER DONE

RODEO LOVING AND LIVING ... GEARING UP FOR SIKESTON!

The rodeo has inspired paintings, sculptures, books and film. To get you pumped up for the chutes opening in Sikeston, here are some great movies about the rodeo living and loving.  

8 Seconds (1994)

This film was dismissed due to it's star Luke Perry, who at the time was making teenage girls’ hearts flutter in Beverly Hills, 90210. But 8 Seconds actually offers a thoughtful and  and fairly accurate biography of the late rodeo champion Lane Frost. Perry closely resembles Frost, and if you know anyone from the Sooner state, you will recognize that he nails the Oklahoma accent. Cynthia Geary is the less than powerful female lead, but Stephen Baldwin steals the show portraying Frost's friend and fellow champion Tuff Hedeman.

Junior Bonner (1972)

Junior Bonner was a departure for director Sam Peckinpah, best known for his sequences of bloody violence, and for star Steve McQueen, whose screen persona was a cocky man of action. Critics loved this story of an aging rodeo champ hoping to win one last contest, but fans of the star and director didn’t get the high-octane mayhem they had come to expect, resulting in low box office receipts. Western lovers will enjoy it for the appearances of old cowhands Ben Johnson, Dub Taylor, and Donald “Red” Barry.

Rodeo Girl (1980)

Katharine Ross in a western is like Hayley Mills in a Disney film — always worth a look, regardless of the particulars. In Rodeo Girl, based on the life of rodeo world champion Sue Pirtle, Ross plays Sammy Garrett, a cowgirl whose dedication to building the Women’s Rodeo Association threatens her marriage. Ross brings her usual authenticity to the role and is ably supported by Bo Hopkins and Candy Clark.

The Cowboy Way (1994)

Take two rodeo cowboys and deposit them in New York City on a rescue mission to find their missing friend. The classic fish-out-of-water setup in The Cowboy Way plays out well thanks to the likeability of stars Woody Harrelson and Kiefer Sutherland, and the amusing if predictable moments when their country smarts keep them one step ahead of the city dwellers. It’s worth seeing just for the interrogation scene at the Central Park Zoo.

Colorado Cowboy: The Bruce Ford Story (1994)

“I’m a cowboy. It was born in me and bred in me,” says Bruce Ford. “It’s a life I love.” This documentary follows Ford through bareback riding competitions on the rodeo circuit, showing both the thrill of the competition and the stress on a cowboy’s family when he is away from home for months at a time.

The Rounders (1965)

It’s hard to imagine that a western starring Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda would, in its original release, be relegated to the bottom of a double bill. But that was the fate of The Rounders, a highly underrated comedy-action film about two old cowhands scuffling to earn a buck in Sedona, Arizona. Legendary bronc rider Casey Tibbs appears in the film, which inspired a short-lived TV series starring Patrick Wayne.

Ruby Jean and Joe (1996)

Though Tom Selleck plays an aging rodeo star, there’s admittedly not much rodeo in this made-for-TV film. Instead, the focus is on Selleck, as Joe Wade, and his unlikely relationship with Ruby Jean (Rebekah Johnson), a young hitchhiker who hangs around after the ride is over.

The magazine to find all things cowboy and rodeo is one of my fave reads when we attend the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas...there are always copies laying around!  Check it out.