BEFORE: I had some internal debate over whether I'd seen this one before - my ex was rather ironically into Redford films - but I really don't recall any details about it, and I need to send a Birthday SHOUT-out (#57) to Mr. Redford (last seen in "Legal Eagles"), so let's cross it off the list and be definitive about it. I suppose I could have watched "The Horse Whisperer" instead, but I don't have a copy. Linking from last night, Madeline Kahn was in "What's Up, Doc?" with Barbra Streisand, who was in "The Way We Were" with Bob. Can I call him Bob, now that I've seen so many of his films?
THE PLOT: Sonny Steele used to be a rodeo star, but his next appearance is to be on a Las Vegas stage, wearing a suit covered in lights, advertising a breakfast cereal. When he finds out they are going drug the horse in case its too frisky, he rides off into the desert.
AFTER: Yes, at first it seems like a thematic jump from last night's film, but all of those schmucks at the dinner party, and all the people at the crisis center had odd jobs, you could say. And rodeo-star / breakfast cereal pitchman seems like an odd job - to me, anyway.
And, like in "Dinner with Schmucks", there's a multi-million dollar business deal at stake, one which is jeopardized during the course of the film. Redford's character puts his career as a spokesman for "Ranch breakfast cereal" (sounds un-appetizing) at risk when he kidnaps (colt-naps?) a $12 million horse that's been drugged and mis-treated.
You can say he's a horse expert, you can say he's kind to animals, or you can get all film-school and say that the horse represents himself, since he keeps himself pretty medicated, and he's also old and worn-out. And by rescuing the horse, he's really saving himself - getting out where the air is clear, there's no corporate B.S., and he can get frisky out in the wild (thankfully, with a female reporter who tags along). Fortunately, he signs his divorce papers 5 minutes before leaving - so nice symbolism there too.
However, other than an exciting chase scene where Steele, on the horse, outruns a squad of police cars and motorcycles, there's not a lot going on. The parts where they're walking through the Utah desert are about as exciting as...well, walking through the Utah desert. So points for accuracy, but it's still boring.
Also starring Jane Fonda (last seen in "9 to 5"), Willie Nelson (last seen in "Thief"), Wilford Brimley (last seen in "Absence of Malice"), Valerie Perrine. Plus a couple of actors playing the corporate execs who are JUST below "Hey, it's THAT guy!" status.
RATING: 5 out of 10 press conferences
No comments:
Post a Comment