I loved this film, which, while it has many funny scenes, is an essentially poignant tale of a stoic man of few words, who would like to reconnect with the daughter and grandson he let slip away from him, but does not know how to do so. This same man also has no clue as to how much wiser his oldest friend/ranch hand is. Meanwhile there is a local sheriff who knows that his deputy is a total sleaze, but has no idea how dangerous he is, the deputy's two moronic nephews, who should have been smothered in their cribs, and a female sheep shearer, who fights with, and is about halfway in love with, the ranch hand. The stoic man, A. J. "Stoney" Stoneman, is played by Peter Fonda. The daughter, Kate Harper, is played by Robin Dearden. Kate is a high-powered executive. The grandson, Charles/Charlie/Chuck, is played by Joe Mazzello. Charles is a pampered and spoiled rich kid and computer whiz. The Sheriff, Hank Dawson, is played by Keith Carradine in another excellent performance by this always-capable actor. The old friend/ranch hand, Shuck, is played by Kris Kristofferson. (He and Carradine are truly old friends, having starred together in the 1985 film noir, TROUBLE IN MIND).
Comic relief is provided by the sleazy deputy and his nephews and by an FBI agent with a room temperature IQ, although Kristofferson has some hilarious moments when he breaks Stoney out of the hospital - - facing down a sadistic nurse with a gun and a warning "Lady, I castrate sheep with my teeth; there's no telling what I'm capable of." He goes on to perch the nurse's cap on top of his head and covers his bearded face with a surgical mask and his clothes with a scrub gown in order to wheel Stoney out of the hospital, and he finally hijacks a hearse for transport for the two of them and the reluctant grandson to North Dakota. For a man who doesn't even know how to drive, he is remarkably resourceful.
The scenery is breathtaking, and the acting is superb. Kristofferson steals the picture right out from under the always excellent Fonda. Stoney thinks his friend is a man of limited capabilities. The grandson picks up some of this attitude, although he ought to have picked up on the way that Shuck has kept tabs on him as he tries to slip off to make a call on his cellphone. Shuck is suddenly removing the phone from his hand, telling him that while he would be perfectly happy to let the kid go, he knows Stoney wants to take his grandson to the ranch, so that's the way it's going to be. Then he casually drops the phone on the ground, shattering it, and says "I'm just no good around machinery." Later, the grandson surprises Shuck firing up his (the grandson's) computer, having discovered that the computer plays chess. Shuck, whom you might think from Stoney's teasing, is barely literate, has a chessboard out and is getting ready to set up a game. Stoney has also given Charlie the impression that Shuck has no idea that he (Stoney) is dying. Charlie later rages at Shuck to wake up to what is happening. Shuck gazes sadly at this clueless kid and tells him "you can stay, or you can go, but I do believe that this is the last time you'll see Stoney." All these years that the two have worked together, it is Shuck and not Stoney who has always been the clear-eyed realist.
The final third of the film packs the most emotional punch, as the two old sheep farmers and the kid - warned by Martinez the sheep-shearer of the pursuit by the law that could send Stoney and Shuck to prison for the rest of their lives - take off overland by horseback toward Canada. Hank and Kate are also in pursuit by horseback to try to aid in the escape and retrieve Charlie. The Deputy and his two nephews are in pursuit intending to kill Shuck and Stoney, an endeavor in which they are totally outclassed by two old guys and a smart-assed kid.
The escape attempt is too much for Stoney, who collapses. Charlie spots the pursuing FBI agent and begs Shuck to leave Stoney and save himself, which Shuck will not do, so the kid has to use his computer skills and his wits to successfully misdirect the G-man, and Kate arrives with Hank in time to reconcile briefly but movingly with her father. It is not a happy ending, but it is a satisfying one, with the kid and Shuck bonding with a new and unexpected respect for each other. As Charlie prepares to return to Minneapolis for the remainder of the school year (with a promised return to the ranch in the summer when he will undoubtedly help Shuck adapt to the technology that can run the ranch more efficiently), he leaves the computer behind with Shuck. Not only does it play chess, it also plays gin rummy. They walk up the hill teasing each other. Charlie will probably even persuade Shuck to learn how to drive - maybe with Martinez teaching him. And maybe Hank will start making the occasional trip to Minneapolis. Just sayin'.
Comic relief is provided by the sleazy deputy and his nephews and by an FBI agent with a room temperature IQ, although Kristofferson has some hilarious moments when he breaks Stoney out of the hospital - - facing down a sadistic nurse with a gun and a warning "Lady, I castrate sheep with my teeth; there's no telling what I'm capable of." He goes on to perch the nurse's cap on top of his head and covers his bearded face with a surgical mask and his clothes with a scrub gown in order to wheel Stoney out of the hospital, and he finally hijacks a hearse for transport for the two of them and the reluctant grandson to North Dakota. For a man who doesn't even know how to drive, he is remarkably resourceful.
The scenery is breathtaking, and the acting is superb. Kristofferson steals the picture right out from under the always excellent Fonda. Stoney thinks his friend is a man of limited capabilities. The grandson picks up some of this attitude, although he ought to have picked up on the way that Shuck has kept tabs on him as he tries to slip off to make a call on his cellphone. Shuck is suddenly removing the phone from his hand, telling him that while he would be perfectly happy to let the kid go, he knows Stoney wants to take his grandson to the ranch, so that's the way it's going to be. Then he casually drops the phone on the ground, shattering it, and says "I'm just no good around machinery." Later, the grandson surprises Shuck firing up his (the grandson's) computer, having discovered that the computer plays chess. Shuck, whom you might think from Stoney's teasing, is barely literate, has a chessboard out and is getting ready to set up a game. Stoney has also given Charlie the impression that Shuck has no idea that he (Stoney) is dying. Charlie later rages at Shuck to wake up to what is happening. Shuck gazes sadly at this clueless kid and tells him "you can stay, or you can go, but I do believe that this is the last time you'll see Stoney." All these years that the two have worked together, it is Shuck and not Stoney who has always been the clear-eyed realist.
The final third of the film packs the most emotional punch, as the two old sheep farmers and the kid - warned by Martinez the sheep-shearer of the pursuit by the law that could send Stoney and Shuck to prison for the rest of their lives - take off overland by horseback toward Canada. Hank and Kate are also in pursuit by horseback to try to aid in the escape and retrieve Charlie. The Deputy and his two nephews are in pursuit intending to kill Shuck and Stoney, an endeavor in which they are totally outclassed by two old guys and a smart-assed kid.
The escape attempt is too much for Stoney, who collapses. Charlie spots the pursuing FBI agent and begs Shuck to leave Stoney and save himself, which Shuck will not do, so the kid has to use his computer skills and his wits to successfully misdirect the G-man, and Kate arrives with Hank in time to reconcile briefly but movingly with her father. It is not a happy ending, but it is a satisfying one, with the kid and Shuck bonding with a new and unexpected respect for each other. As Charlie prepares to return to Minneapolis for the remainder of the school year (with a promised return to the ranch in the summer when he will undoubtedly help Shuck adapt to the technology that can run the ranch more efficiently), he leaves the computer behind with Shuck. Not only does it play chess, it also plays gin rummy. They walk up the hill teasing each other. Charlie will probably even persuade Shuck to learn how to drive - maybe with Martinez teaching him. And maybe Hank will start making the occasional trip to Minneapolis. Just sayin'.