Der Westentaschen-Cowboy

There are a few really good reasons why people should make an effort to see this film.

First of all, it is a rare feature film unapologetically set in Saskatchewan that is above all entertaining. More importantly though, it is a good comment on Canadian culture being influenced by American culture in a fatal way.

I found Keir Dullea's character, Rick, charming as the wanna be sheriff of a small Saskatchewan town in the 70s, equipped with a holster, cowboy hat and chaps, and a sheriffs star on the side of his bright red car. More importantly, the town never mocked him, and when they did he would always stood up for himself and beat the crap out of people making fun of him .

In fact, as this dreamer he becomes the only interesting thing in the town which has you rooting for him throughout the film. If you're not reading between the lines of what this film is about though, it's still enjoyable to watch. And in its defence, it was made before the Tax Shelter era, so you can't write it off as a product of those days. It actually took heart to make this film, and it shows on screen.

I have to admit I first acquired this film so I could see Liz Ashley's nude shower scene and she did look great, but the rest of the film was not nearly as bad as I was afraid it was going to be. Despite his 2001 immortality as Star Child Dave Bowman,I have never been a big Keir Dullea fan. I always remember Noel Coward's observation after seeing Bunny Lake is Missing, "Keir Dullea gone tomorrow". The movie does have a certain charm and Dullea plays his child/man who refuses to grow up role with some vigor

It's a bit dated now but if you're into the 1970's or primitive Canadian cinema, or you are hot for Elizabeth Ashley as I was, you might wish to seek this out. As far as I know it hasn't been released on DVD. I still have my VHS copy, however. Although the color is starting to fade

I managed to get a VHS copy a few years back, and burned it to DVD-R for posterity.

Perhaps I'm oversimplifying by describing it as a "Canadian 'Breathless'", but I still find that the shortest good description I can come up with.

A lot less use of the Gordon Lightfoot music than I recall from years of watching it on Canadian TV, but that may just be fading memory rather than VHS music licensing problems.

I also liked 'Slipstream' http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0072181/combined more than another reviewer, but some people look at movies as dreams they'd like to be in and some look at them like they were traffic accidents, so there's always going to be disagreements...

Unbelievable stilted dialogue. Nasty misogynist ogre for leading character...not redeemable even if the character is intended to be out of step with the times. You cannot possibly award a star for the acting in the leads. My goodness, from an iconic role in 2001 to dreadfully voiced and dreadfully directed. The editing is amateurish. Yup, as good as it got in Canadian cinema in the 70s....no wait, there was Going Down the Road...try that. You 'll never get back the 90 minutes of your life wasted on this turkey. So what if Gordon Lightfoot sings a bit. I would have rather watched Gordon LIghtfoot tuning his guitar for 90 minutes.

Paperback Hero is this year's (2006) selection for the Toronto International Film Festival's Canadian Open Vault program, which is an annual special presentation of a recently restored iconic Canadian film. It's an honest, emotional, and lovingly presented portrayal of a small-town big-shot, Rick Dillon (Keir Dullea), whose loves and life are in a mess.

Beautifully written (Barry Pearson and Les Rose), directed (Peter Pearson -- no relation to the writer), and shot (Don Wilder), the film shows off Saskatchewan in sometimes stark, sometimes glowing splendor.

It's a treat to see Dullea, Elizabeth Ashley, John Beck, and Dayle Haddon as they looked in 1973, all of them portraying very convincingly the characters whose lives are circumscribed by the confines of a small prairie town.

Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind", kicks up the emotional lift another notch. The original title of the film was to be "Last of the Big Guns", but after Lightfoot agreed to provide the music, the title changed to Paperback Hero, highlighted by the words from the song:

"If I could read your mind love

What a tale your thoughts could tell

Just like a paperback novel

The kind that drugstores sell

When you reach the part where the heartaches come

The hero would be me

But heroes often fail

And you wont read that book again

Because the ending's just too hard to take..."