The Good Old Boys

Tommy Lee Jones rides past a church and tells his horse that he really likes the congregation's singing.

Me too, but for the life of me I can't find the name of the hymn.

If Jones had left full details of the sound track in the credits I would have give this a 10. But he didn't, so I won't.

I didn't even realize until after we had watched it (I guess I had somehow missed it in the beginning credits?) and came online here to review it that this TV movie was actually directed by Tommy Lee Jones, who is also the main lead in this. He did a very good job as an actor and a director both for this film, especially considering he had to do both at once.

It is a western drama about a cowboy who is rugged and wants to be free but also has the pull of "civilization" and family, who are making him more domesticated.

It's a good if predictable story and the acting make it definitely worth seeing, with a fantastic cast all around. Sam Shepard is great, as is Jones.

Perhaps I liked this movie because it reminded me very much of my father and mother. My father was an itinerent cowboy and a championship rodeo rider in the early part of the 20th Century just like the role Tommy Lee Jones played as Hewey Callaway. And he had a side kick much like Sam Shepard's character Tarnell. My father met a lady like Sissy Spacek when he was 31 and married her. Tarnell also got married but he was killed in a rodeo two years later and my father gave up rodeo riding.

Life was very much like in the movie in those days. You found people that would go out of their way to help others and the bankers in the movie were typical of bankers in those days, mean as hell.

The acting in the movie was excellent. Everyone in the movie played roles that were very typical in those days and they did a good job of it. The only gripe I have with the movie is that the ending was unreal. I won't give it away but I have known many cowboys but I never knew one that didn't want to settle down.

One of the funniest scenes in the movie was when the outhouse was knocked down with the grandmother in it. That was a common prank in those days, to knock over an outhouse. The grandmother was a pistol. I knew old women just like her.

The author either had some experience or he really did a great job of research because the story (except for the ending) accurately depicted conditions in those days.

Tommy Lee Jones was perfect as a slow moving, slow talking cowboy who comes out of the hills after a 2 year stay. He goes to see his brother and his family finding them in financial trouble. He lends his hand in helping out the troubled family, and falls in love with a local lady. Well done film about a man who finds it impossible to change his roving ways. 4 stars.

Tommy is adorable in this film. He smiles so much in this film, and is a delight to watch. Great performances by all in this film.