Coward of the County

TV Movie
1981
Not Rated
1h 35m

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

481

YOUR RATING

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Drama

A life-long yellow-belly who made a deathbed promise to his father to be a pacifist seeks bloody revenge on the men who gang-raped his wife.A life-long yellow-belly who made a deathbed promise to his father to be a pacifist seeks bloody revenge on the men who gang-raped his wife.A life-long yellow-belly who made a deathbed promise to his father to be a pacifist seeks bloody revenge on the men who gang-raped his wife.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

481

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination total

User reviews14

Featured review

7/10

For what it was, it was good.

When critiquing Coward of the County, I must keep in mind that it is a made for TV movie based on a country song. I had a difficult time connecting with the "lead character" because I never was clear if that character was to be Matthew (Kenny Rogers) or Tommy. The film opens with Matthew giving a most unusual (and ineffective IMO) sermon about turning the other cheek. Why not start the film with "the final words my brother said to Tommmy"? A little more background of Tommy's character earlier in the film might have served better to draw the audience more into the character. The films trudges along with the outbreak of WWII and all the young men in town joining up and Tommy staying behind to meet Becky. It seems there was a lot of filler leading up to when "the Gatlin boys" came calling. Much of the space was filled with Matthew's shortcomings as a preacher, which had little to do with the story of the "Coward of the County". Overall, the film is good enough for TV and the acting was not bad. It is just slow at times and takes "the scenic route" in dealing with Tommy reaching the decisions that he does.

Videos1

Clip 2:59

Coward Of The County: Going To The Movies

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The use of the surname "Gatlin" in the song and TV movie is a tongue-in-cheek friendly poke in the eye from Kenny Rogers to his friends, Larry, Rudy, and Steve Gatlin who are fellow country music singers.

Goofs
When Becky goes into the drug store, and then Tommy goes in, a TV antenna with a rotor is visible on the roof. While television existed at the start of WWII, it was very rare, only in some cities, and certainly not being received in country towns with antennas on the roof. The rotor would indicate there were multiple local stations, such that the antenna had to be redirected to point to the other stations.

Quotes
Uncle Matthew: A boy your age should be out having fun. Shooting a little pool. Chasing some of those pretty girls.
Tommy Spencer: That's not what you preach at church.
Uncle Matthew: I didn't say anything about catching them. I just said chasing them.

Connections
Referenced in Squidbillies: Terminus Trouble (2006)

Soundtracks
Coward of the County
Written by Roger Bowling and Billy Edd Wheeler (as Billy Ed Wheeler)
Performed by Kenny Rogers
Courtesy of Liberty Records
Published by Roger Bowling Music and Sleepy Hollow Music