The Ranger, the Cook and a Hole in the Sky

Great, wholesome movie. The whole family can enjoy this Norman MacLean story brought to life by Sam Elliot, about a young guy (Mac, the author of the story) when he was learning the ropes working in the forestry industry in Montana in the early 1900s. Well-written, well-shot, well-acted. Very wholesome. Really can't go wrong with this movie, The only thing missing was THE mustache. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas. 2/21/2021

Jerry O'Connell and Sam Elliot star in this improbably named western, set in Montana in the early 1900s. Forest rangers are clearing a trail over a mountain during one long summer. O'Connell is a 17 year old who learns as he goes, working with a veteran crew. Elliot is the trail boss, and the best mule packer in the group. Before the summer is over, O'Connell's farmboy will have learned a few hard lessons and fallen in love with a gal in town. There's also a humdinger of a bar fight over a poker game involving the camp cook, played by real-life magician Ricky Jay. This is a quiet, introspective movie in many respects, with no gunplay or fancy theatrics other than the bar fight. We can believe this is how forestry people did their job then, and perhaps even now -- with the addition of today's engines, of course. Back then, a lot of it was accomplished by hand. RANGER reminds me of a Hallmark movie, which it probably started out as.

Jerry O'Connell gets a life changing experience when he does a summer, I guess you would call it an internship, as a forest ranger in the post World War I years in the Bitteroot mountains of Montana with British Columbia providing that background in the filming of The Ranger, The Cook, and The Hole in The Sky. O'Connell comes under the tutelage of Sam Elliott who is acknowledged to be the best when it came to the job of Forest Ranger.

Looking at the film which does convey some of the attitudes of the times I saw O'Connell as someone who as millions did admire the recently deceased Theodore Roosevelt. Remember it was TR who was our first conservationist president and many went into that profession because of him and his Chief of the Forestry Service Gifford Pinchot. TR was a proponent of 'the strenuous life' of which you see these guys are definitely living.

Except for the camp cook played by Ricky Jay who O'Connell feels is kind of a soft moocher and whom he develops a dislike for. There are a select in all our lives who rubbed us wrong at first meeting and we never change or minds. Jay is someone though that O'Connell learns to respect for at least one skill besides cooking he has.

Sam Elliott is also the kind of westerner that Theodore Roosevelt would have considered his ideal westerner. Sam was born 30 years too late what a cowboy hero he'd have made back in the day.

If you're a Theodore Roosevelt fan check this film out.

I liked this movie very much it is a must watch if you like westerns. No corners cut while making the film and is just a great product. The scenery is also amazing!

I immediately liked this movie for its period sense and of course Sam Elliot and Jerry McConnell, as well as being written by Norman Maclean. The first time I watched it I felt it was a bit "light" in story. It drew me back to watch it again, though, and now having seen it quite a few times I have come to love it. It is simple and clean and tells the story of a small piece of a young life that is really quite large. Young Mac is 17 and full of himself, as many 17 year old men can be when they feel they have to prove themselves. He is the jerk in the movie, but he takes us on his journey of "becoming." There are many wise "turns of phrase" in this movie, and the more I watch it the more I find. So the story I thought was "light" turns out to be quite profound and deep. The cast, crew, directing, writing, and cinematography are all beautiful. Don't sell it short... watch it a few times.