Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack

This is the first time, married couple Hartman + Black act in front of a camera for a TV-movie. Insiders talk about a Clint Black, who had to convince his wife to take the female leading part as "Ponder Favor" and it was a real faux pas for Lisa Hartman to comply with Black's request: In my opinion the acting and writing are so bad that this movie, though based on fact, is almost beyond belief! Especially Clint Black ("Jack Favor") sets a sad example of a country singer who tries to be a serious actor: Every time "Ponder" comes to visit him in jail, a painful scene is guaranteed in which he struggles to shed a tear or grit his tears! Oh Clint, ummm "Jack", you're such a heroe! Without an equivalent vis-à-vis as an actor it's not a big astonishment that professional actress Lisa Hartman doesn't act "professional". The same movie with another casting would have been a hit... probably... Who knows? So even the "People weekly" magazine named "Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack Favor" as one of the worst TV-movies of the year 1998! I gave it a 2!

Released to TV in 1998, "Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack" (1998) is a crime drama based on the true story of Texas Rodeo star Jack Favor (Clint Black), who is framed for a double murder in 1967 and wrongly imprisoned in Angola prison, Louisiana. His wife (Lisa Hartman) works to apprehend justice while, on the inside, Jack uses his talents to inspire his fellow inmates.

The tone is a meshing of "The Onion Field" (1979) and "Brubaker" (1980), but of course with a different story and less polished production values due to the TV budget. Nevertheless, the drama is compelling enough and even moving in the second half.

I found both Clint and Lisa convincing and don't see where people say Clint's a lousy actor. He may not be Robert Redford, but he ain't bad. Yet he wasn't the best physical fit for Cadillac Jack since Clint is 5'9" while the rodeo star was 6'2". Then again, the same thing was done with Joaquin Phoenix playing Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line" (2005) so I guess it's not a big deal.

The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes and was shot in northeast Texas (Farmersville, McKinney & Cleburne).

GRADE: B/B-

My wife and I enjoyed this movie more than any of the last ten movies we've watched from 2017 and 2018. It was a nice change to be able to hear and understand every word that was said be every actor, instead of straining to hear mumbling or whispering behind overly loud "background" music that is so prevalent in newer movies. There's nothing more annoying than trying to hear dialogue over an incessantly loud piano.. the common "cheap" choice for so many movies made in the 21st Century. As for the acting, Mr. Clint Black appeared to simply act as his natural self and was much more believable to me than are Stallone or Willis. What seems almost unbelievable is the depiction of justice system in the State of Louisiana, but after checking with Wikipedia, the movie turns out to be fairly accurate as to how it was in the '60s. Hopefully it's not like that anymore.

I'm a big Clint Black fan so I really wanted to like this movie, but it was as cheesy a t.v. movie as they come...full of slow motion special effects and photo ops for his wife to strike her signature poses.

The oddest thing was that Mac Davis was listed as a character in the beginning of the movie. Being a Davis fan as well, I waited for him to appear, only to be disappointed. (we rented this from netflix so perhaps it was a different cut?) After returning to the opening credits to see his character listed as "Clayton", I could recall only one reference to this character - a phone conversation.

Black isn't a terrible actor, and it took guts to take on this part - but I felt that this true story deserved a better telling.

Here is a true redneck movie. The story about one of our own, played by one of our own, who is a great C&W singer with his beautiful wife co-starring. As an added bonus, the greatest redneck lawyer playing a judge. If this isn't one of your all time favorites, you most be from New York City. Clint Black does not have to act much in this movie. He just has to be himself, a Texas cowboy. Lisa and Clint are in love so I doubt if there was much acting in there scenes. Louisiana law is well known to us on the other side of the Sabine, so there wasn't much doubt in believing the validity of the movies. Clint's singing holds the movie together.