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All the Pretty Horses Movie Review

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Actors: Matt Damon, Henry Thomas, Lucas Black, Penelope Cruz
Review Summary and Plot Commentary about All the Pretty Horses
Billy Bob Thornton continues his promise of filmmaking excellence after Sling Blade with this hauntingly beautiful adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's celebrated novel. Finding himself without a home after his Hollywood-bound mother sells the family's Texas ranch, Matt Damon travels down to Mexico with best friend Henry Thomas to find work and a place to stay. The vistas are gorgeous and the poetry that is created by Thornton's excellent mix of musical score, photography and subtle editing make it one of the very best films this year. Damon's performance is unforgettable, while Penelope Cruz as the love interest is unfortunately not (which is okay because she makes up for it in Woman On Top).
--Bil Antoniou, Resident Scholar

Based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Cormac McCarthy, "All the Pretty Horses" stars Matt Damon, who, due to circumstances beyond his control, saddles up and heads south from Texas into Mexico. It's a North American odyssey, a terrific rite of passage, and Matt Damon is up to the role. Rough, tough, violent, he faces the absolute hopelessness of his situation and his environment (he grows up quite rapidly). Fortunately, McCarthy has two more books in this trilogy to go (but neither deserves the praise that "All the Pretty Horses" won and are not likely to be filmed).
--Bill Hobbs, Resident Scholar

Matt Damon and his buddy ride off to Mexico in hopes of
living like cowboys and enjoying the cowboy life. Damon falls in love with the ranch-owner's daughter, is wrongly accused of a crime and fights to get back to his lover.

--Holly McQuillan, Resident Scholar


Analysis of All the Pretty Horses
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Plot
Time/era of movie: - 1930's-1950's
Romance/Love/Hugging Yes
Ethnic/Regional/Gender story? Yes
Culture clash? - family young v. old guard - visiting a different culture - being oppressed by outside culture
Culture of surrounding area: - American West
Lover is... - of a different social class - of another race (interracial loving!)

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Hair color? - brunette (Brown)
Hair type - (man) short/standard straight
Body type - (man) average
Unclothed? - Chest
Events of movie makes character more... - sad - tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Female
Ethnicity/Nationality - Hispanic/Latinic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Texas
The Americas (not US): Yes
The Americas: - Mexico

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - explicit references to deaths
Sex/nudity in movie? Yes
What kind of sex: - kissing - sex under blankets
Any profanity? - Occasional swearing
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