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Actors: John Wayne, Bruce Dern
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Cowboys |
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It's an unlikely crew. Wil Andersen (John Wayne) finds himself all ready to drive his cattle
to market and his working crew has deserted him. What to do! And for John Wayne, who
must have made as many Westerns as anyone, he adds a new, albeit interesting, twist.
He recruits a group of youngsters, most of them pre-teens, to ride herd. And from here, it's
a real American “odyssey” to get the cattle all the way to the market, as one
distraction--sometimes deadly--after another sets in. Assisted (ably) by Roscoe Lee Tanner
as the other adult of his crew, Wayne's charges live up to the task! Also starring Bruce
Dern, as the real heavy in this one, the film, while garnering few honors and awards, is still
a worthy entry into the genre, most especially if you are a Wayne Western fan.
--Bill Hobbs, Resident Scholar
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In this refreshing 1972 film, rancher Will Andersen has a herd of cattle to get to market before winter sets in, but a local gold rush has left him without any hands. He must resort to the schoolhouse and hire a bunch of teens (and younger!) to serve as his cattle drivers. Roscoe Lee Browne does a great turn as a wily cook on the drive, Colleen Dewhurst has a brief cameo as madam for a passing brothel on wheels, and Bruce Dern is the rather psychopathic head of a gang which intends to steal the herd. One of the notable details is that John Wayne's character gets killed midway through the film (shot in the back by Dern!), but of course that's not the end of this bracing "Little-House-On-The-Prairie-Meets-Lord-of-the-Flies" drama.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Cowboys |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 40%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 19th century
Western
Yes
Kind of western:
- cattle rustling
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- rancher
Age:
- 40's-50's
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- short/standard straight (man)
Body type
- muscular (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- caring
- irritated
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- bulging muscles
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Body type
- average build (man)
How much in movie?
- 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Black
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- thief/con artist
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
Body type
- average (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
Desert?
Yes
Prairie?
Yes
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Farm/Ranch:
- ranch
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately messy visuals of dead
- gory visuals of deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- encouraged
- excited
How many deaths in film?
- 1
- 8 or more
Kind of violence:
- hand to hand
- guns
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
Any profanity?
- None
- Occasional swearing
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 David Loftus
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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