Comes a Horseman

Last updated

Comes a Horseman
Comes a horseman.jpg
film poster by Robert McGinnis
Directed by Alan J. Pakula
Written byDennis Lynton Clark
Produced byGene Kirkwood
Dan Paulson
Starring Jane Fonda
James Caan
Jason Robards
Richard Farnsworth
Cinematography Gordon Willis
Edited by Marion Rothman
Music by Michael Small
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • October 25, 1978 (1978-10-25)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10-12 million [1]
Box office$9,585,769

Comes a Horseman is a 1978 American Western drama film starring Jane Fonda, James Caan, Jason Robards, and Richard Farnsworth, directed by Alan J. Pakula.

Contents

Set in the American West of the 1940s but not a typical Western, it tells the story of two ranchers (Caan and Fonda) whose small operation is threatened both by economic hardship and the expansionist dreams of a local land baron (Robards).

Plot

It's the 1940s, near the end of World War II in the American West. The setting is a large, fertile valley ideal for grazing cattle. Rancher Jacob W. Ewing's (Jason Robards) family has lived in the valley for generations, and his dream is to control all of it and preserve it from those - farmers and oilmen, for example - who would use the land for other purposes. Visiting J.W. is wealthy oil executive Neil Atkinson, whose late father was J.W.'s good friend and financial backer; the Atkinsons helped J.W. buy out neighboring ranchers, taking advantage of their financial problems (often with some "persuasion" from J.W.'s henchmen). The one remaining holdout is Ella Connors (Jane Fonda), whose family has ranched in the area for the last two generations and who relies on the family's aging but skillful cowhand Dodger (Richard Farnsworth). Another small player is war veteran Frank Athearn (James Caan) to whom Ella has sold a small plot of land to pay her bills. Ella and J.W. have some personal history which Ella prefers to put behind her, but which J.W. keeps bringing up. Although J.W. believes that Ella cannot survive another season financially, Ella and Frank, both of whom are committed to making a living ranching, enter into an uneasy alliance, especially after a dangerous incident precipitated by J.W. involving Frank and Frank's partner, fellow veteran Billy Joe Meynart (Mark Harmon). Neil, meanwhile, wants to explore the entire valley for oil, and uses his family's financial support to pressure J.W. into agreeing. Ella, Frank, and Neil soon discover that J.W. will go to any lengths to get what he wants. [2]

Cast

Production

The film was based on an original script Comes a Horseman Wild and Free. [3] In January 1977 it was announced that Jane Fonda and James Caan would play the leads. [4] [5]

"The theme of this film is very, very American," said Pakula. [6]

On 18 August 1977, a stuntman working on this film, Jim Sheppard, was killed while doing a scene where Robards' character is dragged to (presumably) his death. A horse dragging him veered from its course and caused Sheppard to hit his head on a fence post. The scene made it into the movie, but it is cut right before the horse passes through the gate where the fatal accident occurred. [7]

Reception

Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and called it "a fine film—majestic at times—save for a slapdash ending." [8] A less enthusiastic review in Variety stated the film was "so lethargic not even Jane Fonda, James Caan and Jason Robards can bring excitement to this artificially dramatic story of a stubborn rancher who won't surrender to the local land baron." [9] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the film "is not about the plot as such but about the way of life which the plot interrupts. The care and authenticity with which that way of life is recorded helps Comes a Horseman overcome some real problems, notably a pace that is all too reverentially slow and a totally inadequate delineation of the Robards character." [10] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post stated "Pakula and Clark may believe they revere Westerns, but their form of respectful imitation is lifeless, strictly token respect for the dead...By the time Comes a Horseman wheezes to an anticlimactic fadeout, Robards' depredations have begun to resemble Gothic camp." [11]

Farnsworth received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.

The film grossed $9.6 million at the box office. The film holds a score of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 12 reviews. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Fonda</span> American actress and activist (born 1937)

Jane Seymour Fonda is an American actress and activist. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Honorary Palme d'Or, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

<i>Coming Home</i> (1978 film) 1978 film by Hal Ashby

Coming Home is a 1978 American romantic war drama film directed by Hal Ashby from a screenplay written by Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones with story by Nancy Dowd. It stars Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Robert Carradine and Robert Ginty. The film's narrative follows a perplexed woman, her Marine husband and a paraplegic Vietnam War veteran with whom she develops a romantic relationship, while her husband is deployed in Vietnam.

<i>Heaven Can Wait</i> (1978 film) 1978 film by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry

Heaven Can Wait is a 1978 American sports fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry about a young man being mistakenly taken to heaven by his guardian angel, and the resulting complications of how this mistake can be undone, given that his earthly body has been cremated. It was the second film adaptation of Harry Segall's play of the same name, the first being Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941).

<i>Klute</i> 1971 American film by Alan J. Pakula

Klute is a 1971 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed and produced by Alan J. Pakula, and starring Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi and Roy Scheider. Its plot follows a high-priced New York City call girl who assists a detective from Pennsylvania in solving the missing person case of a john who may be stalking her. It’s the first installment of what has informally come to be known as Pakula's "paranoia trilogy," followed by The Parallax View (1974) and All the President's Men (1976), all films dealing with themes of paranoia, conspiracies and surveillance.

<i>Starting Over</i> (1979 film) 1979 film by Alan J. Pakula

Starting Over is a 1979 American comedy film based on Dan Wakefield's 1973 novel, produced by James L. Brooks, and directed by Alan J. Pakula. Starring Burt Reynolds, Jill Clayburgh, and Candice Bergen, it follows a recently divorced man who is torn between his new girlfriend and his ex-wife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Caan</span> American actor (1940–2022)

James Edmund Caan was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in The Godfather (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He reprised his role in The Godfather Part II (1974). He received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978.

<i>The Gambler</i> (1974 film) 1974 film

The Gambler is a 1974 American crime drama film written by James Toback and directed by Karel Reisz. It stars James Caan, Paul Sorvino and Lauren Hutton. Caan's performance was widely lauded and was nominated for a Golden Globe.

<i>Funny Lady</i> 1975 musical film directed by Herbert Ross

Funny Lady is a 1975 American biographical musical comedy-drama film and the sequel to the 1968 film Funny Girl. The film stars Barbra Streisand, James Caan, Omar Sharif, Roddy McDowall and Ben Vereen.

<i>Rollerball</i> (1975 film) 1975 film by Norman Jewison

Rollerball is a 1975 science fiction sports film directed and produced by Norman Jewison. It stars James Caan, John Houseman, Maud Adams, John Beck, Moses Gunn and Ralph Richardson. The screenplay, written by William Harrison, adapted his own short story "Roller Ball Murder", which had first appeared in the September 1973 issue of Esquire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Mulligan</span> American director, producer (1925–2008)

Robert Patrick Mulligan was an American director and producer. He is best known for his sensitive dramas, including To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Summer of '42 (1971), The Other (1972), Same Time, Next Year (1978), and The Man in the Moon (1991). He was also known in the 1960s for his extensive collaborations with producer Alan J. Pakula.

<i>The Electric Horseman</i> 1979 film by Sydney Pollack

The Electric Horseman is a 1979 American western comedy-drama film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda and directed by Sydney Pollack. The film is about a former rodeo champion who is hired by a cereal company to become its spokesperson and then runs away on a $12 million electric-lit horse and costume he is given to promote it in Las Vegas after he finds that the horse has been abused.

<i>All the Presidents Men</i> (film) 1976 film by Alan J. Pakula

All the President's Men is a 1976 American biographical political drama thriller film about the Watergate scandal that brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon. Directed by Alan J. Pakula with a screenplay by William Goldman, it is based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the two journalists investigating the scandal for The Washington Post.

The Golden Boot Awards were an American acknowledgement of achievement honoring actors, actresses, and crew members who made significant contributions to the genre of Westerns in television and film. The award was sponsored and presented by the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Money raised at the award banquet was used to help finance various services offered by the Fund to those in the entertainment industry.

The 44th New York Film Critics Circle Awards honored the best filmmaking of 1978. The winners were announced on 20 December 1978 and the awards were given on 28 January 1979.

<i>Any Wednesday</i> 1966 film by Robert Ellis Miller

Any Wednesday is a 1966 American Technicolor romantic comedy film starring Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, and Dean Jones. It was directed by Robert Ellis Miller from a screenplay by producer Julius J. Epstein based on the Broadway play of the same name by Muriel Resnik, which ran for 984 performances from 1964 to 1966. The film was titled Bachelor Girl Apartment in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckskin Joe</span>

Buckskin Joe was a Western-style theme park and railway in Buckskin Joe, Colorado, United States, about 8 miles (13 km) west of Cañon City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Redford filmography</span>

This is the filmography of the American actor, director, producer and activist Robert Redford.

The 13th National Society of Film Critics Awards, given on 4 January 1979, honored the best filmmaking of 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Fonda filmography</span>

The following is a complete Jane Fonda filmography. An American actress, writer and former fashion model and fitness guru, Fonda has won two Academy Awards, for Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978).

<i>Chapter Two</i> (film) 1979 film by Robert Moore

Chapter Two is a 1979 American Metrocolor romantic comedy-drama film directed by Robert Moore, produced by Ray Stark, and based on Neil Simon's 1977 Broadway play of the same name. It has a 124-minute running time. It stars James Caan and Marsha Mason, in an Academy Award-nominated performance.

References

  1. ↑ "AFI|Catalog".
  2. ↑ IMDb
  3. ↑ MR. PAKULA GOES TO WASHINGTON Thompson, Richard. Film Comment; New York Vol. 12, Iss. 5, (Sep/Oct 1976): 12-19.
  4. ↑ David Rudkin's 'Ashes' Moves To the Public Theater Jan. 25 New York Times 3 Jan 1977: 25.
  5. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (September 27, 2022). "The Stardom of James Caan". Filmink.
  6. ↑ At the Movies: The Man Who Made 'Klute' Directs Jane Fonda as a Rancher Flatley, Guy. New York Times 3 June 1977: 26.
  7. ↑ "Jim Sheppard, Stunt Man, Killed While Doubling in Robards Western". New York Times . August 20, 1977. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  8. ↑ Siskel, Gene (November 1, 1978). "Many magic moments in an upbeat 'Horseman'". Chicago Tribune . Section 5, p. 5.
  9. ↑ "Film Reviews: Comes A Horseman". Variety. October 11, 1978. 31.
  10. ↑ Champlin, Charles (October 22, 1978). "Celebration of the Beauty and Bounty of the Big Land". Los Angeles Times . Calendar, p. 35.
  11. ↑ Arnold, Gary (October 25, 1978). "'Comes a Horseman' — Three Ranchers in Search of a Western". The Washington Post . D13.
  12. ↑ "Comes a Horseman". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 23, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.