THE LAST RODEO REVIEW
“A better role for McDonough than other things we’ve seen him do, confirming the maxim that more actors should write roles for themselves.”
I can’t rightfully say I wouldn’t have any interest in a movie based in the world of rodeos or bull-riding, because I did love Chloé Zhao’s The Rider, and I’m sure there have been other decent indies about the sport. In fact, one of them, East of Wall, just premiered at Sundance and will be playing Tribeca in a couple weeks. That doesn’t necessarily mean I would care as much about this new movie from Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes), based on a screenplay co-written with actor Neal McDonough, who had a minor role in Angel Studios’ Homestead last year.
The concept is fairly simple one in that McDonough plays aging and nearly-retired bull rider Joe Wainwright, whose grandson Cody (Graham Harvey) has fallen quite ill. The exorbitant hospital costs for his treatment are not something he or his daughter Sally (Sarah Jones) can afford… unless he goes back into the bullriding circuit and wins one of the top prizes. That seems like the way to go, so Joe calls on his former rodeo partner Charlie (Mykelti Williamson) for help, even though the two have been estranged after a falling out.
As I said earlier, I wasn’t sure if a movie about bullriding would be something that might interest me. I was half right about that, because so much of The Last Rodeo is building up to and built on Joe getting back on the bull, even though his physical condition is not in a place where he can do so safely. It’s that journey and the potential risk to Joe’s life, but what he will go to for his grandson, that drives the film, it working for the most part, but taking some time to get the viewer to a place where they even care.
Casting kids can be tough, and Graham Harvey is by far the weak point of the movie as Joe’s ailing grandson, just a really staid and flat performance, and Sarah Jones isn’t much better as his mother. McDonough and Williamson are so good on screen together that whenever the movie does back to his grandson in the hospital, the movie really loses a lot, and that’s far too evident.
I can’t think of the last film directed by Jon Avnet I liked, but this clearly falls into the realm of other Angel Studios movies, maybe not the best quality film, but also not the worst, and not leaning so heavily on faith and religion as other films in this ilk for those who might be more agnostic than the usual audience for these films.
At its worst, The Last Rodeo is sappy and saccharine, and it takes a good long time before it gets out of that realm into a place that might keep the viewer interested. Still, it’s a better role for McDonough than other things we’ve seen him do, and that confirms the maxim that more actors should write roles for themselves.
Rating: 6.5/10
The Last Rodeo will be released theatrically on Friday, May 23.