Get a slice of life of the fading west in the cult movie Junior Bonner.
Directed by Sam Peckinpah he eschews his violent style apart from a rip roaring bar fight. This is a character study of Junior Bonner (Steve McQueen) an ageing modern day rodeo cowboy who may be over the hill, he goes back to visit his dad Ace Bonner (Robert Foster.)
Junior finds that his father's home is being bulldozed after selling it to his brother Curly (Joe Don Baker) who is buying land and selling it to developers. He is also making a fortune selling mobile homes. Curly even wants to put his mother Elvira (Ida Lupino) in a mobile home. Ace has plans to go to Australia to mine gold but first he needs money and escape his hospital bed.
Junior Bonner rides in the annual rodeo parade on a formidable bull and hopes to last 8 seconds to earn some big bucks for his father.
The film is a change of pace for both McQueen and Peckinpah. Nothing much happens apart from the build up to the annual parade and the various rodeo action scenes. It is really a portrait of an honourable, proud but headstrong man in a fading west. It features some nice ensemble acting.
Directed by Sam Peckinpah he eschews his violent style apart from a rip roaring bar fight. This is a character study of Junior Bonner (Steve McQueen) an ageing modern day rodeo cowboy who may be over the hill, he goes back to visit his dad Ace Bonner (Robert Foster.)
Junior finds that his father's home is being bulldozed after selling it to his brother Curly (Joe Don Baker) who is buying land and selling it to developers. He is also making a fortune selling mobile homes. Curly even wants to put his mother Elvira (Ida Lupino) in a mobile home. Ace has plans to go to Australia to mine gold but first he needs money and escape his hospital bed.
Junior Bonner rides in the annual rodeo parade on a formidable bull and hopes to last 8 seconds to earn some big bucks for his father.
The film is a change of pace for both McQueen and Peckinpah. Nothing much happens apart from the build up to the annual parade and the various rodeo action scenes. It is really a portrait of an honourable, proud but headstrong man in a fading west. It features some nice ensemble acting.