The Grey Fox

After watching this movie for the first time I was spellbound by this story, and every year or two I have to rent it again. Reflections of an elderly man upon his mis-spent youth, yet, seems doomed to resume his criminal past despite having just finished a long prison sentence. The rugged Canadian scenery and quaint small towns are as spellbinding as the story, and are enhanced by the wonderful music of the Chieftans. The time period is beautifully, and accurately depicted, and adds to the allure of a very well told story.I would recommend this movie to anyone that likes a good western. The violence is not overdone and serves to remind us that there is nothing romantic about a life of crime.

I first heard of The Grey Fox a number of years ago, when I decided to look into some of the films made by Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film studio - it put out a number of real gems, like The Escape Artist, Kagemusha and Koyaanisqatsi, as well as a bunch that missed the mark a tad, but for some reason I never got round to watching this one till now.

It's the (relatively) true story of the aged stagecoach robber Bill Miner who, released back into a changing world after decades inside in 1901, takes up trainrobbing and finds himself up in Canada, with a new name and a new romance.

This, of course, isn't anything all that new, really just a lesser attempt on the same ideas of Butch Cassady and the Sundance Kid and other films with a sprinkling of Unforgiven thrown in. One of its main weaknesses is that it tells too much and doesn't show enough - we don't get to see hardly any of Miner's life, and there are no real action scenes to speak of. On the other hand, there is a great deal of beautiful photography, a heavenly soundtrack of Irish music by The Chieftains, and Richard Farnsworth gently twinkling in the lead role.

It's a small film, that doesn't really add up to all that much in the end, but it's a nice journey all the same, and the (fictionalized?) ending made me smile.

A very different kind of Western, "The Grey Fox" is set mostly in Canada, moves at an unhurried pace, and stars a senior citizen. Richard Farnsworth didn't make the jump from stunt man to actor until he was well past leading man age, but he was wonderful in films like "The Natural", "Misery", and "The Straight Story". This, however, has to be his best performance. He exudes subtle grace as gentleman train robber Bill Miner, who gets out of prison and is forced to adapt to a world that has passed him by. There's also a very sweet romance between Miner and a feminist photographer. My favorite part of the film is a montage of their courtship set to Miner singing "Betsy From Pike". I also loved the Irish music by the Chieftains, which seemed to fit perfectly with the lovely Canadian scenery. It will be too slow for most audiences, but if you love small independent films that don't pander to teenage moviegoers, this gem will be right up your alley.

This is the only movie I have ever purchased. There are so many awesome things about this movie. The plot is unusual. The characters are originals. The music by the Chieftains is rich and adds so much to the movie itself. The photography of the Canadian countryside is outstanding. Be sure to notice the little boy who wants an orange. You will see him again. I love the Canadian small town settings. Best of all is just watching Richard Farnsworth. His character is so appealing. Mr Farnsworth is so natural that he doesn't appear to be acting at all. I just love this movie. It is my all time favorite. The combination of the unusual characters, the time and place, the appealing Mr. Farnsworth, along with music by the Chieftains creates a very special movie.

I think this is one of the most flawless and beautiful movies of all time. The acting and casting is impeccable. What I particularly love is the script; so few words but when something is spoken each line has such weight and impact. And the music is amazing. What a brilliant idea, a western with Celtic (the Chieftains) music. The spirit and emotion of the music enhances every scene and is so fresh and unexpected and ultimately, right. And it's such a wonderful love story. Normally I wouldn't care about a romance between two older characters, but I root for these two characters in each and every scene. Richard Farnsworth was nominated for Best Actor and it is a shame he didn't win. Please, watch it if you haven't.