The Long Ride Home

Other reviewers have pointed out good and bad features of this movies, and they all have a point.

The feeling that struck me as I watched this was that it was too long.I found myself watching the clock on my DVD player to see how much longer it would last.When I find myself experiencing something like this while watching a film, it usually means the film lacks focus.I think that is true here. There are just too many subplots and unnecessary twists and turns that detract from the feeling of unity in this film. My recommendation would be that it be taken back to the editing room and severely pared down to give it the film a more distinct direction.

Some good points in the film:

• I thought the actor playing the young boy did a good job, and his scenes held my attention.

• The flirtatious scene(s) where the young lawman envies the light on the leading lady's face was touching, and she did tend to "shine" a bit more in these scenes than others -- she looked better and I thought she was more likable in these scenes.

• The overall tone of the outdoor scenes were appealing....

But I return to my main point... the film needs tighter editing....

My wife and I enjoyed this movie on the Westerns Channel. It deserves better than the 5.1 average rating. Some people get hung up on one aspect of a movie, for example the Bible verses being quoted, but if that's the way those people lived, the actors could not portray it any other way. Though the actors were mostly unknowns other than Stella Stevens, Randy Travis, Ernest Borgnine and Eric Roberts it was well acted. It was interesting to see Garry Marshal in a movie, I had only seen him in the Documentary of The Princess Diaries and had only seen Randy Travis in Fire Down Below. I see that Randy Travis is in several other movies and will check them out.

The only good thing about this movie is that it got me to register on this site. The acting was atrocious...well with the exception of the horse....fortunately that animal was protected by the SPCA and therefore didn't have to deal with any of the rotten dialogue. It seemed to me that the movie was bordering on camp.

A few of the posts hailed it as a great movie due to lack of coarse language and violence. Might as well watch Mary Poppins.

It's going to be difficult to find newer westerns w/o violence, and this movie was not one. The merciless beating of the mother and her hair cut off intimated more distasteful violence than could be seen in "Open Range" or Silverado".

I expect to see this show up in something like MST3K.

I really enjoyed this movie.. I think the reason Eric did not have the usual saddle on the horse is because he was riding HIS OWN horse in this film and wanted the horse to be at ease.. You could see how relaxed he was himself with the horse. It was obvious the horse was his own..The movie itself may have been a little wishy- washy but Hey I like that..And Yes they could have paired him up with someone else but what the hey... Looks aren't the be-all and end-all. It is what is inside that counts .. Doesn't anyone get that!!!!Of course I was wishing there would have been more of Eric in the movie.. I guess the star was supposed to be Randy Travis.. Whatever!!!!

Jack Fowler (Randy Travis) is a common farmer who abandoned his family to protect and carries eight (8) years fleeing because they had to kill someone (drunk Lenny) that it confused with the ruthless, bloodthirsty and famous gunman Jack Cole.

Lucas Moat (Ernest Borgnine) takes more than a month, along with his two sons, following the trail of the real Jack Cole to avenge the assassination of his brother, as well as other crimes including a child.

Abel Hart (Paul Tinder) is a fugitive, mental unwaged, which have an obsession with wanting to be the real Jack Cole. This also confuses Jack Fowler with Jack Cole and takes advantage of his wife (Mrs. Vaughn Taylor) and son (Alec Medlock) to try to kill him.

The character Eric Roberts (sheriff Hank Bowman) is so insignificant and outside sense that coupled with its dismal performance is the only thing that is bad movie.