Movie : Junior Bonner

We open on a cowboy on the back of a bull in a rodeo. He gets busted up pretty good. We see him after, limping and nursing his injuries. He licks his wounds and heads off to his next rodeo in Prescott in his Caddy pulling his horse trailer. JR. Bonner is painted on his horse trailer. We find out Prescott is his home town and he’s a fading rodeo hero. JR checks up on his family and finds some changes, not all to his liking. The two main things on his mind are chasing down his dad, Ace Bonner, and getting a chance to ride the black bull that busted him up in the previous rodeo. We spend the next few days with JR as he gets ready for his bull ride, taking in what’s left of his rodeo glory days and hanging with the Bonner family and their dreams, faded dreams in some cases.

CB was a big McQueen and Peckinpah fan so he went to this one no problem. It wasn’t the usual ride. Toned down.  Most of the action takes place in the rodeo ring.  The rest is played out in the relationships in the Bonner family. Sam catches the subtleties of changing times. One of the themes he explores in his films. With Lucien Ballard catching his vision, Peckinpah takes us on a trip into the rodeo world. He had his finger on the pulse of this life. You feel you are there attending the events. One of the things CB likes about movies is they take you to a time and place. Sam catches a real piece of Americana, almost documentary style.

Sam uses locals in the cast and sprinkles in his usual good casting. Joe Don Baker, Dub Taylor, Ben Johnson ( a no brainer for a rodeo flick). Ida Lupino as Junior’s mom is perfect casting. A woman who  gave her life to the men in it and sacrificed herself. Ida has the weight and truth to carry it. You believe she’s the mother and the wife of this family. Great work. Robert Preston as Ace Bonner is a lovable loser. When you cast actors like this it makes the directors job easy.

McQueen never comes across as a pretend hollywood tough guy. You believe he’s a hardened cowboy. He doesn’t come across as the hero. He’s on his way out and he knows it more than anyone. There’s no future in it. Times are changing and he’s getting left behind. But like an addict when he gets on the back of an animal he’s in his world. The only one he’s ever known. He plays things with his usual realism and naturalism. No acting involved.

This is an understated film that will take you in, it did CB. So slap on a cowboy hat, pull on some boots, grab a beer and head down to the rodeo for some real old time Americana. Be careful not to step in any cow shit.

(Spoiler alert. There is an old time John Ford bar room brawl. You have to let Sam tip his hat)