All the Pretty Horses

Several years ago a writer of fiction--Western fiction, specifically--decided to make a significant change in his life: Because so many people had told him he had a strong sense of the visual and would no doubt succeed as a screenwriter he decided to go West and try to make it in Hollywood.

After several years of hand-to-mouth living and rejections unending the writer again made a decision: He could not succeed in Hollywood. Not as a writer of Western fiction, and if he wanted to succeed he would have to change his writing or return home.

He decided to stay, to change his writing.

Taking the best screenplay he had, he rewrote it as a science fiction piece in a single twenty-four hour stretch. When it was done he delivered it to his agent, who sent it to a producer she said would "love it".

It was rejected within twenty-four hours.

The explanation for the rejection: Science fiction? No, thanks. Now if it were a Western, I'd be interested.

I thought about this story as I watched "All the Pretty Horses", and wondered: Would this have been a better movie had it been science fiction instead of a Western?

Probably.

"All the Pretty Horses" is the latest from Billy Bob Thornton, who makes films and movies that would do better were they something else: A Western, set in 1949, about two young cowboys, John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) and Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas), soon joined by a third cowboy, Jimmy Blevins (Lucas Black), who ride from Texas into Mexico in search of what remains of the Old West.

When they arrive in Mexico they become entangled in a misunderstanding of sorts: the stealing of horses. Of course, thinking the worst, they are quick to leave.

Jimmy, the kid, knows the incident involving the horses is his fault, so he does what he can to keep the pursuers on his trail, thereby letting John and Lacey escape into the sagebrush.

John and Lacey, having no plan beyond staying alive, end up at a ranch owned by Don Hector Rocha y Villarel (Ruben Blades). Don Hector has a private airplane he bestows great value on.

But it his daughter, Alejandra (Penelope Cruz), he places even greater value on.

Of course you know what's going to happen, don't you?

John, to get close to Alejandra, tries to impress Don Hector by breaking some wild mustangs and by discussing the finer points of horse flesh. Don Hector, superficially, is impressed and offers jobs to John and Lacey.

Go To Page: 1 2