The Jack Bull

Having not had cable for more than the last half-decade, I've only recently discovered how excellent many of the made-for-cable movies are. Showtime, HBO, Hallmark, and TNT have produced some wonderful films and seem to be employing even more of the most interesting directors of the last two decades than the studios. The fare here is rich, especially in certain genres. The Western in particular, almost completely abandoned on the big screen, continues to flourish. This surprisingly sophisticated Western was written by Dick Cusack (John's dad) and directed by industry veteran Badham (Saturday Night Fever, 1977). A horse trader (Cusack) leaves his wife (Otto) and son to take some horses to market. He's stopped from crossing the land of a rich and powerful rancher (beautifully and evilly played by Jones) and forced to pay a toll. He can't afford it, so he leaves two horses and a friend to guard them. When he returns the horses have been horribly mistreated and his friend has run off. Cusack demands that Jones restore the horses to their previous health. The rancher scoffs at him. Cusack goes to the courts. The rancher is the political power in the county and easily prevails. Cusack swears revenge. What happens next is the most interesting part of the film. When the law doesn't work, because it places the powerful above the law, what is the legitimate response? If it is vigilante law, which also operates above the law, what is the difference between that power and the corruption of the powerful? Jones, despite his vast ranch and political power, doesn't employ that many men. Cusack sells his ranch, hires an army, and goes off after him. Jones runs. Where is the moral center in this landscape? The film maintains its integrity to the end, never falling for the easy answers. A strong adventure, Jack Bull's strengths are that it is a terrifically well-acted, directed, and written Western. It is also a sophisticated meditation on the conflicting sensibilities and forces that collided and contributed to creating Western society. Badham turns in one of his nicest directorial efforts in years. Surprisingly, the master of such swift-moving but ultimately flat action films as Blue Thunder (1983), WarGames (1983), Stakeout (1987), and Bird on a Wire (1990) offers a mature work. Cusack demonstrates yet even greater range. What is it he can't do? The rest of the cast helps out notably -- Jones, Goodman , Otto, and Savage.