The Last Cowboy (2003 TV Movie) User Reviews (14)

First rule of film-making:get a good cast!

[johnnysure1 · 7/10 · 30 May 2005]

Grumpy farm guy wants to keep his land, and the money folk trying to take it are all treated as reprehensibly greedy slickers (even though the money people are behaving reasonably and the farm guy is belligerent, violent, and unreasonable). Just once, it would be nice to see one of these movies where the hero is the banker... just trying to do his job and even help the farm guy, while the farm guy is recognized as an intractable jerk (No disrespect to the farming community, it's just that the banking community has had to endure such a beating from these sorts of films, that it would only be fair turnabout!) That said, this film is pretty solid for the genre. While the countryside bears more resemblance to California than Texas, it's still pretty and beautifully shot. By contrasting the three leads' different approaches, the movie actually addresses the fundamental flaw in these movies. The heroine wants to update her father's farming practices, while he is married to tradition. And I may not be a Hallmark Channel kind of guy, but it nice to see a project that is morally clean without totally whitewashing its issues.

The production's greatest strength, though, is the casting of Jennie Garth, Lance Henriksen, and M.C. Gainey. Fine actors all; it's nice to see them cast in roles with the complexity that thespians of their talent deserve. And they all look halfway plausible with the horseriding, as well.

All in all, I wouldn't watch it again, but it certainly is better than a lot of the stuff you might run across on the Hallmark Channel.

Typical Hallmark TV movie with a nice bright spot in M.C. Gainey

[GMJames · 5/10 · 18 July 2006]

I watched the TV movie The Last Cowboy with very few expectations and ended up unimpressed.

It is the usual stressful father/daughter relationship who find out that the need to come together through the tough circumstances, including the loss of his wife and her mother and the possible loss of his farm. Lance Henriksen (The Right Stuff, Millennium) and 90210 alum Jennie Garth play the bickering father and daughter. They do as good a job as the material given to them.

The actor who really impressed me was M.C. Gainey. Playing the farm foreman and friend of Henriksen's character and a middleman between the father and daughter, it was nice to see Gainey in a role where he is basically a nice guy. Because of his physical presence, he typically plays gruff, villainous rednecks, bikers or criminals. Sometimes they are all the same character. His appearances in movies like Con Air and Breakdown and his role in "The Last Cowboy" shows that Gainey can play different types of roles and do it well when casting directors give him a chance.

Good movie with exceptional acting

[edinadental · 7/10 · 14 March 2017]

The Last Cowboy tells a story with a predictable plot we've seen many times, but still find interesting. A large landowner with property held by a family for years is now in jeopardy, sought after by greedy bankers, financiers, and other bad guys who plan stealing and subdividing the valuable land to make an ill-gained fortune. The family patriarch has recently died, and it's up to the remaining family members to "save the farm." Two required components of any good movie are the screenplay (the script writers' product) and the acting/direction (the actors and their director). Both are successful in this movie. The screenplay and dialogue are very good and believable, and the actors (this movie has a bunch of exceptional actors) do a very good job executing their roles under some excellent directing.

This is an excellent movie to watch with your children. Although the main female character is unmarried but has a child (and she is initially estranged from her father), parents watching along with their children will have an easy time explaining the situation because the female leading character is so "at ease." This movie does a great job showing different family arrangements and interactions, and even young children will understand and not be disturbed.

Schmaltz held to tolerable limits

[RodMorgan · 13 January 2003]

Jennie Garth has a grudge against her father (Lance Henriksen), but comes back home to attend her mother's father's funeral. When she inherits part of the family ranch, she must make peace with Dad if they are to ward off the debts and developers trying to take their land.

Formula stuff, but played well by a terrific cast, especially Henricksen, M. C. Gainey with a show-stealing turn as a laid-back ranch hand and "Alias" sidekick Bradley Cooper. Garth is better than I've ever seen her and rides a horse credibly.

If this is what Hallmark is going to do with their TV network, it could make up for the "Touched By an Angel" reruns.

Thought it was a western

[MickyG333 · 7/10 · 17 December 2023]

6.9 stars.

Not a bad film in and of itself, but I seen much better westerns in my time. First thing, in the first scenes it sets itself up to look like a western, no cars, no electricity, nothing modern is seen for several minutes. They are burying grandpa, and everyone shows up on horseback and wagons, including a woman (played by Garth) who is estranged from her daddy (Henriksen) now going on 8 years. She has a lot of things to say to her daddy and his first hand (Gainey) and she brought along a man that has been her friend for years (Cooper). I am surprised to see Bradley Cooper in one of his earliest major roles, and it's a Hallmark movie no less! Well, he has a two bit part, it's not much of a character really. This film is just not much more than a B rated modern western, and there isn't much depth to it unfortunately. I've always loved Jennie Garth all the way back to 90210, when she was my favorite for a while.

Simple but nice

[Catharina_Sweden · 5/10 · 10 January 2011]

This is a story about going with your time, keeping families together, and finding love. It is a very simple story, really, and sometimes a little boring. You can tell in the first 15 minutes how it is going to turn out - both love-wise and money-wise!

Still, I liked this movie in some ways. It is homelike and cosy. It maintains family values and old-world ideas. It also has got some humour in it.

It is worth watching a rainy day when you are ill or something. It is a good movie to watch in the company of your children, as there is nothing really unpleasant in it, like violence, gore, sex... It is a true family movie, and your horse-mad daughters are going to love it..!

Will Cooper is a modern day cowboy struggling to keep his land after five generations of ranching.

[eiselemk · 9/10 · 1 October 2005]

To me this movie shows what's happening in America today. This farmer is intent on keeping the land that's been in his family for five generations. It's not about money, it's about family, tradition, and values. Lance Henriksen was everything you would expect a Texas cowboy to be. Beautiful scenery, which only reinforces the desire to see this cowboy keep his land and his way of living rather than lose it to a banking institution where their only intention is to subdivide the land. How dreadful it would be to see housing communities across those hills. Outstanding cast and great story line keep you interested until the very end. Lance Henriksen, Jennie Garth and M.C. Gainey were very real, likable, and believable characters. Would like to see a sequel because it makes you feel as if there is more to the story that needs to be said. Have recently started to view the Hallmark channel, and have thoroughly enjoyed "The Last Cowboy", "Johnson County War", and "The Colt". It's so refreshing to watch programs that touch the heart. All are worth seeing again.

A lot of family drama in this cowboy film.

[cgvsluis · 3/10 · 3 September 2021]

John Williams's daughter Jake returns to their Texas hill country when her grandfather passes away. Her grandfather's will made sure that the ranch is split between daughter and father who have had a falling out since her father removed her mother from life support.

Starring Jennie Garth and Bradley Cooper, this slow burn romance and family drama was an emotional roller coaster.

I absolutely adored the quick on his feet, always talking Amos...who seemed to always know what to say and when to just keep talking. Filled with sweet stories and a lot of healing. This was a tough watch...but may be worth it? The plot involving the solution to the ranch's problems was a little hard to swallow.

Roundup what's left of the past and let's reach for the future..

[Xjayhawker · 8/10 · 10 March 2013]

A lot of people that have never stepped foot outside a city will not appreciate the openness of the outdoors country life..you have to be there and see it..but this comes pretty close..a man estranged from his daughter since his wife died 8 years ago re-unites with her when she returns for her grandfather's funeral..the ranch..not farm..is in debt to the bank with no real hope of operating in the black any time soon..Dad (Lance Henrickson) is stuck in the past..raising cattle and breeding them but never getting ahead..and a daughter (Jennie Garth) who has ideas that are solid and detailed for the saving of the ranching business..somewhere they will have to meet in the middle..Throw in M.C.Gainey as best friend/foreman who has known everyone involved since way back when and you have a complex family in dis-array that needs healing and understanding..Gainey, in a scene- stealing portrayal of a loyal family friend rings true and Lance and Jennie deliver a solid performance as father and daughter at odds over ideals..on a small note..a farm is where you raise chickens and maybe cows for milking..but a ranch is a somewhat larger operation requiring herds to feed off the land..an enjoyable outing on the ranch..at any rate..

Better Than Good

[rsternesq · 9/10 · 25 April 2010]

They may be better looking than most ranchers but the story is what rings the bell sweet and true. Even if it never happens quite like this except in the movies, it is still worth watching and believing that it is possible to have work that one loves and save it with an idea and with love, love of the family, love of friends and love of the land. I loved this movie and everyone associated it with it. I especially love Lance Henriksen, who proves that a man can keep his charm for a very, very long time. Great fun to watch and enjoy. This is worth a thousand "rom-com" movies that fall flatter than the proverbial pancake. It may be more of a rom-life but I'll take it any day. Love the feeling it gives and the love that it shares.

Hallmark's classic Quality Movie

[fxaxrx · 8/10 · 19 April 2020]

An early diamond in the rough Hallmark movie that outclasses what they do today. I look at Hallmark movies for 3 things: premise, character development, and execution. I cannot speak for the technical aspects of the movie that may be in other reviews. The premise is straightforward: daughter hasn't been home in a long time returns when her grandfather died. She learns the ranch is in dire financial straits and will be repossessed by the banks. Garth plays the estranged daughter with a child and Hendrickson plays the grumpy, stubborn father-ranch owner. You have Bradley Cooper in it but his contribution is obviously before his "love interest" roles. He is relegated to second string to play a somewhat contributing part when the ranch is saved at the end. Gainey plays the old, loyal, dependable ranch hand who is the mediator in the film seeking and understanding and balance between Garth and Hendrickson. The other parts are people being brought in to help the ranch or the banker for the repossession. Good character development that supports the premise and makes it a good film from an emotional standpoint. The movie has a nice balance for tension and development. All the movie pieces i.e. scenes of bank meeting interruption, real estate agent introduction, barn fire, bank negotiations did not overshadow the movie by skimming over crucial details or bogging it down with the unnecessary emotional baggage. The movie had some pretty cinematic sceneries of the mountings and ranch. But as mentioned in other reviews, it wasn't Texas, but it doesn't matter. The movie's pacing was pretty good considering the themes here. The movie could have slowed down considerably if it was to become too introspective. Lastly, the acting was good and even for everyone's part although some characters could have been stereotypical and one dimensional. Gainey I thought played his role the best with providing both dramatic and comedic moments. Overall, Hallmark lost its way by going away from this movie recipe that didn't involve romance or typical romcom hang ups.

Different - but Perfekt..

[magnusfredberg · 10/10 · 18 May 2015]

A great film about how the relationship between daughter and father were poor and when the daughter of Jake comes home at mother's death ..

On how to solve the problem of the legacy you see how hard her father worked to get the farm to pay off .. Even the foreman on the farm helping with mediation and how all three struggling and Jake finally find a solution to the problem ..

A deep interesting film that does not fall into the usual mundane pattern .... A masterpiece without Jennie Garth fantastic acting had been hard to get it to fit so perfectly ..

I really hope you make an effort to se this fantastic Movie..

Not a Jennie McGarth fan

[mitchellrharl · 8/10 · 9 January 2021]

She doesn't know how to act except spoiled rich brat .Other cast is good. Love the dad the long time dad's best friend beautiful scenery. She is too brash and hard unforgiving.

Did This Inspire "Yellowstone"?

[adasb-71670 · 8/10 · 10 December 2023]

"The Last Cowboy" is a nice, well-acted Hallmark TV movie about an embattled 5th-generation cattle ranch with a father and daughter fending off financial pressures and realtor entreaties to sell the ranch to developers (sound familar?). Jennie Garth provides a strong, heartfelt performance. The movie features the best acting of Lance Henriksen's career. MC Gainey is exceeding fun to watch. Bradley Cooper did a fine job with a character who should have been better developed to heighten the audience's emotional connection with Garth's character as well as provide firmer foundation for the all- too-hasty plot twist at the end. The movie was made even more enjoyable by the discovery of the many plot points and elements of the characters' personalities from it that can be found in the Taylor Sheridan/Kevin Costner TV show "Yellowstone". If the last episodes of Yellowstone" (not yet aired as of the date of this review) feature a major fire, then this reviewer will be convinced Mr. Sheridan saw and drew ideas from "The Last Cowboy", from 2003, in developing "Yellowstone" which first aired in 2017 (and, if so, I thank him!). Fans of "Yellowstone" will no doubt delight in uncovering these parallels for themselves as they enjoy the sweet little movie "The Last Cowboy". But even if you haven't seen "Yellowstone", "The Last Cowboy" is still highly recommended!