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ArtsNFashion
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| Bulls and Brawn |
Cast: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Alan Alda, Lolita Davidovich, Oona Chaplin, Jack Huston
Review by James Colt Harrison
Like father, like son so the saying goes. To
prove that statement we have Scott Eastwood looking like an exact replica of
his Oscar® winning father Clint Eastwood when he was young. Both are handsome,
both are striking, and both are knockouts on the screen. A new generation has
arrived, and Scott is fully equipped physically and professionally to take over
the reigns of his well-loved father. All he has to do is ask.
The Longest
Ride is adapted from a book by Nicholas Sparks, the
great purveyor of weepies and woes by the gallon. There is no lack of that in
this film. Add in the adventure, romance and rodeo action and you have more
than two hours of entertainment pleasure. That is, if you go into throes of
ecstasy at maudlin situations and tear-invoking scenes.
The tear-duct scenes are only part of the film,
so don’t think it is all weeping. There are actually some fun scenes, some
laughs (usually provided by scene-stealer Alan Alda) and certainly some thrills
at the rodeo.
So where does the rodeo come into the story?
Scott, as Luke Collins, is a championship bull rider on the world circuit. A
head injury put him out of commission for awhile, but now he is trying to make
a comeback. Mom Kate Collins (Lolita Davidovitch) is not happy with the
situation because she wants Luke to come home after every ride in one piece.
Mom’s who love their sons are like that.
Luke has his fans who scream and yell as he is
getting tossed about by the bull like a rag-doll. He survives to great acclaim
and the girl fans scream with delight. Among the fans is the most adorable and
the prettiest of all of them---Sophie Danko, as played by beautiful newcomer
Britt Robertson. Of course, she and Scott “meet cute.” They make for a very
eye-pleasing couple; he’s handsome as can be and sweet-natured, and she’s
gorgeous and smart and waiting for her internship in New York at an art
gallery. Their lifestyles seem at odds with each other as they have nothing in
common. Except sexual attraction. That’s enough for sparks to kindle.
On the way home from their first date they find
a crashed car that has gone off the road. They act quickly and save an old man—Ira
Levinson (Alan Alda) from certain death just moments before the car explodes
into flames. Alda plays an old curmudgeon whose heydays were in the 1940s. The
two youngsters become attached to him and his stories of his wife Ruth (Oona
Chaplin). They find Ira and his stories enchanting. Alda, of course, has been
in show business longer than the two lead actors’ ages combined. Having come to
prominence in the TV hit show M*A*S*H decades ago, he knows every trick in the
acting book to steal scenes right out from under Eastwood and Robertson. No
matter---the kids are still cute and are a pleasure to see brightening the
screen.
What would a romance be if there weren’t storm
clouds every so often? The kids conflict over their opposite lifestyles.
Sophie wants to go to New York and be in the Art World; Luke wants to remain on
the rodeo circuit amongst the smelly bulls and dirt. She’s high-class and he’s
just a regular guy. Can they ever agree? Lots of tears are shed—mostly by the
audience--- and resolution to the problem is difficult. Women’s Liberation
members would have a fit if Sophie decided to give up her plans and settle down
to have babies with Luke. And men would look down on Luke if he traded in his
tight jeans for a tuxedo and the fancy world of New York artists.
Nicholas Sparks has the talent to wring all
emotions to their limits, and he stops at nothing to grab the audience by the
tear ducts at every corner. This gives director George Tillman, Jr. ( Barbershop) the go ahead to put the lead
actors in jeopardy every chance he gets. Both Eastwood and Robertson, in their
first big leading roles, are attractive enough for the audience to look beyond
the pathos and see young love blooming with joy, delight, wonder and awe. The
two actors rise above Sparks’ doom and gloom tendencies and make us laugh, cry
and jump for joy when things go right.
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