The Hi-Lo Country

The Hi-Lo Country
Directed by Stephen Frears
Produced by
Written by Walon Green
Based on The Hi Lo Country
by Max Evans
Starring
Music by Carter Burwell
Cinematography Oliver Stapleton
Edited by Masahiro Hirakubo
Production
company
Distributed by Gramercy Pictures
Release date
  • December 30, 1998 (1998-12-30) (Limited)
  • January 22, 1999 (1999-01-22)
Running time
 114 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $166,082

The Hi-Lo Country is a 1998 American Western-drama film directed by Stephen Frears, starring Billy Crudup, Penélope Cruz, Woody Harrelson, Cole Hauser, Sam Elliott, Patricia Arquette, Enrique Castillo, and Katy Jurado. It is set in post-World War II New Mexico and is based on the Western novel by Max Evans.

Don Walser appears in a rodeo dance sequence and sings a memorable Western swing, honky tonk rendition of "I'll Hold You in My Heart." Rodeo announcer Bob Tallman appears as himself in the film.

Plot

In post-World War II best friends Big Boy Matson (Woody Harrelson) and Pete Calder (Billy Crudup) return home to find half of their town employed by corporate cattle baron Jim Ed Love (Sam Elliott). Hanging on to the mythic ideals of the American West Big Boy and Pete team up with an old time rancher Hoover Young (James Gammon) to raise cattle the cowboy way and life in Hi-Lo, New Mexico becomes a volatile powder keg.

The fuse is lit when Mona (Patricia Arquette), the wife of Jim Ed's foreman, begins a heated affair with Big Boy. Pete's past longings for Mona resurface with his discovery of the affair and the bond of friendship becomes sorely tested. Ultimately, Pete and Big Boy's friendship will be decided by the extent of their yearnings for the same woman, while Hi-Lo awaits the outcome of the explosive run-ins between Jim Ed Love and two proud cowboys.

Cast

Reception

The film was regarded by critics and film festivals as an example of the "classic" Western movie genre.[1][2]

Bob Graham of the San Francisco Chronicle said, "The traditional settings of Westerns are honored: the saloon, the dance hall, the rodeo, the cattle drive, the snowstorm. Hi-Lo is not only the name of the high-country flatlands where the story takes place, it is also a poker game, and that Western cliche is given a good spin, too."[3]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times said, "In its best moments the movie feels like an epic hybrid of Red River and The Last Picture Show."[4]

The sweeping score by Carter Burwell, and the Western swing songs of Floyd Tillman, Vaughn Monroe, Eddy Arnold, Merle Travis, Tex Williams, Hank Williams and sequence performances by Don Walser and Leon Rausch, were very highly regarded.[3]

Awards

Home media

On December 18, 2012, Shout! Factory rereleased the film on DVD.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Charles Champlin, "Max Evans: Lone Writer of The Hi-Lo Country" Los Angeles Times, Jan. 1, 1999. http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jan/01/entertainment/ca-59415
  2. ↑ Bob Graham, "Hi-Lo Cowboys at Home on the Range" San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 15, 1999. http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Hi-Lo-Cowboys-at-Home-on-the-Range-Harrelson-2951762.php
  3. 1 2 Bob Graham "Hi-Lo Cowboys at Home on the Range" San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 15, 1999. http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Hi-Lo-Cowboys-at-Home-on-the-Range-Harrelson-2951762.php
  4. ↑ Stephen Holden, "Hi-Lo Country: Even Cowboys Get the Blues" Dec. 30, 1998 New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/library/film/123098country-film-review.html
  5. ↑ "Berlinale: 1999 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
  6. ↑ "The Hi-Lo Country". 18 December 2012 – via Amazon.
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