The Last Cowboy (2003) Jennie Garth, Lance Henriksen, M.C. Gainey, Bradley Cooper, Dylan Wagner, Muse Watson Movie Review

The Last Cowboy (2003)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Jennie Garth as Jacqueline 'Jake' Cooper in The Last Cowboy

Ranch Drama 90210

Many years after leaving her father's Dry Creek ranch, Jacqueline 'Jake' Cooper (Jennie Garth - A Time to Dance) returns for the funeral of her grandfather only to learn that in his will he left her his share of the ranch. But the relationship between Jake and her father, Will (Lance Henriksen - Spirit Riders), has been tense ever since she abandoned the ranch following her mother's death, a death she hold her father responsible for. And to make matters worse the ranch is struggling with the bank ready to call time on the loan and a property developer circling to buy it. It means Jake and her father are going to have to patch up their differences if they are going to keep the ranch in the family.

If you see "The Last Cowboy" crop up in the TV listings and think it sounds a bit familiar you won't be alone. When I spotted it and read the write up of an estranged daughter returning home to the family ranch and having a battle with her estranged father I felt that I had seen it before but with different actors. As it turns out I hadn't but it shares similarities with various other movies which I would call Hallmark ranch movies, those where we have problems on the ranch, problems between two family members and then some drama which sees them come together, getting past their difficulties as well as misunderstandings and save the ranch from going under. As such I won't lie and say that "The Last Cowboy" is an amazing movie as it isn't but for those who enjoy these gentle, sweet ranch dramas which serve up a feel good ending it delivers what you expect.

Lance Henriksen and M.C. Gainey in The Last Cowboy

One of the things which helps "The Last Cowboy" is that at its heart it has a trio of nice performances. For those who remember the original "Beverly Hills 90210" and maybe watched then new "90210" it is nice to watch Jennie Garth, especially as she looks so comfortable as Jake. Garth gets across that unique blend of being someone who knows how to work on a ranch but has experienced the world and real business, making her both strong and with ideas. She works well with Lance Henriksen who not only has that right sense of being old fashioned as her father Will but also gets across the bitterness he feels from when Jake left and blamed him from her mother's death. And then in-between these two you have a nice bit of light hearted humour from M.C. Gainey as foreman Amos. These three actors work well together, never really delivering anything more than you expect but never looking out of place.

What this all boils down to is that like other Hallmark ranch movies "The Last Cowboy" is a pleasant enough watch even if it isn't that different to so many other movies. It basically delivers that bitter sweet drama and beautiful backdrops that you expect before delivering a feel good ending.


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