Universal/Associated. Director Fred Schepisi; Producer Paul N. Lazarus III; Screenplay William D. Wittliff; Camera Ian Baker; Editor Don Zimmerman, David Ramirez; Music Bruce Smeaton; Art Director Michael Levesque, Leon Ericksen
Willie Nelson
Gary Busey
Isela Vega
Gilbert Roland
Danny De La Paz
Alma Martinez
Australian director Fred Schepisi does a careful job of bringing the western legend to light with endearing performances from actors Willie Nelson and Gary Busey.
Nelson limns the renowned title character, who in essence is nothing more than a 'sensitive' outlaw forever eluding the assassination attempts of his wife's over-protective family. Nelson visits his spouse and daughter (who live with the family) several times a year, but past events coupled with his yearning for freedom make it impossible to live a normal life.
Busey turns in a natural portrayal of the poor, goofy farm boy the outlaw takes under his wing. While it's an honorable performance, the Busey character and his growth into a soulful human being primarily serves to point up what a nice guy Nelson is.
(Color) Widescreen. Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1982. Running time: 90 MIN.
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