Wooly Boys (2001)

How sad is this?

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Released to2001, "Wooly Boys" stars Peter Fonda and Kris Kristofferson as two aging sheep ranchers in the Badlands of North Dakota. After the former pays a visit to his daughter (Robin Dearden) in Minneapolis, he brings back his city-bred 16 year-old grandson (Joseph Mazzello). Keith Carradine plays a country sheriff, Rosanna DeSoto a ranch hand and Michael Booth an FBI agent. Jad Mager and Adam Logan are on hand as troublemakers while T. Mychael Rambo plays a hearse driver.This dramedy focuses is on the conflict-habituated friendship of the two older ranchers and the visiting teen being a fish-out-water in the wilderness, which brings to mind 2003's "Secondhand Lions." At around the 30-minute mark there are several laugh-out-loud scenes, which are less frequent throughout the rest of the movie. The lines of the idiotic FBI agent are the best. Beyond this, the cast and authentic North Dakota locations are great, but the movie's mediocre about half the time. For instance, the kid responds to Kristofferson's character in one scene and it's wholly unconvincing. A top-of-the-line movie would re-do the scene or ad lib; whatever it took to make it work. So it's one of those part good/part meh movies, but I think the good makes it worthwhile, like the laughs, the birthing scene, the cast and the ND locations.The film runs 99 minutes and was shot in Fryburg, Beach & Medora, North Dakota, and Minneapolis.GRADE: C+

I had never heard of this film, but bought it sight-unseen because of the fine cast, while cruising Amazon. It was summarized as similar in theme to Secondhand Lions, which I found disappointing. I found the first half of this film to be rather boring, as the director couldn't decide whether he was making a madcap corny family comedy, or a film about a youth who gets an education from his grandfather about how to live close to the land. When the film emphasized the relationships between Peter Fonda and his grandson, the excellent Joseph Mazzello, and also Kris Kristofferson, it was interesting, humorous, natural, and involving. When it focused on the law, it was silly, broad, and distracting, except for Keith Carradine, who maintained a modicum of believability. The final 30 minutes rescued the film for me, as it mostly veered away from the unnecessary Keystone Kops stuff, and became truly affecting emotionally. Had the movie emphasized the central story throughout, without the silliness, I would have given it a 9 or 10, and it probably would be better known. Still, it is worth a look, and overall, I preferred it to Secondhand Lions.

I enjoyed this film. It showed how a young city boy grew up and faced life, from being a spoilt brat he turned out to be a man of decisions and courage.The two main men in the film played there parts with feeling and i could belive in them.

I recently had the opportunity to see this film at the FARGO FILM FESTIVAL. As a North Dakotan, I must be proud of any project that promotes North Dakota. WOOLY BOYS definitely does its fair share of "promoting." To be honest, I expected more. For a film that falsely calls itself "North Dakota's first major feature film" I was anticipating a sincere look at Modern North Dakota, or maybe an ernest approach at our history. I did not, however, expect to see yet another film that explores the "golly gee" persona of our elderly and silly folk. (Though these people exist and I love them!)In regards to FARGO (THE MOVIE), some of the same people that support WOOLY BOYS fame, claim the film (FARGO) makes us look like a bunch of "idiots" and "dorks" and "other such silly names"...In WOOLY BOYS, apparently we are epitomized by Scruffy "Sheep Lovers." That's great.Meanwhile, Kristofferson gave a hell of a performance. I was in awe. The film had its funny moments and I was impressed with some of the photography. However, the film did not exemplify what it is to live in North Dakota or what it is to be a North Dakotan. Look for this film on USA (CABLE) Saturday afternoons. Because it is good enough to watch in its entirety, if you're a fan of the named actors. (or some silly manure jokes)