Saturday, October 4, 2008

Rainy Day Cowgirl Flicks

This time of the year, when the days are shorter, and more often wet and foggy over crisp and sunny, it's hard not to want to snuggle in on the couch with a mug of coffee and an old standby movie.

I am a bit of a sucker for the Hallmark Channel movies. The mostly low-budget western chick-lit romances. Here are a few that I actually purchased on DVD through Amazon.com. They won't win any academy awards, but the acting is decent and the settings are lovely. The horse scenes are many, although some of the authenticity of the horse and rider situations is a little hokey at times, for the most part, they are the perfect fall rainy day escape.

The Last Cowboy features one of my 1980's favorite actresses, Jennie Garth. She returns, after a long absence, to her family's Texas cattle ranch for her grandfather's funeral. Turns out she has a son and a great racehorse prospect, and a dream of opening a horse rehabilitation facility, and a father who can't afford the ranch anymore. There is a little romance but mostly a father and daughter sorting out their issues. Jennie Garth knows how to ride, she grew up on a Quarter Horse ranch I believe, so it is nice to see an actress comfortable around and on a horse!

Okay, I'm not sure if Melissa Gilbert has been in anything but Hallmark movies since her Little House on the Prairie Days. In this movie, she plays a wealthy woman from the city who visits a small town to track down the rodeo queen pictured in an old photo with her father. Meet Lindsay Wagner (my favorite Bionic Woman) who just might be related to this rodeo queen and the city girl, and is attempting to save a wild herd of mustangs by hauling them water every day. Never mind that the Mustangs look more like a band of AQHA breeding stock, the movie is fairly enjoyable and I think Melissa still smiles like Laura Ingalls.

A withdrawn and emotionally wounded cowboy widower, his match-making sister....and a New York city photographer who travels to Wyoming to meet this man. A love connection at first it is not, but you know how that goes. Throw in some bad guys trying to catch and do ill with wild horses....another romantic comedy and minor intrigue make this a fairly touching and enjoyable story.

Last but not least, the mystery movie of the bunch. This one is based on the book of the same title by author Nora Roberts. Ashley Williams plays a feisty cowgirl wrangler whose father dies, leaving the family ranch to not only herself, but two sisters she didn't know she had.They couldn't be any more different than herself and are not interested in the ranch, just the money it's worth. Throw in one of my favorite actors, John Corbett (Aidan from Sex and the City) and mysterious happenin's on the ranch, and you have a pretty good little movie.

Okay, so admit it, are there some movies out there that you enjoy too, even if their scripts aren't winning awards? That are worthy of an afternoon of escapism because they have a horse, a cowboy, or a cowgirl in them?

On that note, I'm taking my mug and hitting the couch!

32 comments:

  1. I love Montana Sky and I love Thicker than Water. I have both of those too. I haven't seen the other two!! I will have to watch those.

    There is a horse movie called the Long Shot. It's really good too. It's about a horse that goes blind. I love the Hallmark channel too!!

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  2. I cant say that I have watched even one of those movies! I am very much in the mood to snuggle up and watch mindless romance and horses though, so might head out and see if I cant find one or two of your titles. The only movies that I cant think of, along the same lines would be "Bad Girls" and "Getting Married in Buffallo Jump" (which is really bad and follows the same daughter come home to the ranch after life in the big city theme but also features a hot cowboys and some steamy love affairs so is forgivable.) That mug of Starbucks looks pretty tempting too. I'll have a green tea latte (skinny, less water, no foam:)lol

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  3. PG you HAVE to check out "Everything That Rises" with Dennis Quaid. Down on their luck ranch family struggling to get by, small tragedy and how they rise above it.

    I've never watched any of the movies you listed but they sound good so I may have to look for them :)

    Re the comment about the "wild mustangs". Gotta love Hollywood! Kimfer and I have noticed that a lot of wild horses in the movies see a farrier, you can often see the glint of horseshoes! lol

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  4. Watched them all.. Have them all, I can't get enough romance with horses movies. You need to add Last Chance Cafe and Wounded Heart to your list of movies to get and see.
    I must have seen Last Cowboy 5 times. I wished Hallmark would get some new ones coming... *smiles*
    Flicka is a good one (not romantic, but a cute horse story)

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  5. I have "Thicker Than Water" and "Straight From The Heart". I'm a fan of both films and the horses in them. Especially the Buckskin in SFTH. Gorgeous, gorgeous animal.

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  6. I just watched Thicker Than Water last week. I loved it!

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  7. Oh, I forgot to ask if you knew anyone that might be interested in this:

    http://carpentercreek.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/and-they-call-me-desperate-because/

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  8. I haven't watched any of those movies, but they all sound like fun on a rainy afternoon.
    Does anyone else in this smart group rate the horses and the tack? You know like- does the tack match the period of the movie, are they even riding the same horses from scene to scene...Seems like cdncowgirl may:) Drives my hubby crazy!

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  9. I am sorry to say that i am not a movie kinda girl! But o a rainy day i could use a tea and a good book, for sure!

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  10. Came over from "Cowboys, Kids, and Sunsets" for a visit. You have some wonderful movies listed there.

    While I was here I just thought I'd say Howdy.

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  11. Oou Oou Ouu...Andrew Mcarthy...there was one I have never seen before! Did you see the Hallmark one with him about the Photographer who's freind answered an add for her? It's a goodie..
    I just had some Hot Cocoa after a trail ride in the cool misty rain... noticed the leaves turnig warm tones and bright yellow! Nice time to be alive!

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  12. Lindsay Wagner and Mellisa Gilbert! Two names I've sometimes wondered about where they've gone.

    I will have to rent some of these movies soon. Especially as our weather gets cold and snow starts falling. Thanks!

    And watcha got sprinkled on top of that java there, my friend? cinnamon? chocolate?
    yummy!
    Make me some and I'll be right over! :)

    Oh and I just trotted over here to tell you thanks for the wonderfully supportive and kind comments you left for me on my blog, concerning my son's injury.
    It is much appreciated, PG :)

    Take Care and enjoy those movies,
    Lisa

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  13. vaquerogirl: I get sooo annoyed when the change horses and its supposedly the same one. lol
    As for tack, I try to ignore it (especially because I'm no expert) but some things (ahem, nylon halters in the Civil War) drive me batty.
    Then again, how many movies do you see with zippers on the clothes and zippers aren't invented in the period the movie is placed?

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  14. Omg! I totally agree about fall and the cough;)

    Thank you so much for this list. I am adding all of them to my netflix list right now;)

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  15. all great Movies...seen them all. i will admit that I am addicted to the cartoon "horseland"..I watch every saturday morning. As for Movies..National Velvet is still my fave followed by the Black Stallion. Although no one that lives in this house can figure out how to hook up the DVD player since we got the fancy cable...sigh I knew there would be a time when an 8 year old would come in handy,,they could probably make my IPOD play music as well, truth they would be willing to remove the Ipod I got in June, from its package!!

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  16. OK now this here is the only down side to being married. The dh would just die before sitting down and watching one of these with me. I'll just have to wait until he's out of the house one night and sneak one of these in because they all sound like something I'd love to watch. Thanks for the reviews!

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  17. CdnCowgirl~ Oh that drives me crazy, when they switch horses with bad look-a-likes in movies! Especially with grays, it's so obvious that one is fleabitten, the other is dappled. one had a white mane, the other black....do they think we won't notice these things? You know, one movie I think had great continuity of horses was "Lonesome Dove." The horse actors appeared to be the same mounts throughout!

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  18. Rain? What is that? We have not had any rain in so long I have just about forgotten what it is like.

    I too love The Hallmark Channel along with Lifetime. One thing that I have rarely done though was to actually buy movies.

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  19. PG - just wandered over to tell you that all day long I was thinking of that picture of hot chocolate.
    Rained SOOO much all day, and yet I still went barrel racing.
    Cold, rainy, I just wanted a sip of hot chocolate!
    I think my clothes weighed an extra 10 lbs. Thank goodness we had dry ones to change into on the ride home. And that we took Kimfer's dad's truck... with the leather seats and butt warmers! lol

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  20. I've never seen any of these, so thanks for including a synopsis of each. I'll have a look for them the next time I'm searching for a little entertainment to go with my cup of tea.

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  21. Non Hallmark movies: Seabiscuit; 3:10 to Yuma and Silverado. My husband's all time favorite movie is Silverado. There is a western that is coming out soon in the theaters that I am likely to go to as well.

    I love a good romantic movie when it is rainy and cold, so thanks for the tips on the other movies.

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  22. Some of my all time favorite horse movies:
    Wild Hearts Can't be broken
    The Man From Snowy River 1 and 2.
    National Velvet
    Phar Lap
    Misty of Chintogeage (sp)
    PLus I have a lot more, but these are a few

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  23. When we watch movies that feature horses, like Lord of the Rings, etc. I always point out when they switch horsey "actors" in the same role between scenes. It drives me crazy! He wonders how I can tell them apart. No all black horses do not look a like, and yes I CAN tell if the hero rides one black horse in one scene and another in another scene.

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  24. Hey Pony Girl!!!

    I think I found a future dream horse for you!! :)

    Appy/Friesian Sport Horse

    ~Lisa

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  25. Can't say that I would enjoy the movies (I have never been able to sit through an entire movie...I get to distracted!), but I would love to have a nice big cup of Starbucks coffee...probably why I cannot sit through a movie...lol!!!!

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  26. Thanks for the suggestions - I haven't seen any of them. I remember John Corbett from an old TV show called "Northern Exposure"...loved him then.

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  27. Taking your mug and hitting the couch sounds like a perfect idea. I think I'll join you.

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  28. Those are some great looking choices. And by the way, you are killing me with the Gus picture on the side... ah, Augustus....

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  29. OH, yeah, check out Everything that Rises with Dennis Quaid.

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  30. Oh goodness! You all have such great movie ideas! I'm going to hit Amazon and start looking up some of these movies. I'm afraid I may never get off my couch again! :) Does Starbuck's deliver??

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  31. Ok I have only seen the last one of those movies! I will have to check the others out! Did you know that John Corbett sings too??

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I love hearing from my readers!! I truly enjoy all of your feedback, advice, helpful tips, and stories. You all make me laugh and I learn so much from you, too. I will try to post replies to your comments as often as I can.

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