The Electric Horseman

original movie poster

Directed by
Sydney Pollack

Produced by
Ray Stark

Written by
Shelly Burton
Paul Gaer
Robert Garland (screenplay)

Starring
Robert Redford
Jane Fonda
Valerie Perrine
John Saxon
Willie Nelson

Music by
Buddy Feyne
Dave Grusin

Cinematography
Owen Roizman

Editing by
Sheldon Kahn

Distributed by
Columbia Pictures
Universal Pictures
Rastar Films

Release date(s)
December 21, 1979

Running time
120 min.

Language
English

IMDb profile

The Electric Horseman is a 1979 adventure and romance film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda and directed by Sydney Pollack. It was the third time Redford and Fonda had starred together in a film, having previously teamed on The Chase (1966) and Barefoot in the Park (1967).

Contents

• 1 Plot
• 2 Production
• 3 References
• 4 External links

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Plot

Sonny Steele (Robert Redford) is a former championship rodeo rider who has sold out to a business conglomerate and is now reduced to making public appearances to sell a brand of breakfast cereal. Prior to making a Las Vegas promotional appearance to ride the champion thoroughbred Rising Star, Sonny discovers the horse has been drugged and is injured. Identifying with the plight of the horse and disillusioned with the present state of his life, Sonny decides to kidnap the animal and travel cross country in order to release it in a remote canyon where herds of wild horses live. Hallie Martin (Jane Fonda), a television reporter eager to be the first to break the Rising Star story, catches up with Sonny and follows him on his unusual quest across the countryside. While en route, the unlikely pair fall in love, all the while having to avoid the pursuing authorities.

Production

The film was directed by Sydney Pollack, who had previously directed Redford in This Property Is Condemned (1966), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Way We Were (1973) and Three Days of the Condor (1975), and later in Out of Africa (1985) and Havana (1990). Pollack had also previously directed Fonda in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969).

Willie Nelson contributed significantly to the film’s soundtrack, singing five songs including “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” “Midnight Rider,” “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” “So You Think You’re a Cowboy” and “Hands on the Wheel.” The Electric Horseman has since been released on VHS, Laserdisc and DVD.

The film was co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures, and distributed by Columbia in the U.S. and Universal overseas, though the U.S. rights would later revert to Universal.

References

1. ^ “Internet Movie Database, Robert Redford”. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
2. ^ “Internet Movie Database, Sydney Pollack”. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
3. ^ “Internet Movie Database, Filming locations for The Electric Horseman“. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
4. ^ “Internet Movie Database, Willie Nelson”. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
5. ^ “Internet Movie Database, Wilford Brimley”. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
6. ^ “Internet Movie Database, Soundtracks for The Electric Horseman“. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
7. ^ “Internet Movie Database, Release dates for The Electric Horseman“. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
8. ^ “Internet Movie Database, Box office/business for The Electric Horseman“. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
9. ^ “Internet Movie Database, Awards for The Electric Horseman“. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
10. ^ “Internet Movie Database, Company credits for The Electric Horseman“. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.

External links

• The Electric Horseman at the Internet Movie Database
• Analysis of The Electric Horseman
• The Electric Horseman reviews at Rotten Tomatoes

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Films directed by Sydney Pollack

The Slender Thread (1965) • This Property Is Condemned (1966) • The Scalphunters (1968) • Castle Keep (1969) • They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969) • Jeremiah Johnson (1972) • The Way We Were (1973) • The Yakuza (1975) • Three Days of the Condor (1975) • Bobby Deerfield (1977) • The Electric Horseman (1979) • Absence of Malice (1981) • Tootsie (1982) • Out of Africa (1985) • Havana (1990) • The Firm (1993) • Sabrina (1995) • Random Hearts (1999) • The Interpreter (2005) • Sketches of Frank Gehry (2005)

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Electric_Horseman”
Categories: 1979 films | Columbia Pictures films | Universal Pictures films | American films | English-language films | Romance films | Films directed by Sydney Pollack