ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Cowboys

Cowboys: Into the Wilderness of Sexual Identity

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Written and directed by Anna Kerrigan, Cowboys tells the story of Troy (Steve Zahn), a mid-Western father who lives in an environment defined by masculinity. When his young daughter, Joe (Sasha Knight) reveals that she believes herself to be a boy, Troy’s initial apprehension quickly turns to acceptance of his son. However, his mother Sally (Jillian Bell) is not so understanding. Unable to accept this new reality, Sally attempts to reinforce traditional gender stereotypes in an effect to ‘help’ Joe. Frustrated by his wife’s response, Troy takes Joe into the Montana wilderness in an attempt to cross the border to freedom.

Known best for their comedic work, Zahn and Bell deliver incredible performances here as Joe’s conflicted and frustrated parents. Rather than focus primarily on Joe’s journey, this is a film about the fears and insecurities of the adults that surround him and, frankly, both stars are simply astonishing to watch onscreen. (Zahn, in particular offers some of the best work of his career here, imbuing Troy with a mixture of frustrated anger and genuine humility.) 

Due to the strength of their performances, there’s a surprising level of nuance to Cowboys. Though Troy is hardly the ideal father, in some ways… he is? While his temper can get him into trouble, his motives behind his blow-ups primarily stem out of a heart of protection for his young son. His masculine external demeanour is undercut by his heart of compassion and empathy, despite the fact that Joe’s revelation seems foreign to him at first. (“You will be confused at this age,” he initially warns.) However, it’s not long before he has embraced his son for who he is, regardless of his initial unease. Even his attempt to abduct Joe falls into question as the story unravels. Is it really kidnapping or is he helping set Joe free?

At the same time, Sally’s antagonistic mother is not without redemption either. Whereas many films of this type will portray their ‘villain’ as the inveterate monster, Sally’s anger stems more from her denial than a heart of bigotry. Afraid of what she does not understand, Sally yearns for her child to be ‘normal’ and attempts to fit him in to more traditional stereotypes. To Sally, Joe is merely confused. As a result, she looks for people to blame for her unrealized expectations of her child, which she ultimately directs at Troy. Despite her over-powering fear, however, Sally is also viewed as someone who loves her son (or, daughter as she claims). She mourns the fact that her child is missing and wants desperately for him (or ‘her’) to be brought home safely. Regardless of her actions, there remains a humanity to her character that never fully demonizes her. 

Interestingly, the most important character in the film may not actually be any particular member of the family but rather Officer Faith (Anna Todd). Caught between duty and compassion, Officer Faith becomes the weight to which Troy and Sally’s parentage is weighed against. Although her job may be to find and return Joe to his mother, Faith also recognizes the real struggle beneath his abduction and the complexities of his situation. For Faith, grace and justice live in gentle balance with one another. To this end, her commitment to Joe becomes more about restoring his family than it is about capturing his father. 

While Bell and Zahn may be the focus of the film, Cowboys is about far more than their family. Pulling back the lens, Kerrigan’s work is also a call for grace and understanding from a culture that is still coming to grips with the modern sexual revolution and its nuances. Though Cowboys may be the story of one youth’s journey, it is also a reminder of the humility required to help all people discover who they were created to be.

Cowboys is available on VOD.

Cowboys – Portrait of an Icon

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“Cowboy’s not what you do; it’s who you are, It’s just something in you.”

One of the key mythic icons of American life is the cowboy. Most young boys, and probably many girls as well, dream of being a cowboy when they grow up. Few actually become cowboys. In Cowboys, directors Bud Force and John Langmore, both of whom have spent time working as cowboys, have created a portrait of what the cowboy life is in the 21st century.

Filmed at several large ranches (some close to a million acres) in states ranging from Texas to Montana, the film shows glimpses of a year of cowboy life. We meet a few of the men and women who have chosen to live this life. It is one of the jobs that is done in somewhat the same way as it was done for the last couple of centuries. There are some technological changes, but for such large operations, it often comes down to men, horses, and cattle in the open range.

It is certainly not a recruitment video looking for new cowboys. It makes it clear that this is hard work, with not much monetary reward. (Starting pay is about $1500 a month.) It is also a challenging life. We meet the wife of a cowboy who is raising their children four and a half hours from the nearest town. Going to the store becomes a three day trip. As she says, if you spill a bag of sugar, it’s nine hours of driving to get more.

The men and women we meet find fulfillment in this life. One of them mentions that his office is about the size of Rhode Island. For many people that kind of isolation would be devastating. For these people it is an opportunity that few people get. They enjoy the outdoors. They get to see beautiful vistas. They get to spend their time with animals. An interesting look at how that isolation can feel to the cowboys is when we talk to a retired cowboy who mentions going into town and living in an apartment feels like jail.

Of course all of this is hard physical work. It involves catching and holding calves for branding or breaking a horse for riding. It can involve riding all day, or camping in a small tent. It’s not always pleasant—as when we watch a cowboy assist a cow delivering a calf that is stillborn, or when a horse is bitten by a rattlesnake.

It is really the mythic aspect that made me interested in the film. The cowboy is the epitome of the rugged individual. These men and women certainly fit that characterization. But they also know that they have other needs. One cowboy relates the death of a child, and how he and his wife needed their faith to get through that crisis. We can see that for these people, this lifestyle suits them well. The concept of rugged individualism is one that has value, but it can also be a very difficult and lonely existence. It is one that fits these men and women, but is clearly not for all.

Cowboys is available on VOD.

Photos courtesy of 1922 Films.

Inside Out 2020: Cowboys

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Written and directed by Anna Kerrigan, Cowboys tells the story of Troy (Steve Zahn), a mid-Western father who lives in an environment defined by masculinity. When his young daughter, Joe (Sasha Knight) reveals that she believes herself to be a boy, Troy’s initial apprehension quickly turns to acceptance of his son. However, his mother Sally (Jillian Bell) is not so understanding. Unable to accept this new reality, Sally attempts to reinforce traditional gender stereotypes in an effect to ‘help’ Joe. Frustrated by his wife’s response, Troy takes Joe into the Montana wilderness in an attempt to cross the border to freedom.

Known best for their comedic work, Zahn and Bell deliver incredible performances here as Joe’s conflicted and frustrated parents. Rather than focus primarily on Joe’s journey, this is a film about the fears and insecurities of the adults that surround him and, frankly, both stars are simply astonishing to watch onscreen. (Zahn, in particular offers some of the best work of his career here, imbuing Troy with a mixture of frustrated anger and genuine humility.) 

Due to the strength of their performances, there’s a surprising level of nuance to Cowboys. While his temper can get him into trouble, Troy’s motives behind his blow-ups primarily stem out of a heart of protection for his young son. At the same time, Sally’s antagonistic mother is not without redemption either. Whereas many films of this type will portray their ‘villain’ as the inveterate monster, Sally’s anger stems more from her denial than a heart of bigotry.

While Bell and Zahn may be the focus of the film, Cowboys is about far more than their family. Pulling back the lens, Kerrigan’s work is also a call for grace and understanding from a culture that is still coming to grips with the modern sexual revolution and its nuances. Though Cowboys may be the story of one youth’s journey, it is also a reminder of the humility required to help all people discover who they were created to be.

Cowboys is currently streaming at the Inside Out Fest.