All the Pretty Horses poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Matt Damon, Henry Thomas, Lucas Black, Penelope Cruz, Ruben Blades ... see more see more... , Robert Patrick , Julio Oscar Mechoso , Miriam Colon , Bruce Dern , Sam Shepard , Jesse Plemons

Director Billy Bob Thornton explores coming of age in this Western based on Cormac McCarthy's prize-winning novel of the same name. John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) and Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas) are yo... read more read more...ung Texan men who seek a more fulfilling life as cowboys in the slowly fading Old West, circa 1949. One night, the duo head for Mexico in hope of finding some adventure and employment, and along the way run into Blevins (Lucas Black), an even younger drifter who has supposedly stolen a horse from private property. Begrudgingly, Cole and Rawlins take him under their wing before they eventually find themselves in Mexico, working for a wealthy landowner (Ruben Blades). His stalwart and beautiful daughter Alejandra (Penelope Cruz) develops a romantic interest in Cole, which threatens the friendship between him and Rawlins, not to mention their living quarters, where Alejandra's watchful aunt (Miriam Colon) warns Cole that she has professed allegiance to her. Cole and Rawlins' thrill-seeking adventures with Blevins and the stolen horse catch up to them, however, and they are held prisoners in a brutal penitentiary, where their cowboy instincts are put to the ultimate test. Cole, meanwhile, wants nothing more than to get back to Alejandra and resume their love affair. The film also features Bruce Dern in a small role as a judge who eventually gives much-desired guidance to Cole. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Flixster Users

42% liked it

11,411 ratings

Critics

32% liked it

99 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 56 min.

Directed by: Billy Bob Thornton

Release Date: December 25, 2000

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: May 8, 2001

Get It:

Stats: 487 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

All the Pretty Horses All the Pretty Horses
Upload a Photo | View All All the Pretty Horses Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (487)

  • StarCrossedVoyager
    December 31, 2010
    StarCrossedVoyager
    An ok film overall. Great aesthetics but the narrative wasn't really shown too well. I'll have to read the book and find out if that's McCarthys fault or the makers of this film. It had hints of a summer romance film but didn't quite get there which is a shame since performances ... read morewere good.
  • itsjustme2004
    October 14, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    I thought that this was a really good movie, despite alot of bad reviews. I say this even though I am not a Penelope Cruz fan, but I AM a Matt Damon fan...so this probably helped my opinion. I think that he did a fantastic job. I thought that this was going to be primarily a love... read more story, but it was so much more than that.
  • bbcfloridabound
    October 23, 2008
    bbcfloridabound
    Not really a western but a way of life. This is a graet flix, Matt plays an excellent part, not sure why I missed it when it was in the theathers. Worth adding to your collection
  • YosemiteSamFan
    August 17, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    I liked the scenes when they are sent to a harsh Mexican prison. The romantic storyline didn't interest me too much.
  • crossbladezero
    December 31, 2011
    crossbladezero
    Billy Bob Thornton must be some kind of self-hating redneck, because his films are so redneck that they're just plain offensive. Seriously, in "Sling Blade", they may as well have specified that his mental disability was "Redneckitis". Well, ladies and gentlemen, ol' Billy Bob is... read more back, and this time, he's taking on a western drama about cowboys; and sure enough, this film is so redneck that I was waiting for them to lynch the title to this film, because this is probably the gayest title to a western that I've ever heard. Heath Ledger's ghost is somewhere, staring down at this film in a bargain bin at Wal-Mart and saying, "Wow, that is a gay-sounding western." Wow, a gay "and" Heath Ledger joke, at the same time; now that's offensive. Maybe this is a case of misery loves company, seeing as I'm really offended right now, because I'll be a monkey's uncle if they didn't make the goofiest, most numbskull, thickly-accented redneck of the entire film the only Alabamian in the cast; but hey, that's Lucas Black's thing: setting us back a few decades. Okay, in all honesty, outside of Mr. Black, the film isn't that rednecky, but even if it was, you wouldn't notice, because exaggerated characters would be hidden, somewhere, in the midst of this film's big pile of other problems.

    Now, I said that the film isn't too rednecky; I never said that it wasn't stereotypical, not just in the character department, but in the film department, because this rather refreshing idea for a western goes rather unfulfilled, because Billy Bob Thornton is too artistic to the point of being sappy. When the dramatic aspects come into play, Thornton is overemphatic on the atmosphere, so much so that after a while, the resonance loses steam and feels melodramatic to an overly theatrical, very generic state. That lack of emotional resonance isn't helped by the fact that it's hard to tell what's going on, seeing as this film has "so" many subplots. Of course, no matter which subplot we're on, the film seems to skim through it, rushing through scene, after scene, which of course takes a blow to later character development, and by extension, Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz's chemistry. The film isn't terribly disappointing, but there is definately a squandering of potential, because if Thornton to loosen up a bit on the extreme artistry, tighten up some scenes, add some more exposition and smoothly extend this film - seeing as there's too much here to comfortably cover in just under two hours -, this would have been an excellent western. Of course, for it be just that close to excellence, the film would have to still have a lot of strengths; and sure enough, the film has plenty that's good about it. I wish I could say that the film really delivers emotionally, but from an entertainment standpoint, this film is actually pretty fun and lively.

    The score to this film is really good, having that traditional western sound, but with a bit of a refreshing twist that brings a lot of spirit and life to this film, almost as much as the production designs. There's nothing tremendous about the production, but it still captures the essence and scope of this wester environment, yet there is still enough of a contemporary tone to remind you that this is the 1940s, one of last few years of rural western life. I disagree with those who deem the film totally uninvolving, because while it doesn't live up to its potential as a drama, it's still an entertaining film. However, speaking of the drama, no matter how messily Thornton handles it, there is a degree of it that does, in fact, ring true, almost entirely because the performers try their hearts out. Now, I have a tendency to overstate "just good" performances, and yes, these performances in here are "just good", but that's "just good" attract your attention. Matt Damon, Henry Thomas and yes, even the very offensive Lucas Black are all charismatic leads, delivering their snappy dialogue charmingly, but when dramatic aspects come along, they're compelling. Again, our leads aren't terribly solid, but they're not suppose to be; they all just play along, not trying to one-up each other, and develop sharp chemistry in their relationship, and seeing as their relationship is most prominent, they carry the film with their charm.

    In the end, its briefness, sometimes generically melodramatic tone and messily-handled massive amound of subplots dilute dramatic resonance and squander some pretty high potential, but thanks to the lively production, as well as sharply charismatic lead performances by Damon, Thomas and Black, "All the Pretty Horses" is left a thoroughly entertaining film; improvable though, it may be.

    2.5/5 - Fair
  • trisarahtops22
    March 22, 2011
    trisarahtops22
    As in most of these cases, I liked the book better. This movie stayed pretty close to the book though, which for me is always a plus. I thought it was good, but not great.
  • mvieaddict
    November 22, 2009
    mvieaddict
    All The Pretty Horses was a beautiful movie with wonderful acting, some humor and marvelous cinematography.Directed by Billy Bob Thornton, he did a great job in creating images that were breathtaking with nature beauty scenes.Matt Damon played a young cowboy, trying to find adve... read morenture in his real passion: horses.The supporting role by Henry Thomas and Lucas Black was also good. What was a little disappointment to me was the lack of chemistry between Penelope Cruz and Matt Damon, they didn't seem in love. It was good that love part was just a small aspect in this movie. It was more about friendship, loyalty, adventure, and surviving. In the beginning the plot seemed a little too slow,then it catch up so good in the nearly last part. Not bad.
  • juliryan
    September 4, 2009
    juliryan
    Damon gives a good, understated performance. But maybe he is edgier as a bad boy. There is no spark between Damon and Cruz. This movie does not do justice to Cormac McCarthy's excellent novel. Director Billy Bob Thornton's take is just too simple.
  • debmm
    August 27, 2009
    debmm
    This film was based on another book by Cormac McCarthy (No Country For Old Men, The Road). The scenes play out upon a stunning background of New Mexico, beautiful horses, Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz. The story lagged in places but it's a sweet movie.

    "I knew from the first... read more time I seen him, that son of a bitch had a loose wing nut!"
  • Doctor0Quinzel
    August 24, 2008
    Doctor0Quinzel
    I didn't feel emotional attached to Damon's character and the way the film ended made it feel incomplete. It was just okay.

View All All the Pretty Horses Reviews

Critic Reviews

Joel Siegel
January 9, 2001
Joel Siegel, Good Morning America

Damon is 30 and Cruz will soon be 27, and they look it. And there goes the drama.

Steve Mirarchi
December 26, 2000
Steve Mirarchi, Boston Globe

McCarthy's novel employs the coming of age narrative in service of his sanguineous spiritual vision, and for the film to renounce that philosophy is to give up its soul and be rendered lifeless. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
December 26, 2000
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

Lovely but disengaging, mysterious but uninvolving, physical but strangely remote. Full Review

Susan Stark
December 26, 2000
Susan Stark, Detroit News

Working from Ted Tally's casually artful script, director Billy Bob Thornton guides Matt Damon, Henry Thomas and Penelope Cruz to their most impressive performances in a major movie yet. Full Review

Joe Baltake
December 26, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Thornton and Tally aim for such fidelity to the material that they end up botching it. Full Review

Steven Rosen
December 26, 2000
Steven Rosen, Denver Post

Whether you're familiar with the story or not, you'll have trouble feeling connected to it. Full Review

Steven Rea
December 26, 2000
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Lacks an essential sense of purpose.

Jay Carr
December 26, 2000
Jay Carr, Boston Globe

A string of gorgeous pictures whose visual impact doesn't nearly resonate with the potency of the book's.

A.O. Scott
December 25, 2000
A.O. Scott, New York Times

A boy's adventure story that has mistaken itself for an epic, and it rattles around in its own ambitions like a child's head in a 10-gallon hat. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
December 25, 2000
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

In an odd way Pretty Horses has been too faithful to the spirit of this somber, fatalistic, melancholy romance, too much a stubborn ode to stoicism, to light any emotional fires. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Kill Bill, Volume 2
    Kill Bill, Volume 2 (43%)
  • Brokeback Mountain
    Brokeback Mountain (29%)
  • Let's Go To Prison
    Let's Go To Prison (38%)
  • Fuck (F*ck)
    Fuck (F*ck) (50%)

More Movies like All the Pretty Horses

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

All the Pretty Ho... : Watch Free on TV

All the Pretty Horses Trivia

  • Which actor played John Grady Cole in the film, All The Pretty Horses?  Answer »
  • What movie features Penelope Cruz and many horses?  Answer »
  • Same name... Olivar Platt in Lake Placid Eric Bana in Troy Ruben Blades in All the pretty horses.  Answer »
  • Name this actor: The Rain_aker S_ving Private Ryan Ti_an A.E. All _he Pretty Horses _ogma Syri_nna The _ajestic Eur_trip The Bour_e Identity  Answer »
More All the Pretty Horses Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add All the Pretty Horses to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?