Watch Cowboy Up

Cowboy Up is a 2001 drama film directed by Xavier Koller, starring Kiefer Sutherland, Marcus Thomas, and Daryl Hannah. The film revolves around the lives of two brothers, young cowboys, who face the challenges of the rodeo circuit and their tumultuous relationships with women. The film opens with Hank (Kiefer Sutherland), a retired rodeo champion who is now running his family's cattle ranch in New Mexico. He and his girlfriend Celia (Molly Ringwald) are concerned for his younger brother Ely (Marcus Thomas), a talented bull rider who is constantly getting into trouble. Ely is brash, arrogant and reckless in his personal life, and his behavior often hinders his riding success. Their father and mentor, Austin Rose (Peter Coyote), is a legendary rodeo cowboy who has been declared medically unfit to ride due to a head injury. Austin is trying to convince Ely to take a break from riding, get his life in order, and focus on taking over the family business. However, Ely wants to follow in his father's footsteps and become a champion bull rider. As the rodeo circuit progresses, Ely's reckless behavior alienates him from women and his fellow cowboys. He falls for J.C. (Meadow Williams), an attractive and free-spirited barrel racer, but their relationship is complicated by J.C.'s ties to Tuck (Russell Means), an older Native American cowboy who is Austin's close friend and a respected member of the rodeo community. Meanwhile, Hank rekindles his romance with Celia, who has returned to New Mexico after a failed marriage. Their relationship becomes strained when a beautiful but manipulative veterinarian named Tracy (Daryl Hannah) comes to town and starts to come between them. As the film moves towards its climax, Ely's personal demons begin to catch up with him. He is forced to come to terms with the choices he has made and the consequences they have for his dreams, relationships, and family. The film boasts some great rodeo scenes, providing a thrilling and often dangerous insight into the life of a rodeo cowboy. The competitive, high-risk lifestyle of bull riders is portrayed with gritty realism, accompanied by Jesse Dayton's twangy soundtrack. Sutherland and Thomas both gave standout performances as tough, flawed men with family legacies that define their self-worth. The contrast between Hank's stoicism and Ely's hyperactivity makes for an interesting dynamic. Hannah is also noteworthy in her role as Tracy, infusing the character with an alluring yet manipulative quality. Cowboy Up is a bittersweet drama that explores the complexities of cowboy culture, the bonds of brotherhood, and the toll of living a life on the edge. It's a film that will appeal to anyone interested in Westerns, rodeos, or human drama in general.