Tex (film)
Tex is a 1982 American drama film directed by Tim Hunter (his first film as a director) and written by Charles S. Haas. It is based on the novel of the same name by S. E. Hinton. Matt Dillon and Jim Metzler play brothers who struggle after their mother dies and their father walks out on them.
| Tex | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Tim Hunter |
| Produced by | Tim Zinnemann Ron Miller |
| Screenplay by | Charles S. Haas Tim Hunter |
| Based on | Tex by S. E. Hinton |
| Starring | Matt Dillon Jim Metzler Meg Tilly Bill McKinney Ben Johnson |
| Music by | Pino Donaggio |
| Cinematography | Ric Waite |
| Edited by | Howard E. Smith |
Production company | Walt Disney Productions (promoted under the auspices of Touchstone Films) |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
Release date | July 30, 1982 |
Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million[1] |
| Box office | $7.4 million[2] |
Tex received positive reviews for its realism and its content.
The project is notable for being marketed under the "Walt Disney Productions" trademark initially and eventually under the "Touchstone Films" trademark, which was developed specifically for this motion picture.
Premise
A coming-of-age adventure about two brothers, Tex and Mason McCormick, struggling to make it on their own when their mother dies and their father leaves them in their Oklahoma home.
Cast
- Matt Dillon as Texas "Tex" McCormick
- Jim Metzler as Mason "Mace" McCormick
- Meg Tilly as Jamie Collins
- Bill McKinney as Pop McCormick
- Frances Lee McCain as Mrs. Johnson
- Ben Johnson as Cole Collins
- Phil Brock as Lem Peters
- Emilio Estevez as Johnny Collins
- Tom Virtue as Robert Bob Collins
- Jack Thibeau as Coach Jackson
- Željko Ivanek as Hitchhiker Mark Jennings
- Pamela Ludwig as Connie Peters
- Jeff Fleury as Roger Genet
- Suzanne Costallos as Fortune Teller
- Marilyn Redfield as Ms. Cathy Carlson
- Mark Arnott as Kelly
- Jill Clark as Marcie
- Sheryl Briedel as Lisa
- Lisa Mirkin as Shelly
- Rod Jones as Doctor
- Richard Krause as Ride Operator
- Don Harral as Doctor at Hospital
- Janine Burns as Nurse
- Mark Huebner as Orderly
- Ron Thulin as Anchorman
- Mary Simons as Ms. Germanie
- Francine Ringold as Lady Reporter
- Darren Cates as Kid near Tex
- Todd Gatewood Kid in Cafeteria and Stand In
- Robin Winters as Girl on Bike
- Lance Parkill as Boy
- Adam Hubbard as Kid 1
- Wayne Dorris as Kid 2
- Mike Coats as Dave
- Charlie Haas as Lee
- Larry Stallsworth as Patrolman
- Scott Smith as Biker 1
- Eric Beckstrom as Biker 2
- S.E. Hinton as Mrs. Barnes
- Coralie Hunter as Lukie Peters
- Toyota as Rowdy
Production
The film was rated "PG" rather than the "G" then customarily earned by Walt Disney Studios productions, and was noted as an early effort by Disney to incorporate more mature subject matter into its films. The film was somewhat edgy for Disney at the time for its scenes that depicted marijuana use as well as featuring a moderate amount of profanity. Tim Hunter, who had previously co-written the 1979 film Over the Edge with Charles Haas, brought the project to Disney and asked for the opportunity to direct it himself. The film was shot entirely on location in and around Tulsa, Oklahoma and its suburbs,[3] the setting of the S. E. Hinton novel on which it is based.
Reception
Tex received mainly positive reviews from critics, and has an 85% "fresh" rating from the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes from 13 reviews.[4] Janet Maslin of The New York Times lauded the picture as "an utterly disarming, believable portrait of a small-town adolescent" that "captures Miss Hinton's novel perfectly" and that would "make a star out of Matt Dillon" and "forever alter the way moviegoers think about Walt Disney pictures."[5] Roger Ebert gave the film 4 stars out of 4 and noted that Hunter and Haas, as in their previous writing effort, the 1979 film Over the Edge, were "still remembering what it's like to be young, still getting the dialogue and the attitudes, the hang-ups and the dreams, exactly right."[6] David Sterritt of The Christian Science Monitor called it "probably the best picture turned out by the Disney studio since the heyday of the legendary Walt himself."[7]
On the other hand, Variety wrote that "writers Charlie Haas and Tim Hunter (latter making his directing debut) seem intent on incorporating every conceivable adolescent and adult trauma into their script [from the novel by S.E. Hinton], thus leaving the film with a very overdone, contrived feeling."[8]
Accolades
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Jim Metzler | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Matt Dillon | Best Young Motion Picture Actor | Nominated |
| Tex | Best Family Motion Picture | Nominated |
Home video release
The film was released on DVD in September 7, 2004.
References
- Farber, Stephen (October 10, 1982). "THE 'ODDBALL' WHO BROUGHT 'TEX' TO DISNEY". The New York Times. New York City: New York Times Company. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- Tex at Box Office Mojo
- Stephen Farber, "The 'Oddball' Who Brought 'Tex' to Disney", The New York Times, October 10, 1982.
- Tex (1982) at Rotten Tomatoes (accessed 2014-01-31).
- Maslin, Janet (September 28, 1982). "'Tex,' Parentless Boys in Oklahoma". The New York Times.
- Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1982). "Tex". Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago, Illinois: Sun-Times Media Group – via rogerebert.com.
- Sterritt, David (August 5, 1982). "'Tex,' Disney's sensitive story of a teenager's life". The Christian Science Monitor. Boston, Massachusetts: Christian Science Publishing Society.
- "Review: 'Tex'". Variety. December 31, 1981.
External links
- Official website
- Tex at IMDb
- Tex at AllMovie
- Tex at Rotten Tomatoes