Where have all the cowboys gone? Look no further than Bruce Ford, a 39-year-old (at the time of this 1994 documentary), four-time national rodeo champion and the subject of filmmaker Arthur Elgort's sepia-toned homage to the surviving spirit of the American West. Elgort closely follows the dignified and amiable Ford for the duration of a rodeo-circuit season, traveling with him as he rides bucking broncos in one town after another, earning money and points toward eligibility in the all-important national finals. Though it would be easy to look at Ford's classically weathered, rugged face all day, Elgort also takes us into the inner sanctum of his subject's sturdy, supportive family, which keeps faith by often accompanying him on the road. Much of Elgort's action footage in the rodeo ring is extraordinarily handsome, and he is admirably alert to the breathless drama of Ford's dangerous occupation. Whatever one might think of the cowboy life, one can't help but root for this guy and feel grateful to Elgort for keeping a corner of America's historic identity alive. For those of us whose days revolve around cities or the nowheresville of cyberspace, the continuing story of Bruce Ford's pathway across the land is heartening. --Tom Keogh
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