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The Last Rodeo: Cowboys, Cancer, and Christopher McDonald Being a Good Guy
- Blu
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
The Last Rodeo is the kind of movie where you know exactly how it’s going to end about ten minutes in, and somehow that’s both its biggest weakness and its secret weapon.
It’s comfort food cinema: familiar, warm, and guaranteed not to surprise you in any uncomfortable ways.
TMJ Rating: 🍿🍿🍿/5
What You Need to Know
Joe Rainwright (Neal McDonough) is a retired bull rider whose glory days ended with a career-ending injury that left him partially paralyzed. His daughter Sally (Sarah Jones) had to nurse him back to health, and she’s understandably not thrilled about anything rodeo-related.
But Joe’s got a grandson, Cody, who dreams of following in grandpa’s footsteps.
When Cody gets hit by a baseball during a game, what seems like a simple concussion turns into something much worse: a brain tumor that requires expensive surgery the family can’t afford.
Here comes the classic sports movie setup: there’s a big bull riding competition with a massive prize purse. Joe decides to come out of retirement for one last ride, teaming up with his old buddy Charlie (Michael T. Williamson) to try and win the money for Cody’s surgery. Will he succeed? Come on, it’s an Angel Studios movie, what do you think?
Is Neal McDonough Convincing as a Cowboy?
Absolutely. McDonough was born to wear a cowboy hat. Those piercing blue eyes and weathered face look completely natural under a Stetson. He brings a quiet dignity to Joe that grounds the whole movie.
The real surprise is Michael T. Williamson as Charlie.
You know him as Bubba from Forrest Gump, but he’s so good here that you might not even recognize him. He brings warmth and loyalty to every scene, and his friendship with Joe is genuinely touching.
And yes, Christopher McDonald (aka Shooter McGavin) shows up as the tournament organizer, and for once, he’s not playing a complete jerk. It’s weirdly refreshing to see him be supportive instead of scheming.
Does the Family Drama Work?
The father-daughter tension between Joe and Sally feels real, even if the dialogue gets a bit heavy-handed sometimes.
Sarah Jones does solid work as a woman who’s been burned by her father’s reckless choices and is terrified of losing her son.
There’s a great moment early on where Sally is literally telling someone how she wants to keep Cody safe from dangerous activities like bull riding, and boom! He gets smacked in the head by a baseball. Life doesn’t care about your safety plans, which is both darkly funny and brutally honest.
The movie tackles the nightmare of American healthcare costs head-on, and that feels unfortunately timely. Even with insurance, families get buried under medical bills, and the film doesn’t shy away from that harsh reality.
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The Bull Riding Action
The early riding scenes look pretty fake. You can tell when they’re using stunt doubles, and the editing tries way too hard to hide it.
But once the movie hits its stride in the final act, the bull riding sequences become tense.
Eight seconds doesn’t sound like much until you’re watching someone try not to get trampled by 2,000 pounds of angry beef. The filmmakers clearly learned as they went along, because the final competition scenes had me leaning forward in my seat.
About the Faith in The Last Rodeo
This is an Angel Studios movie, so yes, there’s Christian messaging woven throughout.
Joe’s angry at God for taking his wife and potentially his grandson, and there’s the expected journey back to faith through community and family.
But it’s not heavy-handed or preachy.
The religious elements feel organic to these characters and their world. If you roll your eyes at faith-based movies, this one probably won’t be life-changing, but it won’t beat you over the head either.
The Predictability Problem
Here’s the thing: you will see every plot beat coming from miles away. The movie follows the sports movie playbook so faithfully (see what I did there?) that you could probably write the ending yourself.
But sometimes predictable isn’t bad.
Sometimes you want to watch a movie where the good guys win, families reconcile, and everything works out okay. The Last Rodeo delivers that kind of comfort.
Should You Saddle Up for This One?
If you’re looking for something surprising or edgy, keep looking. But if you want a well-made family drama with solid performances and a feel-good message, The Last Rodeo delivers.
McDonough and Williamson’s friendship alone makes it worth watching, and the final act genuinely earned my emotional investment despite the predictable setup. It’s the kind of movie that doesn’t get made much anymore—earnest, sincere, and unafraid to be sentimental.
Are you a sucker for underdog sports movies, or do you need more surprises in your entertainment? Does the faith-based angle appeal to you or turn you off? Let me know in the comments!
