THE LAST RODEO

Name: THE LAST RODEO
Item: THE LAST RODEO
Author: Review

"No Greater Love"

Family Content: +2 Moderately questionable elements.

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

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What You Need To Know:

In THE LAST RODEO, after riding a bull in a rodeo, young Cody gets hit in the head by a pitch in his baseball game. Later, Cody collapses. His mother and grandfather learn he has a brain tumor and needs emergency surgery, but they can’t afford it. So, Cody’s grandfather, Joe, a three-time bull riding champion who quit because of a broken neck, decides to compete in a rodeo for legendry riders to get the money. Problems, and miracles, occur as Joe competes to win the grand prize money.

THE LAST RODEO is a powerful, exciting movie with wonderful acting and powerful reconciliations as well as many wonderful, heartfelt scenes of reconciliation and miraculous overcoming. Best of all, THE LAST RODEO has a strong Christian, biblical worldview. It has multiple references to God the Father, with characters talking about Him openly. There are also multiple instances of reading the Bible and accepting God’s grace. However, THE LAST RODEO has violent bull riding scenes, a fight in a bar, three very light obscenities. So, MOVIEGUIDE® commends THE LAST RODEO with a light caution.

Content:

(CCC, BBB, L, V, N, A, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Very strong Christian, biblical, moral worldview with repentance and conversion, multiple instances mention God saving people, plus many instances of Bibles being read aloud, grandfather risks serious injury to help his daughter and her son who’s undergoing an expensive surgery, people help other people in need, and dialogue about how great God and the Bible are;
Foul Language:
Three light exclamatory obscenities;
Violence:
Multiple instances of violence, mainly getting thrown off bulls (real and mechanical) and possibly getting stepped on, a few instances of punching includes man punches hay while training, punches a hole into a wall and then punches people at a bar fight (this fight also involves some shoving and throwing), and other instances include a child hit by a baseball in his head, and a bull rider getting his leg pinned against a wall;
Sex:
No sex scenes or sexual immorality, but there’s one instance of a married couple kissing in a wedding video, and instances of married couples hugging and holding hands, plus some moments where people dance together;
Nudity:
Three examples of upper male nudity (occurring when changing shirts and with doctors);
Alcohol Use:
Three examples of drinking, two instances happen at a bar (one of those involves multiple people drinking and the other involves just one person), but drunkenness is rebuked;
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:
No smoking or drugs; and,
Miscellaneous Immorality:
Man discards a helmet to wear his cowboy hat while riding a bull, and another man rides a bull against his mother’s wishes, while being encouraged by the lead male character.

More Detail:

THE LAST RODEO is a drama about an older champion bull rider who retired when his neck was broken,, but who agrees to compete to win the money needed to pay for emergency brain surgery for his grandson. THE LAST RODEO has a great cast to carry viewers through a lot of tears, laughs and dramatic moments with a terrific Christian, uplifting worldview, but it has intense rodeo action and minor other issues.

The movie opens with a frightening bull charging Joe (played by Neal McDonough). After a flashback to Joe atop a bucking bull, the movie cuts to a small rodeo with Joe’s grandson, Cody, on a bull. After the rodeo, they go to a baseball game. At the game they meet Sally, Joe’s daughter and Cody’s mom. They watch as Cody gets hits by a pitch into his head, right below his helmet by his ear. He gets up and signals he’s doing alright.

After the game, they return to the house. While Joe and Sally argue about letting Cody ride bulls, they hear Cody collapse. They walk to him and find Cody standing back up with vomit on the floor. At urgent care, they are told to take Cody to the hospital where the doctors find Cody has a brain tumor like the one that killed Joe’s beloved wife, and Cody needs emergency surgery. They have to drive from Oklahoma to see the best brain surgeon in Dallas and find out the surgery will cost two hundred thousand dollars or more, which they can’t afford.

So, Joe, who quit bull riding when he broke his neck and his wife died, makes the extremely life threatening decision to participate in the Legends Rodeo event with his former best friend who was his aid and trainer Charlie (played by Mykelti Williamson). Charlie is a committed Christian who reads the Bible at every opportunity, but Joe is angry with God because his wife died. Charlie witnesses to Joe in many ways throughout their journey. Also, Joe needs another miracle, because Joe didn’t respond to the Legends Rodeo invitation so he must convince the event organizer, Jimmy Mack, to let him bull ride in the rodeo.

Sally is very angry with Joe planning to ride bulls again, but Joe and Charlie, who have past issues with each other, set out for the rodeo where Jimmy pulls some strings to get Joe into the rodeo.

Miraculously, Joe’s bull riding is good enough to get fourth place. Meanwhile, Cody had a successful surgery, but they couldn’t get all the tumor out. So, another surgery is needed.

On the second day of the rodeo, the bull pins Joe’s leg against the wall. While on the ground, the bull steps on his knee. Even with serious injuries, Joe demands re-ride.

==Joe demands that the doctor clear him, and then he has a great ride, putting him in first place with one day of the rodeo left.

After that day of the rodeo, every rider goes to the bar. While there, Joe slips away to call Cody and Sally. The call convinces Joe that he needs to see them. However, the young bull riders, mock and fight Joe in the bar. Jimmy tells Joe that if Joe is charged with the brawl by the police, Joe will not re-ride. Even so, Joe asks Jimmy for a ride on his plane, and discovers that Charlie told Jimmy that Cody has a brain tumor.

On the way to visit, Jimmy reveals to the world Cody’s condition and starts a gofundme which upsets Joe because he doesn’t want charity. Joe makes it in time to comfort Sally, then heads back to the rodeo competition.

However, Joe needs nearly a perfect score to win the grand prize and the money. Charlie reads Joe the Scripture verse that God will raise up those who believe, Joe relents, repents and prays.

THE LAST RODEO is a wonderful movie with a great cast and many emotional, heartfelt moments. Furthermore, the ending is great.

THE LAST RODEO has a strong Christian, biblical worldview that promotes making sacrifices for family and that continuously acknowledges God. There are multiple uplifting, dramatic scenes. However, THE LAST RODEO has violent bull riding scenes, a fight in a bar, three very light obscenities. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises a light caution for very young children.