Butch & Sundance: The Early Years

[Eddie Love]

How do you profit off the franchise possibilities of a blockbuster movie phenomenon when the protagonists of the original film famously died in a blaze of glory at the climax? You create an origin story. Unless I’m mistaken, I think the first time anyone heard the word “prequel” it was in reference to 1979’s BUTCH & SUNDANCE: THE EARLY YEARS. The film casts Tom Berenger and William Katt in the roles that made the pairing of Newman and Redford legendary.

Titles don’t get much more descriptive than the moniker assigned here, and not unexpectedly the film recounts the meeting and union of the two western outlaws and their first forays into bank and train robbing. We see the guys as they find their feet as criminals in a story that’s essentially a shaggy-dog style caper. Nothing here really suggests the rueful, comic tone of the earlier film, if later story.

The novelty of the picture is that the actors cast in the leads bear a striking resemblance to the original stars, a fact that was noted in both cases before they ever stepped into these roles. Both the guys are quite good in the parts and effective in slyly evoking the earlier stars. Berenger particularly gives a highly entertaining performance, he’s really excellent and I don’t know that we ever saw him be as light-hearted and fun in subsequent roles. Elsewhere in the supporting cast is early work by some big talents like Brian Dennehy as a snarling villain (foreshadowing his epic performance in SILVERADO), Christopher Lloyd, and donning the famed boater hat of John Le Flor, Peter Weller.



The film was directed by the stylistically anarchic Richard Lester. There are occasional flashes of the dense, period naturalism he brought to bear so richly on his MUSKETEERS masterwork, but for the most part he seems a bit out of step with the film’s setting and genre. There isn’t must energy to any of the scenes, including the action set pieces. There’s one shot of the boys jumping on a train where I sat up a bit, but otherwise I never got caught up in any of the action. However, the production design doesn’t stint on flavor and the photography by Lazlo Kovacs has its share of fine work.

Generally, the fault here seems to lie with a script that’s broadly episodic, yet doesn’t really include much actually happening. Certain sections, especially a long slog on skis, go on much too long and an extended bittersweet idyll with Butch’s young family is frankly depressing. I was distracted watching this sequence by thoughts of why Paul Newman in his dying stand in Bolivia never spared a single thought for the sons he was leaving behind.

For some reason I remember really liking B&S:TEY when I saw it not long after it came out, perhaps finding it simply better than it’s meager reputation. But seen today, it really doesn’t hold up as much of anything. It’s amiable and inoffensive, but also over-long and uninvolving. It’s certainly one of Lester’s lesser works, and isn’t likely to make anyone forget the classic earlier film that inspired it.

[Derrick]

Eddie,

Like you I have a tremendous liking for this movie but I'll be switched if I could explain why. It's nowhere near as good as the original but I think that I like it because it's plain (to me at least) that the actors, director and crew sincerely were trying to make a prequel/sequel equal to the original. They didn't suceed but that's not because they were lazy or just didn't care. In fact, I like it so much that I recorded it from Fox Movie Channel and burned it to DVD as I don't think it's available on DVD.

You're absolutely right about Tom Berenger and William Katt. They're excellent at reminding us of Paul Newman and Robert Redford without imitating them. It also doesn't hurt that they're both extremely likeable actors as well. You're right about that the action being very low key. The only scenes with any real suspense are the ones where The Sundance Kid is trying to rob a poker game right in the middle of a crowded saloon and Sundance's showdown with O.C. (Brian Dennehy). other than that we never really think our boys are going to come to any harm. Mostly because they're a long way from Bolivia. And I love the soundtrack. There's some wonderful music in this movie.

It does nag me that on one hand they took the time to hire Jeff Corey to reprise his role as Sheriff Ray Bledsoe while on the other they have the scene where Butch and Sundance tell each other their real names. Which they did in the earlier movie as if they've never known each other's real names all this time. And it was unforgivably sloppy storytelling to have Butch riding as a member of the Le Fors posse when in the earlier movie Butch and Sundance had certainly heard of Le Fors but had never seen him.

But only would bother somebody as anal about that stuff as I am. I certainly recommend this movie when I'm asked about it. No, it's not the classic that the original is, but there's nothing outstandingly wrong with it either.

[Eddie Love]

And isn't Jeff Corey excellent in both films? I think he's such a small part of the first one that only guys like us who know it so well will recall his role when seeing the later picture.

Also, I should have pointed out -- the whole section in the beginning where Butch is released from prison but only after agreeing to never break the law in Wyoming as he can't in good conscious agree to go straight entirely. All true. It killed William Goldman not to include that in the original.

[Derrick]

Dec 11, 2010 16:59:42 GMT -5 Eddie Love said:

And isn't Jeff Corey excellent in both films? I think he's such a small part of the first one that only guys like us who know it so well will recall his role when seeing the later picture.

Also, I should have pointed out -- the whole section in the beginning where Butch is released from prison but only after agreeing to never break the law in Wyoming as he can't in good conscious agree to go straight entirely. All true. It killed William Goldman not to include that in the original.

You can almost see Paul Newman smiling over Tom Berenger's shoulder during that scene. Tom Berenger nails the entire tone of that scene wonderfully. It never fails to crack me up at the sheer balls Butch displays while negotiating with the governor (who was played by Hal Holbrook, right?)

There is one scene where Berenger's charm fails him and it's during the scene with Butch's family that you were dead on when you call it depressing. It also makes it hard to root for Butch afterwards. Before you can look upon him as a happy-go-lucky rogue. But upon finding out he's got a wife and kids he simply abandons whenever he feels like it makes him out to be a world class dick.