Roger Ebert Called Patrick Swayze’s Only Western Movie a “Warm-Blooded” Adventure

With as large a body of work as Patrick Swayze had to his name, it’s sort of surprising that he wasn’t in many Westerns. In fact, he wasn’t in any Westerns at all, save for one: a long-forgotten Disney movie called Tall Tale. Though some may consider Road House a modern Western of sorts, as far as traditional horse operas go, only this Disney fantasy flick fits the bill — Pecos Bill, that is. In this 1995 adventure, Swayze plays none other than Pecos Bill, a legendary cowboy who comes to the aid of a young boy named Daniel Hackett (played by a young Nick Stahl). Is Pecos Bill real or imagined? Well, Tall Tale (sometimes called Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill) offers few clear answers, but they don’t matter much anyway. Patrick Swayze played a cowboy here, and the truth is that we wished he’d played a few more…

‘Tall Tale’ Brought the Myths of the American West to Life

In American history and culture, there have always been folk heroes. Swayze’s Tall Tale character Pecos Bill has been in the American pop culture zeitgeist for over a century, and some of the other notable figures in this film — namely Paul Bunyan (played by Oliver Platt) and John Henry (Roger Aaron Brown) — have been around for even longer. But part of the charm of Tall Tale is that these folk heroes, whether real or not, represent the sheer ingenuity, tenacity, and larger-than-life nature of the American spirit, with Swayze perfectly embodying them all. As Daniel finds himself far away from home with little faith in the “tall tales” his father often told him, he encounters these very myths for himself in the Wild West. It’s only when he chooses to embody the very traits these mythical figures represent that Daniel effectively grows up, and can stand against the villainous land developer J.P. Stiles (Scott Glenn).

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There is almost a Wizard of Oz-like quality to this production, as Daniel awakens in a land far from his own, with three new companions who are truly otherworldly. It’s clear that Disney intended Tall Tale to be a children’s fable, one with an over-the-top cast who embody the iconic roles they’ve been given. If you were like this author and grew up with Tall Tale, then you may have some fond memories of Disney’s chief attempt to bring these mythic figures to the live-action screen. (Less than a decade later, the studio would revisit these American tall tales with Disney’s American Legends, a collection of animated short films that revisited characters like Bunyan, Henry, and Johnny Appleseed.) Despite being a box office bomb that garnered mixed reviews from critics, it’s easy to find the diamonds in the rough here, especially so far as Patrick Swayze’s performance (and mustache) is concerned. Indeed, Roger Ebert once called it “a warm-blooded, high-spirited family adventure film,” offering a three-out-of-four star rating.

Patrick Swayze Proved He Was True Western Material

Of course, what makes Tall Tale especially notable is Patrick Swayze himself. Sure, his Pecos Bill is a bit hot-headed and maybe a little full of himself, but the way Swayze tackles this legendary cowboy is flawless. Armed with an iconic appearance, a horse named Widowmaker, and enough gumption to carry the entire picture, Tall Tale is as fun an adventure as it is largely because of his mentorship of young Daniel. Through Swayze’s portrayal and Pecos Bill’s pure Western convictions, Daniel discovers the strength within himself to stand up for what’s right, even if it costs him everything. Frankly, it’s easy to watch this flick and wish that Patrick Swayze had tackled more Western roles. Though he was more well-known for his action pictures and coming-of-age dramas/romances, he settles into the Old West with ease, bringing a lighthearted charm to an otherwise desolate place.

While Swayze nearly overlapped with the Western genre on an occasion or two — he also starred in the Civil War series, North and South, and his 1989 thriller Next of Kin ventured dangerously close — Tall Tale is his only pure horse opera, even if it doubles as a fantasy. The actor, who was known off-camera for being something of a real-life cowboy himself (he owned ranches in California and New Mexico before his death in 2009), looked just as comfortable on the back of a horse as he did wielding a six-shooter with a wide grin and an even wider-brimmed hat. While the Western was far less popular in the 1980s and 1990s than it was in its heyday in the early-to-mid 20th century, it would’ve been grand to see Swayze appear in classics like Tombstone or Dances With Wolves, even if just in a smaller capacity. Nevertheless, Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill mythologizes Patrick Swayze’s cowboy persona, solidifying the actor as a one-time Western star.

Tall Tale

Release Date

March 24, 1995

Runtime

98 minutes

Director

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Writers

Robert Rodat

Producers

Bill Badalato, Joe Roth