I missed the opportunity to watch this film once, so I rented it on DVD, I recognised it by the image of the leading actor, also directing, with a beard posing behind a hangman's noose, I hoped the film itself would be worthwhile. Basically set in the late 1860s, shortly after the Civil War, in Longhorn, Texas, third-rate outlaw Henry Lloyd Moon (Jack Nicholson) is a convicted bank robber, horse thief and cattle thief. Moon is sentenced to be hanged, to the glee of the locals who gather to watch his execution, a local ordinance dictates that as he has not committed murder, he may be freed if a lady will marry him and take responsibility for his good behaviour. An elderly woman offers to marry him, but dies on the spot immediately, as Moon is dragged back to the gallows, headstrong, genteel Southern virgin Julia Tate (introducing Golden Globe nominated Mary Steenburgen) agrees to marry and take charge of him. Julia weds Moon, intending only to use him as labour in a secret gold mine under her property, they strike up a shaky partnership and he gains her trust, it slowly develops into something more. The local sheriff's Deputy Towfield (Christopher Lloyd) constantly accuses Moon of stealing "his" girl, but there is no evidence Julia has any interest in him, and she offered marriage to Moon herself. It gets complicated when Moon's old gang arrive at Julia's house, she is abstinent, but they introduce her to intoxicating beverages. Julia and Moon are overjoyed when they successfully strike gold, but soon enough the outlaws discover this, Moon schemes to betray Julia and steal the gold., but following a collapse in the mine, he has a change of heart. There is a gun fight between the many men for the gold rush, and in the end, Julia and Moon walk away to make way with their fortune, with the nature of their relationship changed for the better. Also starring John Belushi as Deputy Hector, Danny DeVito as Hog, Veronica Cartwright as Hermine, Richard Bradford as Sheriff Andrew Kyle, Batman's Tracey Walter as Coogan, Ed Begley Jr. as Whitey Haber, Barbara Ann Grimes as Spinster #1, Anne Ramsey as Spinster #2, Marsha Ferri as Spinster #3 and Lin Shaye as Parasol Lady. Nicholson is good as the antihero, this is a good first movie for Steenburgen, and there is fair support from the other recognisable actors, the story is fairly simplistic, a relationship that turns from sour to smooth, a search for gold, and some bandits trying to get their hands on it, the movie may have been a flop at the cinemas, but it is a reasonable and fun comedy western. Worth watching!
Review of Goin' South
