Grand Champion (Released in 2004) - A family film - Starring Jacob Fisher, George Strait, Emma Roberts and Joey Lauren Adams

The 2004 released, multi-starrer Grand Champion is a comedy drama directed by Barry Tubb. The movie is almost entirely shot in Texas and has many cameo appearances from country music stars, such as George Strait, Natalie Maines (of the Dixie Chicks), Robert Earl Keen and others. Among the star cast are Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts as well.
Grand Champion is about a twelve year old boy named Buddy and his pet calf Hokey. Buddy played by Jacob Fisher, lives with his single mother, Hallie, played by Joey Lauren Adams and sister, played by Emma Robert on a small ranch in Lone Star State. He adopts a calf and nick names him Hokey Pokey. Initially, the story is about the love that develops between Buddy and Hokey. When Buddy adopts Hokey, he is more of a pet than anything else, but soon he starts training the calf to become an award winning steer.
Slowly and steadily, Hokey grows up, groomed to become a prize winner. His friend Edgar, played by Cache Williams helps him to gather enough money to enter Hokey into the Grand Champion. People from all walks of life help Buddy accomplish this dream. Buddy and his family then pack all their stuff and head for the big city where the Grand Championship is being held. The competition is stiff, but eventually Hokey Pokey wins Grand Champion.




After winning the Grand Champion, Buddy is approached by Blandford International to buy the prize winning steer for a whopping $775,000. Buddy feels the money could help his family and send his sister and himself to college. So with a heavy heart he decides to sell Hokey to Mr. Blandford, played by Bruce Willis.
Later, however, when Buddy learns that Mr. Blandford plans to make barbeque out of Hokey the following weekend, he decides to rescue his four legged friend. Along with Edgar, Buddy hatches a plan to cow-nap the steer and save him from being killed. Once Hokey is rescued, the boys and Hokey are on the run. But, soon the runner up in the Grand Champion realizes that if Hokey doesn’t show up soon, then he would be named Grand Champion in Hokey’s place. Meanwhile, Mr. Blandford also will stop at nothing to recover his prized acquisition. What ensues is a toe tapping finish as everyone possible tries to help Buddy save Hokey.
Julia Roberts has a cameo role in this movie. She took up the role more as a support factor for her niece, Emma Roberts. The story line is simple and innocent. But the Country singers and big names like Roberts and Willis add more weight to the movie. Overall the movie is a fun enjoyable watch and is clean entertainment for the entire family.

Reunion At Fairborough (released in 1985) - Starring Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr and Judi Trott

The  bitter sweet emotions of star crossed lovers, the sentimentality lent to celluloid by the script, backdrops and background score - makes you want to grab a handkerchief and a bowl of popcorn. Many movies of the war-romance genre have been made through the ages, the return of the war veteran, a recurrent and beloved theme in Hollywood is extended to the much latter part of the veterans lives as well - they seem to be in a constant search for fellow comrades-in-arms, and seeking lost loves of their lives on distant shores.
WWII saw some of the worst atrocities that mankind would ever witness, and the Allies suffered many setbacks before the White Cliffs of Dover and the sandy beaches along the seas were truly free. And whilst they were at the bidding of their respective motherlands, officers and men alike would remember lovers and wives, carry faded pictures of their sweethearts, drown their sorrows in wine and rekindle romance in the arms of exotic foreign beauties.
Casablanca was undoubtedly the most memorable movie in this genre, A Farewell to Arms, sourced from Hemingway’s book of the same name starring Rock Hudson was also a real tear jerker. And then there is Reunion at Fairborough (1985), directed by Herbert Wise and written by Albert Ruben, this is the story of Carl Hostrup (played by Robert Mitchum). Carl is a WWII veteran, who flew with an Air Force Squadron as Captain of a fleet. He is currently leading an apparently cushy life as a high level executive, however, beneath the surface of success are the remnants of a bitter divorce and unrequited love.




Misery and loneliness drive him almost to the point of suicide, when fortunately, his macabre decision is stalled by a phone call from his old crew mate from the War Nathan Barsky (Barry Morse), who is now a professor and has organized a reunion for the 8th Air Force, 323rd Bombardment Squadron, in Fairborough, England where the old base was.
Carl is hesitant to go, but eventually agrees, and when they reach Fairborough, memories of an old love, from forty years ago. Sally Wells Grant (Deborah Kerr) is a shopkeeper is not pleasantly surprised to find Carl at her doorstep, memories of yesteryear flood her mind, and she is vocally bitter about how she was left by him, and how it has taken her years to become emotionally stronger, despite the heartbreak.
Sally also confronts Carl with two shockers - one, he is the father of a daughter, and two - he is grandfather to a granddaughter. Stunned by the revelations, and hurt by her caginess, Carl decides to make headway with the youngest woman in his life: Sheila, his grandchild. The film follows the relationships of the three, Sally and Carl light up the moments with their easy charm and panache, so readily on hand for older stars. Sheila is the young rebel with a cause, whom Carl has to tame.
Mitchum and Kerr deliver one of the most touching performances, her quiet dismissal in the face of reality - at conflict with the love she has secretly harbored for Carl - are easily portrayed by Kerr, whereas the American businessman with nothing–to-look-forward-to-in-life war veteran Carl is convincingly real.
A poignant, emotive and sweet movie – about how love can change lives, and remains alive no matter what the distances in space or time.

Promises to keep (released in 1985) - Starring 3 generations of Mitchums - Robert, Christopher and Bentley

Directed by Noel Black, the film stars three generations of Mitchums - Robert, Christopher and Bentley. Jack Palmer (Robert Mitchum) is the patriarch who abandoned his family three decades ago, a true blue roustabout, who ends up being a foreman at a Wyoming ranch. His son Tom Palmer (played by Christopher Mitchum) resents his father for having walked out on them. Going through a difficult time, Tom is the captain of a boat called the Genoa. A fisherman by trade, he is having an engine problem, which threatens to shut down the Genoa. To make matters worse, the catch that season has been dismally low - top it with having wages to pay, its no surprise that Tom is having a harrowing time. Staying abreast of the other competition in Santa Barbara is now an impossible feat he somehow must accomplish. Meanwhile, the father Jack Palmer discovers he is terminally and like most people who discover the end is near - he is inevitably drawn to his roots, back home in Santa Barbara, delaying his treatment by a week or so in Wyoming.
“There he was, the mystery man, he’d come back.”
As he would already have anticipated, Jack’s homecoming is met with cool indifference and extreme scorn by Tom; his wife Sally (Claire Bloom) retains her dignified composure, though she still gets misty eyed thinking of him. Tom has many other demons to battle, the worst being the fact that Gwen (Tess Harper), his wife, is forced to put their home up for sale. Johnny is in rebel mode, a typical teenager who wants to have to do nothing with an old grandparent; he doesn’t realize how he has in common with Jack. He has undoubtedly inherited his streak for adventure and wanderlust -Tom has a difficult time reining in his son’s wild dreams.




Their adversities seem to get the better of them, as their relationships are compromised at the altar of the past. Jack’s decisions of yesteryear haunt the present, and he sees his family’s fabric disintegrate before him - united only in their resentment and scorn. Tom refuses to reconcile with the father he hardly knows, and would rather hold his son close to him - trying hard to keep him from following his dream. Johnny is at loggerheads with his father and girlfriend for wanting to harness him with the cares of the world.
All in all it is the usual family pot boiler, with the mundane frustrations of three generations of Palmers reflecting what most people in life have to face. The ‘blood is thicker than water’ message of the film is obvious, a tear jerker through and through, it is a true blue HBO TV movie, melodramatic and sentimental.
Robert Mitchum is known for his cameo characters, although ‘The Ambassador’ and ‘Promises to Keep’ are two films in which we see him assay the lead roles. Although Mitchum is believed to have commented on the actual purpose of making the film because he ‘…thought it would be good for the family bank account.’ Caring not for the business of the film, but the moolah it rakes in for him and his - Mitchum, in known for his characteristic forthrightness – just believed in the fun he had with the film, that and the er.., bank account bit, of course!