A story of being lost… and found.|Sep. 16, 2021|United States|104 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Action;&;Adventure;Adventure;Crime;Drama;Mystery;Thriller;War;Western
Description: “Cry Macho” is a 2021 American neo-Western drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. Written by Nick Schenk, the movie is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by N. Richard Nash. The story revolves around a former rodeo star, played by Eastwood, who is hired to bring a young man from Mexico back to his father in the United States.
The journey to adapt the novel into a film has been long and complex. In 2011, Arnold Schwarzenegger was set to star, but production halted due to a scandal. Years later, in 2020, Eastwood took on the project, collaborating with producers Albert S. Ruddy, Tim Moore, and Jessica Meier. Filming took place in New Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Ben Davis as the cinematographer. The film’s score was composed by Mark Mancina during post-production.
“Cry Macho” was released theatrically in the United States on September 17, 2021, by Warner Bros. Pictures, alongside a simultaneous 31-day streaming release on HBO Max. The film received mixed reviews from critics. While the scenery and score were praised, the screenplay faced criticism, and Eastwood’s performance and the film’s tone sparked polarized reactions.
Originally, N. Richard Nash wrote “Macho” as a screenplay in the 1970s, but it was rejected by 20th Century Fox twice. He later reworked it into a novel, published on June 11, 1975. After the novel’s success, Nash pitched the unchanged screenplay again, selling it to Fox and other studios before his death in 2000.
Producer Albert S. Ruddy had been trying to adapt the novel into a film since its publication. In 1988, he approached Clint Eastwood to star, but Eastwood declined, choosing to direct instead and suggesting Robert Mitchum for the lead role. In 1991, Roy Scheider was set to star in a Mexican production, but it was never completed. Over the years, attempts to cast actors like Burt Lancaster and Pierce Brosnan also fell through.
Cast director: Clint Eastwood
Cast actor: Clint Eastwood, Eduardo Minett, Natalia Traven, Dwight Yoakam, Fernanda Urrejola, Horacio García Rojas, Marco Rodríguez, Paul Alayo, Brytnee Ratledge, Amber Lynn Ashley
Original name: Cry Macho