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Good movie but grossly overrated

A Masterpiece!

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This movie is the most charming, full of self-irony, cheerfulness and mystic depth a fairy tale that Clint Eastwood has ever made. Things do not just happen here. They happen just right the way he ever wished them to happen.The film could be taken as if it were of an entertaining genre at the first glance. However, it has a multitude of layers, which may keep you analyzing for about as much as you may wish to. It contains a deal of self-reflection, for Bronco Billy is the director's best self. It is much about finding and understanding oneself, for that is the journey Sandra Lockes character is taking. It is much about the western movie as a whole, and its loosing contact with the modern time. One can't but see parallels to Fellini's 'La Strada', maybe to Bergman's 'Sawdust and tinsel' and perhaps many more. And it is filled with plenty of small details, charged with good humour. And of course, as a fairy tale it is full of idealistic messages.Is is not a regular masterpiece, but it is a masterpiece. It is a meta-, reflective, essentially post-modernistic, masterpiece. Most probably will suit the taste of those looking for art and substance.

Bronco Billy is one of Clint's favorite films. It is also somewhat overlooked or under-appreciated. Bronco Billy is part of a traveling wild west troupe out to make a living by entertaining the kids. Sondra Locke is his love interest yet again and is joined by other regulars that appear in various Eastwood pictures . Also the great Scatman Crothers is joined also and delivers one of his best performances. This is more of a family friendly film and a change of pace to the usual violent Eastwood movie . That does not mean it lacks depth as the story is good and the characters are interesting.I find Bronco Billy somewhat similar to Overboard ,which is also a funny ,heartwarming comedy with another real Hollywood couple that is fun for the whole family . Bronco Billy really is a solid movie and proof to any naysayers that Clint is not a one dimensional filmmaker,or only good as action star. He made a lot of movies that drive that point home throughout his career , this is one of his best of those films.

This movie was made on location in the Boise Valley, Idaho , summer of '79. It's easy to see why Eastwood chose this location; it resembled small town USA in the '50s. Watching Bronco Billy today is a real time trip: where the villages of Eagle, Meridian and Nampa were 30 years ago, suburbia now sprawls to the horizon.On the surface, Bronco Billy is light and corny, but dig deeper into the annals of Americana and discover that director Eastwood is shining a mirror of nostalgia on the pre-Disney TV days of Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers.Some of the landmark film locations still stand, like the Ranch Club in Garden City with the iconic Palomino above the marque that announced "Merle Haggard". Sadly, the historic sandstone courthouse in Nampa was demolished. I entered the building on business and found the movie company was filming there but on a lunch break. Everyone had gone out back, gawking at the Hollywood stars. Eastwood's Bronco Billy Stetson was resting on a table, laden with a silver dollar hatband, tempting me to try it on. When I came back later it was gone, and so was the actor who played Bronco Billy.

Bronco Billy the sharpshooting cowboy is the owner of a modern-day travelling Wild West Show that seems to get caught in one messy situation after another. And not helping is the lack of crowd figures to their show. But nothing is going to stop Bronco Billy along with his companions from living their American dream. Through some amusing chain of events a wealthy, snobby heiress Antoinette Lilly finds herself tagging along with the show and becoming one of Bronco Billy's assistant, after her new husband leaves her stranded with nothing.I don't understand why they think this cap gun shoots nothing but blanks. While, Eastwood (who directs and stars) goes all sentimental, warm and fuzzy for a change. It wasn't as well accepted (despite it being one of Eastwood's favourites) and flopped at the box office with it receiving such poor jabs from most critics. Not to say it's great, but this comically light-hearted character journey has a certain amount of charm within its foundation that doesn't make it as bad as you would believe. Even with this whimsical nature, it never gets overbearing. Sure it can cause you to cringe at times, but it wears its heart on its sleeve and keeps it integrity intact. More often I found myself smiling at the shenanigans, well it was hard not to. It's simply a satire worked into an old-fashioned story of familiar ingredients, were there was plenty of things going on in the plot. Who knew these traditional plot devices could maintain such interest. This is because of a delightful bunch of wholesome performances, authentically zippy purple patches of random fun and Eastwood's conventionally hardy direction makes sure it ticks along sufficiently. Even if it's nicely shot, there's nothing overly flashy or quirky creeping up, so it's all about the loyal chemistry and assured story that keeps one compelled. Streamlining the moralistic story are deep insights and symbolic brushes of the true feeling of the American dream. You got to earn it, as it's not served on up on a plate for you and from that you make the most out of it to live up to 'your' dreams. Pacing-wise it can stall in stretches, but I didn't find it boring when that did occur. The stock characters here seem to be grounded by reality, despite some silly developments (mainly involving a mental institution). The relaxed Clint Eastwood chimes in with a wonderfully touching performance. He simply chews up the material with great vigour. A terrific Sandra Locke has a screen presence that's equally as dominating in the role of the stuck-up, cold-blooded high-end dame. Eastwood regular Geoffrey Lewis' oddball greedy turn was marvellously madcap. The performances of Sam Bottoms, Dan Vadis, Sierra Pecheur and Bill McKinney are pleasurably sincere as Eastwood's ragtag team.If there's one Eastwood film that's unfairly lampooned. "Bronco Billy" gets my vote. This gratifying show must go on.