Junior Bonner

1972

Junior Bonner

Critics Consensus

A strong central performance from Steve McQueen and absorbingly contemplative direction from Sam Peckinpah make rodeo drama Junior Bonner a classic character study.

Junior Bonner Photos

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Movie Info

Junior Bonner is a rodeo film which for several reasons is more than usually interesting. One is that it is directed by Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch), another is that Steve McQueen plays Junior. The film also features a decent script and a strong supporting cast (Ida Lupino, Robert Preston). Junior has been out of touch with his family for some time. When he returns home to Arizona, he is shocked to discover that his parents are splitting up, and his brother (Joe Don Baker) is making a fortune by selling the family ranch for real-estate developments. He gets a bug in his ear about the local rodeo, and decides to compete, inspiring a brief family reunion in the process.

Rating:

PG
Genre:

Classics, Drama, Western
Directed By:

Sam Peckinpah
Written By:

Jeb Rosebrook
In Theaters:

Aug 2, 1972 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Mar 13, 2001
Runtime:

100 minutes
Studio:

ABC

Cast

Steve McQueen
as Junior 'JR' Bonner

Robert Preston
as Ace Bonner

Ida Lupino
as Elvira Bonner

Ben Johnson
as Buck Roan

Joe Don Baker
as Curly Bonner

Barbara Leigh
as Charmagne

Mary Murphy
as Ruth Bonner

Bill McKinney
as Red Terwiliger

Sandra Deel
as Nurse Arlis

Don 'Red' Barry
as Homer Rutledge

Dub Taylor
as Del

Charles Gray
as Burt

Charles H. Gray
as Burt

Matthew Peckinpah
as Tim Bonner

Sundown Spencer
as Nick Bonner

Rita Garrison
as Flashy Girl in Bar

Casey Tibbs
as Parade Grand Marshal

Rod Hart
as Himself

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Critic Reviews for Junior Bonner

All Critics (23) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (21) | Rotten (2)

[Steve] McQueen's reticent personality and hypnotic physical grace are in perfect service, and the air of authenticity is stinging.

May 30, 2018 | Full Review…

Michael Atkinson
Village Voice
Top Critic
Sam Peckinpah's reputation for violence is herein exorcised in the rodeo and brawl sequences. Audiences which consider such rough-and-tumble as innocuous, vicarious ventilation will get their fill, though others may perceive a bit more.

Mar 26, 2009 | Full Review…

Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic
The movie simply never comes together and works as a whole. The material is terribly thin.

Oct 23, 2004 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic
Junior Bonner, based on an excellent original screenplay by Jeb Rosebrook, is Peckinpah in the benignly comic mood that, I suspect, is much more the natural fashion of this fine director than is the gross, intellectualized mayhem.

May 20, 2003 | Rating: 4/5

Vincent Canby
New York Times
Top Critic
Junior Bonner may be the least Peckinpah-like in content, but it's very much like his other work in spirit.

May 30, 2001

Keith Phipps
AV Club
Top Critic
A film filled to overflowing with small, subtle beauties.

Jan 1, 2000 | Full Review…

Don Druker
Chicago Reader
Top Critic
Brilliantly played by Steve McQueen.

May 30, 2018 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Tony Sloman
Radio Times
There are broken dreams to tend to and long simmering antagonisms to manage, with Peckinpah keeping his distance, giving "Junior Bonner" a lived-in feel that's gentle on the senses but occasionally hard on the heart...

May 30, 2018 | Full Review…

Brian Orndorf
Blu-ray.com
The historical moment is precious, as its only constant is flux.

Aug 9, 2015 | Full Review…

Michael Pattison
Slant Magazine
... a gentle character study and a lyrical portrait of family, respect and integrity in the face of adversity.

Jul 19, 2009 | Full Review…

Sean Axmaker
Turner Classic Movies Online
...the leisurely pace effectively prevents the viewer from wholeheartedly connecting with the material.

Jul 9, 2009 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Gravy.

Dec 9, 2007 | Rating: 4/5

Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

View All Critic Reviews (23)

Audience Reviews for Junior Bonner

Oct 15, 2008

Junior Bonner works if you look at it as a bunch of good scenes but as a whole movie its not that great. I would call this more of a Steve McQueen movie than a Sam Peckinpah film (as McQueen's presence for the most part carries it.) Robert Preston and Ida Lupino as McQueen's parents manage to steal every scene they're in (same for Charmagne.) Unfortunately the story never really figures out what it wants to do but the bar fight towards the end was a nice distraction from that fact. It looks like it could be about the death of The Old West for a few minutes but it turned into this goofy, folksy prodigal son kind of thing that turned into a day at the rodeo by default. A lot of little unspoken things are never tied up or explained (the movie wasn't clever, coy or sly enough to give the audience the impression this was done intentionally) and the end just... kind of happened as opposed to having been built up to. I love that Sam Peckinpah did this type of movie, but I just wish it was better.

Michael G Super Reviewer
May 10, 2008

How much you enjoy the film overall depends on your interest or affection for the rodeo but there are some really fine performances. McQueen is fine but Robert Preston and Ida Lupino really take acting honors as his parents. The scene between them on the stairs is an example of what great actors can do to make characters live on the screen. Something that helps sell the story is that the two of them really look like they could be Steve's parents. A subtle drama of the kind that is rarely made today.

jay n Super Reviewer