Movie Review ~ Accidental Texan

I’ll admit I cheated before deciding to watch and review Accidental Texan. With the Oscar season ending, this is a busy time, so I like to be cautious with the number of movies I take on. I wound up scanning a few reviews of this adaptation of Cole Thompson’s 2000 novel Chocolate Lizards to make sure it wasn’t a turkey waiting to gobble me up. The first line of a critique I read was that it reminded the writer of the 1991 Michael J. Fox film Doc Hollywood and the long-running CBS series Northern Exposure. Honestly, they had me at Doc Hollywood, but Northern Exposure really had me scrambling to email the press representative back ASAP.

That may suggest that Accidental Texan trades in familiarity or recycles the mechanics of older properties. Not at all.  Actually, I’d argue it evokes more nostalgia for the type of good-natured dramedies that dotted the cinematic landscape in the ’90s.  Yes, elements of the plot about a big-city guy (Rudy Pankow, 5lbs of Pressure) who winds up stuck in a small town of eccentrics but quickly comes to love his new zip code and neighbors feels charmingly retro but look around what’s available at the moment. There’s a distinct lack of this type of easygoing genre fare right now, and I couldn’t help but be swept away by its simplicity.

Harvard graduate Erwin (Pankow) has just booked his first big movie gig as the star of an action-adventure shooting on location in the southwest. Hardwired to his cellphone, he forgets to turn it off when stepping onto the set, not realizing that the signal will majorly interfere at a critical moment. Fired, dazed, and confused, he drives into the night not knowing where he’ll go next – he’s disappointed too many people who support him. His car breaks down in the middle of a field outside a small oil town in Texas. With the help of kindly café worker Faye (Carrie-Ann Moss, Pompeii) and local driller Merle (Thomas Haden Church, Hellboy), Erwin gets his car into the shop for repair, but it will take several days to be completed.

With time to kill, Merle recruits Erwin to pose as an oil expert to save Merle’s failing bid to keep his oil dreams alive. Reluctant at first, Erwin begins to enjoy the acting challenge and forms a bond with Merle that feels more genuine than the one-sided one he has with his father. Merle still grieves a significant loss in his life as well and sees the offering of a lifeline to Erwin as an opportunity to mend an emotional wound that’s never healed.  Together, the two men rally the town and one another to believe in a dream and the power of community camaraderie.

Carving a distinct niche that resonates with nuance, heart, and an effortlessly laid-back approach, Accidental Texan is a sneak attack dramedy that hits the right notes at unexpected intervals. It’s your typical fish-out-of-water tale, but screenwriter Julie B. Denny and director Mark Lambert Bristol (both near newbies in their roles) prefer unhurried pacing to vying for your undivided attention. You’re invested in what’s happening on screen because Denny’s script is constructed nicely, and Bristol has found an excellent pair of leads. There’s impeccable chemistry between Church and Pankow that blends humor and heart to elevate the film out of the expected. With his seasoned sensitivity, Church embodies the bemused charm of a veteran Texan, while Pankow presents Erwin’s vulnerability and growth with an earnestness that resonates long after the credits roll.

Outside of Moss (whom we don’t see enough of; she’s always so good), the supporting players can be a bit hit or miss.  While all deliver commendable performances, they feel they operate on a different playing field than Church, Pankow, and Moss. However, while showcasing undeniable talent, Bruce Dern (Nebraska) has begun to find himself typecast as owlish characters comfortably ensconced in their chairs. I can’t remember the last movie or television show he’s been ambulatory in. Despite this predictability sedentary appearance, Dern manages to inject depth into his character, and no one plays an irascible old codger quite as dependably.

The rustic charm of Texas is captured beautifully by Matt Wise’s (Werewolves Within) cinematography and through Bristol’s watchful eyes. The storyboard artist for a few blockbuster films, Bristol’s experience in that area has given him easy language for conveying the look and feel of the shot he wants to get, enhancing its authenticity.  Of course, a higher budget could have tweaked the camera and lens quality slightly higher, but it’s a good-looking film overall. There’s also uniformity in composition, whether in the harsh sunlight watching Merle’s oilfield or sitting on the porch with Rudy and Merle at night when the two men learn more about one another.

A pleasant stroll through familiar territories of storytelling, Accidental Texan has a few tricks up its sleeve when it counts. It won me over with its seamless balance of warmth and easy charm, not to mention the strong central performances of the Church-Pankow duo and appealing location. It’s a film that invites you to sit closer, to make you laugh, reflect, and appreciate the beauty of finding oneself in the most unexpected places.