The Newton Boys

PG-13

3/26/19982h 2m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ History is about to catch up with America's most successful bank robbers. ~

Overview:

The four Newton brothers are a poor farmer family in the 1920s. One day, the eldest, Willis, realizes that there's no future in the fields and offers his brothers to become bank robbers. Soon, they gain notoriety and, five years later, execute the greatest train robbery in American history.

Director:

Richard Linklater

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$27,000,000.00

Revenue:

$10,452,012.00

Key words:

robbery
based on novel or book
gangster
bank robber
based on true story
nitroglycerin
thief
crime spree
brother brother relationship
blown safe

Cast

Matthew McConaughey

~ as ~

Willis Newton

Skeet Ulrich

~ as ~

Joe Newton

Ethan Hawke

~ as ~

Jess Newton

Vincent D'Onofrio

~ as ~

Dock Newton

Dwight Yoakam

~ as ~

Brentwood Glasscock

Gail Cronauer

~ as ~

Mia Newton

Julianna Margulies

~ as ~

Louise Brown

Jena Karam

~ as ~

Orphan Singer

Casey McAuliffe

~ as ~

Orphan Singer

Regina Mae Matthews

~ as ~

Orphan Fiddler

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
6
Richard Linklater has tried hard with his cast here, but somehow this tale of the real life Newton gang whose criminal career culminated in one of America's most infamous train robberies just doesn't catch fire - at all. Matthew McConaughey (Willis) leads his brothers Jess (Ethan Hawke), Joe (Sweet Ulrich) and the scene stealing Vincent D'Onofrio (Dock) as the young men conclude - with the complicity of their mother (Gail Cronauer) that they don't need to live in rural penury for ever, and that with some meticulous planning they can accrue a considerable fortune without harming anyone but by robbing the railroad. Sadly, though, the actors don't really gel - they are four men who seem to be vying for screen time as much as anything else; there is little evidence of a team on screen which rather belies the truth about why this gang were at all successful. It does move a long apace, though - there is plenty of gun action and some fun pyrotechnics as their antics gain momentum and their targets become bigger. Historically, the ending is quite interesting - and I think quite suitable, though I very much doubt the railroad saw it that way. It's watchable, the production is fine and the dialogue is quite lively at times, but in the end, the sum of the parts just doesn't make for much of an whole. Disappointing.