Product Details

• Actors: Kiefer Sutherland, Marcus Thomas, Daryl Hannah, Pete Postlethwaite, Melinda Dillon
• Directors: Xavier Koller
• Writers: James Redford
• Producers: Al Corley, Bart Rosenblatt, Eugene Musso
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click here.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: September 3, 2002
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00006AUHQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,782 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Cowboy Up" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Two brothers, one a bull rider and the other a rodeo clown, compete for the love of the same woman.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 3-AUG-2004
Media Type: DVD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two brothers, one bull, February 22, 2003

By 

Ronald Scheer "rockysquirrel" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cowboy Up (DVD)

The marketers positioned this movie as a love triangle between sibling rodeo cowboys (Kiefer Sutherland and Marcus Thomas) and a girl (Daryl Hannah), which is about as wide of the mark as missing the broad side of a barn. The key character who drives these brothers apart is their father, a champion bull rider, long retired, and long absent from their lives, played terrifically in a cameo performance by British actor Pete Postlethwaite. The old man gave all his attention to the one who took after him and scorned the other, who had the more tender heart. Then he left home, at the wrong end of a shotgun, pointed at him by the boys' mother, played wonderfully by Melinda Dillon. But his impact continues to be felt.

Both boys grow up to become bullriders, like their father. Only one (Sutherland) opts out and turns his talents to being a rodeo clown (bull fighter) and raising rodeo stock, specifically a fierce bull that no cowboy can ride. Like the old man, the bull does his damage, but not before one of them has suffered a near-fatal accident after being named Rookie of the Year and then returns to the circuit against the wishes of brother, mother, and girlfriend (Molly Ringwald). Celia (Daryl Hannah), a barrel racer figures in there rather briefly as one of several things that estrange the two brothers. There's also pill popping, groupies, and angry outbursts. The two men are finally reunited and reconciled at the national bullriding finals in Las Vegas.

From what I know of rodeoing, and it's not extensive, the representation of life on the circuit is pretty accurate. The slow motion photography used to heighten the dramatic tension during the rides is realistic only if you think of it from the perspective of the riders themselves, for whom eight seconds can surely seem close to an eternity. There's some depth to the script, and scenes are played in a way that let the characters seem more three-dimensional than your usual cowboy-hero movie. Sutherland, in fact, is interesting to watch as a self-conscious man who goes all clumsy around a woman he'd like to impress. Thomas needs only to look lean, a little haunted, and good in a pair of wranglers to convey the troubled, driven man who cannot stay away from a sport that has already nearly killed him. And he does all that nicely.

Compared to a rodeo movie like "8 Seconds," about real-life bullrider Lane Frost, this one is not so predictable, a little grittier, less sentimental, and it doesn't go overboard in glamorizing rodeo. Here, for instance, the lovers split up and stay that way. In Garth Brooks words, "that damned old rodeo" takes its toll on everyone.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars COWBOY UP DVD REVIEW 09/07/02, September 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Cowboy Up (DVD)

Well the long awaited release of this movie has come and gone with little recognition other than a few rodeo related websites. The movie is the best portrayl of bull riding by hollywood I have seen. I do feel like the film walks an edge with some of the lingo they use, but its as close to the real thing as I've seen.
The plot is alright yet the charicters are fairly deep. As far Marcus Thomas goes playing Ely Braxton, he lacks a real believable connection as a bull rider. He comes across as an un inspired, directionless, careless, dare devil with no real reason to ride bulls other than to irrate those around him.
Kiefer Sutherland gives a good performance as the older bullfighter brother Hank Braxton. Molly Ringwald is good as the girlfriend of Ely.
Overall the movie is good. The action shots with bulls is alright and the pace of the movie is slow but not boring. As far as true-to-the-sport goes it gets pretty close, yet has enough to keep the un-intiated entertained.
If you don't mind spending about [price]on it, its a good movie, but if your expecting to get a masterpiece, save your money.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a simple twist of fate, May 16, 2003

By 

Elaine Greywalker "Visual Artist & Writer" (Richmond VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cowboy Up [Theatrical Release] (Theatrical Release)

I enjoyed seeing other dimensions of Darryl Hannah, Kiefer Sutherland and Molly Ringwald. The experience was like looking into a parallel dimension. I also enjoyed learning about the world of bull riding (even if fictionalized). In my opinion the star is Marcus Thomas whose performance makes the show a lot more than Hollywood Does Country. I also enjoyed the little touches of country living authenticity like Connie's home and the ranch. The pace of the story let me take in all the details. There's enough bull riding, fighting and intrigue for variation. I enjoyed the slow motion. I've watched TV bull riding events and it's over too fast to really see anything. I recommend this for couple viewing. A nice romance, a good ending and some necessary roughness. Oh, and good music.