The Electric Horseman, released in theaters on Dec. 21, 1979, reunited Robert Redford with Sydney Pollack for their fifth collaboration in a quintessential piece of late-70s cinema that blends the “Modern Western” with environmental and anti-corporate themes.
Norman “Sonny” Steele (Redford) is a five-time world champion rodeo star who has fallen a long way from his glory days. Now, he serves as a disillusioned corporate spokesperson for Ampco, a massive conglomerate.
His job consists of wearing a ridiculous, battery-powered suit covered in flashing neon lights to promote breakfast cereal at conventions and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Usually drunk to numb the humiliation, Sonny’s life changes when he discovers that Ampco’s $12 million prize thoroughbred, Rising Star, is being drugged and mistreated for corporate appearances.
In a sudden act of rebellion, Sonny rides the horse right off the Las Vegas stage and disappears into the Nevada desert, intending to release the animal into a canyon of wild horses.
Alice “Hallie” Martin (Jane Fonda), a tenacious and ambitious television reporter, smells a massive story. She tracks Sonny into the wilderness, eventually convincing him to let her document his journey.
The film transitions from a Vegas spectacle to a quiet, scenic road movie.
As they evade a massive manhunt led by the ruthless Ampco executive Hunt Sears (John Saxon) and his subordinates (Nicholas Coster, Basil Hoffman and James B. Sikking), Sonny and Hallie develop an unexpected romance.
Along the way, they receive help from Sonny’s loyal friends Wendell (Willie Nelson) and Leroy (Timothy Scott) and a local farmer (Wilford Brimley).
Valerie Perrine also appears as Sonny’s ex-wife, Charlotta Bell.
The journey becomes a battle between individual integrity and corporate greed, as Sonny risks his freedom to give the horse back its dignity.
Robert Redford as Sonny Steele in The Electric Horseman (Photo/Columbia Pictures)
Reception for The Electric Horseman
The Electric Horseman grossed $61.8 million in its theatrical run.
Roger Ebert gave The Electric Horseman three out of four stars in his review.
Lasting Legacy
The Electric Horseman marked the long-awaited onscreen reunion of Redford and Fonda, whose undeniable chemistry – previously seen in The Chase and Barefoot in the Park – anchors the film’s emotional stakes.
The film is perhaps most historically significant for being the acting debut of Nelson. His natural screen presence and the film’s soundtrack (featuring hits like “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys”) helped cement the “Outlaw Country” aesthetic in the American mainstream.
The Electric Horseman was a major box-office hit, proving that audiences were hungry for character-driven stories that questioned the status quo.
The film is remembered as a beautifully shot, sincere drama that captures the rugged individualism of Redford at the height of his powers, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the American Southwest.
