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Trailer

The Cowboys

1972Movie2 h 14 minPG

Western
70
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.4Metacritic527.4Rotten Tomatoes75%88%

A tense, cathartic western movie about growing up and history.

Good for family movie night · friends night · teens

Where to watch

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Not for scares or laughs.

Movies with

Story

All they wanted was their chance to be men... and he gave it to them.

When his cattlemen abandon him for the gold fields, rancher Wil Andersen is forced to take on a collection of young boys as his cowboys in order to get his herd to market in time to avoid financial disaster. The boys learn to do a man's job under Andersen's tutelage, however, neither he nor the boys know that a gang of cattle thieves is stalking them.

Feels like

  • Classic Western
  • Coming of Age
  • Mentorship & Growth
  • Gritty Rite of Passage
  • John Williams Score
  • John Wayne
  • Loss of Innocence
  • Rugged Frontier

Cast

24 of 26

Crew

Directed by
Mark Rydell
Written by
Harriet Frank Jr., Irving Ravetch, William Dale Jennings
Produced by
Mark Rydell
Music by
John Williams

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

January 13, 1972 · 2 h 14 min · PG

Released
January 13, 1972
Runtime
2 h 14 min
Age rating
PG
Content
Violence, Strong Language
Genres
Western, Adventure, Drama, Action
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$6 million
Box office
$8 million
Available in
74 countries
Keywords
based on novel or book

Tropes

Bad "Bad Acting", Coming of Age Story, Mentor Occupational Hazard +9

  • Bad "Bad Acting"
  • Coming of Age Story
  • Mentor Occupational Hazard
  • Team Mom
  • Stutter Stop
  • Would Hurt a Child
  • Badass Boast
  • Improbable Age
  • Innocent Bigot
  • Only One Name
  • Bittersweet Ending
  • Miss Kitty

12 of 26 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

4 questions, like "Where can I stream The Cowboys?"

Questions about The Cowboys

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Cowboys?

MGM+FawesomeHowdy

In the United States, The Cowboys streams on MGM+ and Howdy, and it is free with ads on Fawesome. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home.

Is The Cowboys worth watching?

70
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 70 (IMDb 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes 75%, and Metacritic 52). Audiences rate it higher (79 out of 100) than critics (64).

Is The Cowboys okay for kids?

PGViolenceStrong language

Yes: it's rated PG in the United States for violence and strong language, and the viewing guide lists it for family nights.

What tropes does The Cowboys use?

Bad "Bad Acting"Coming of Age StoryMentor Occupational HazardTeam MomStutter StopWould Hurt a ChildBadass BoastImprobable AgeInnocent BigotOnly One NameBittersweet EndingMiss Kittyand 14 more

TV Tropes lists 26 tropes for it, including Bad "Bad Acting", Coming of Age Story, and Mentor Occupational Hazard.