‘Accidental Texan’ Review – Modern Western Dramedy Spurs The Heartstrings

Accidental Texan has a brand of basic appeal on the surface that feels created to guarantee broad success. Rudy Pankow, of the painfully popular Outer Banks, teams up with Thomas Haden Church, well known for his portrayal of Sandman in Spider-Man 3, in what appears to be a tame buddy comedy set in modern western America. In all actuality, this is a potent, surprisingly tense, and persistently gut-busting tale of found friendship and improbable fate. Oh, and Haden Church wears a cowboy hat, has an unbelievably cool gray mustache, and postulates a perfect country accent the whole way through. How could you not watch it?

An opening of hopes and dreams on the highway quickly crumbles into an unfortunate scenario for Pankow’s Erwin. He ends up in a minuscule, forgotten country town with car trouble and nowhere to go. This is where Church’s Merle comes in, offering him some help with the car in exchange for labor. It doesn’t take long for Erwin to befriend Merle, eventually buying into a larger problem, leaving himself behind and facing a seemingly impossible task to save Merle’s livelihood in the oil drilling industry.

There is a real sharpness to Accidental Texan in multiple manners. The plot, based on the novel Chocolate Lizards, cleverly weaves in Erwin’s past in acting to allow him to adapt to those around him, selling himself as an experienced landman in the oil business and seamlessly fitting in alongside Merle in tense talks and high-stakes operations. From sneaking into business meetings to stealing legal documents from the country courthouse, the pair make for an entertaining, memorable dual lead.

The chemistry between Pankow and Church elevates the film’s casual humor to a whole new level, creating huge laughs in little things like reactions and momentary misunderstandings. The majority of their time is spent sharing a beer on the back porch or bickering in a pickup truck, but the film also defers to the darkness when it must, slyly developing their characters for the sake of an emotional climax that may very well take you off guard in the best way.

Sometimes it’ll be as simple as a closed door or forlorn glance, but these moments go a long way in establishing the two as strong leads and connecting them beyond their circumstances, into their pasts. Tying them together when they don’t want to be is as the expectedly lovely Carrie-Anne Moss as Faye. She owns the diner in which the two men met, a place that may as well be their home base, situated as a subdued guide as they each grow. This unconventional group represents the heart of the community, as well as the film’s blanket theme of dependent love that’s bolstered by soft lights and a homey aesthetic that drives everything home.

There is an old-fashioned quality to the craft of Accidental Texan. It’s foolproof filmmaking, taking a small-town concept and crew and imbuing them with tendencies that have made even the most grandiose films worth watching. The heart outweighs the hand, drowning familiar storytelling tendencies in swaths of love painted across the dusty landscapes. The film isn’t going to shock you in any way, but solid, reliable satisfaction is a nice shoulder to lean on. Accidental Texan is just that: a well-made, moving expedition on a suitably small scale.

Don’t let this one blow through your town like a tumbleweed. Let it stop in; fall for the charm, have a few laughs, and walk away bettered by the authentic goodness this story exudes. Accidental Texan is hard not to love, and there’s no reason not to give it an old western shake if you get the chance.

Accidental Texan is currently playing in theaters courtesy of Roadside Attractions. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5DsR8S2ppc]