RIDE, a gritty new drama follows three generations of Texans, all of them rodeo performers and bull riders from the small town of Stephenville, Texas. The film opens in select North Texas venues, including the Angelika Film Center Dallas, June 14. It’s written by native Texan Jake Allyn along with Josh Plasse, and directed by Allyn (who also stars as ex-con and former champion bull rider Peter Hawkins). Plasse is also featured in the film as Pete’s younger brother Noah Hawkins.
Retired bull riders (Forrie J. Smith and C. Thomas Howell, who both did some bull riding before their acting careers) are struggling to raise money for cancer treatment for the youngest Hawkins girl (Zia Carlock). They encourage her older brother Peter to compete for the high dollar grand prize in the bull riding championship, money that will help pay to transfer her to a Las Colinas hospital. Their plans are thwarted by Tyler, a local drug dealer, who uses his hold over drug-addicted Peter to claim the prize money. Undeterred, the Hawkins boys are ready to resort to desperate measures to find enough money for their girl’s treatment.
RIDE cast members
Annabeth Gish also stars in the film as the local Sheriff, (who’s also Hawkins’ estranged wife and the mother of their three kids). Patrick Murney plays Tyler, and Scott Reeves is a deputy who dogs the trail of the Hawkins brothers. While the rodeo action scenes are very realistic, the heart of the film lies in the family dynamics as they learn to trust, love, and lean on each other after years of estrangement.
Country music plays a big role in the film, with songs like “Ride,” written by C. Thomas Howell and performed by him and Zia Carlock. Also “I’ll Rise,” written and performed by Bones Owens (and reprised by Laci Kaye Booth later in the film). Country musician Owens plays himself in the film, and also wrote and performed “Holyroad,” “Mama,” and “Sometimes Zinck.”
Director Comments
Director Allyn said, “This is my first film as a director, but I’ve carried this western story with me my entire life. I’m from Texas; Ride is about my home, my heart.”
Supposedly set in Stephenville (the film was actually made in Tennessee) RIDE explores rodeo, addiction in the Heartland, and the cowboy’s place in modern America.
RIDE is produced by Margate House Films, a family-run production company launched by Jake Allyn with his father Rob Allyn and brother Conor Allyn. The company was built on one principle: Genre with Purpose. Executive Produced by Shaun Silva, the crime/drama/action film released by Well Go Entertainment is rated R and runs 114 minutes.
