Cowgirls 'n Angels
Cowgirls 'n Angels is a 2012 American family film starring Bailee Madison, James Cromwell, and Jackson Rathbone. The film was directed by Timothy Armstrong from a script by Armstrong and Stephen Blinn.
| Cowgirls 'n Angels | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Timothy Armstrong |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Starring | |
| Music by | Alan Williams |
| Cinematography | John Barr |
| Edited by | Michael Rafferty |
Production company |
|
| Distributed by | Samuel Goldwyn Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film was followed by the 2014 sequel Cowgirls 'n Angels: Dakota's Summer.
Plot
12-year old Ida Clayton (Bailee Madison) lives with her single mother, Elaine (Alicia Witt), but Ida's summer days are boring and full of nothing to do, so she begins sneaking off to rodeos in order to keep herself entertained. Ida's father, a man named Walker whom she never met, is a subject that Elaine refuses to speak about, and is part of the reason why she disapproves of rodeos. When Ida is given the opportunity to tour America with The Sweethearts of the Rodeo, a group of young women who perform at rodeos, Ida takes it, and after several scenes, Elaine approves. Ida quickly befriends the Sweethearts managers, Terence Parker (James Cromwell) and his daughter, Rebecca (Kathleen Rose Perkins). She sets off on a quest, looking for her father with the help of fellow Sweethearts, troubled, retiring alcoholic, Kansas (Dora Madison Burge), Madison (Leslie-Anne Huff) and Kansas's new lover that Rebecca disapproves of Justin Wood (Jackson Rathbone).
Cast
- Bailee Madison as Ida Clayton
- James Cromwell as Terence Parker
- Jackson Rathbone as Justin Wood
- Alicia Witt as Elaine Clayton
- Kathleen Rose Perkins as Rebecca Parker
- Frankie Faison as Augustus
- Dora Madison Burge as Kansas
- Leslie-Anne Huff as Madison De La Cruz
- Drew Waters as Rawley West / Walker
- Noel Coet as Nora
- Mark Nutter as "other" Walker
- Amber Hayes as Amber Grant
- Richie McDonald as Doug Grant
Production
Development
Cowgirls 'N Angels was shot in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Guthrie, Oklahoma including Lazy E Arena and Pawnee, Oklahoma and environs during April–May 2011. The film used already existing rodeos to complete the look as well as two staged rodeos. Rodeo and horseback riding facilities of Oklahoma State University and Barnum Ranch as well as the facilities in Pawnee were used in the shoot and the filmmakers also shot the Guthrie Oklahoma annual parade which included the fictional Sweethearts of the Rodeo drill and trick riding group. The production retained the services of the Sky High Angels drill team from Arkansas as the core Sweethearts of the Rodeo and added the actors cast as well as three professional trick riders from Oklahoma and nearby Texas. One of the trick riders, Haley Ganzel, was cast as Rose in the production for authenticity. Another trick rider actually doubled for both Madison and also Ida's fall from her horse Prince in the film. Production went well notwithstanding extreme weather conditions which included high winds, rain, extreme heat as well as a large tornado which required the cast and crew to hide in the basement tornado shelter of the Stillwater National Bank in Stillwater. Multiple drafts of the script were written prior to productions and a number of changes were made on the set based on input from the film's cast, crew and production team.
Release
Production was completed by 15 July 2011. Samuel Goldwyn Films released the film theatrically in the USA on May 25, 2012, after its world Premier in the Dallas International Film Festival, Dallas Texas. Twentieth Century Fox released the DVD & Blu-ray in the USA on October 2, 2012.
Music
The Cowgirls 'N Angels soundtrack is filled with young country pop artists many of whom are from Oklahoma including Amber Hayes, Maggie McClure, Susan Herndon, Caitlin Rose, The Powwows, and Kim DiVine. An original composition Always There For Me performed by Richie McDonald, formerly of the band Lonestar, and Amber Hayes, as part of the father daughter motif is included both in the soundtrack as well as performed in the film's honky tonk sequence. The Soundtrack is available digitally on iTunes,[1] Amazon.com,[2] Google Play, and many other digital outlets.
Book
A Cowgirls 'N Angels book was created to accompany the film. The book was written by Timothy Armstrong, Pam Bassuk, and Stephen Blinn.[3]
Reception
The film received mainly positive reviews, with critics praising its "family-friendly" appeal.[4][5][6][7][8]
Sequel
A sequel to the film, entitled Cowgirls'n Angels 2:Dakota's Summer, premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival in 2014.[9] Written and directed by Timothy Armstrong, the film followed new characters, and starred Haley Ramm[10] as the titular Dakota, alongside Keith Carradine, Spencer Boldman and Emily Bett Rickards.
References
- "Cowgirls 'N Angels (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes.com.
- "Cowgirls 'N Angels (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Amazon.com.
- "Cowgirls 'N Angels (Kindle Edition)". Amazon.com.
- Rolfe, Scott. "Cowgirls 'N Angels...Dove Family Approved". Dove.org. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
- Staff (May 24, 2012). "Cowgirls 'N Angels... A Little Gem With A Big Heart". MovieGuide. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
- Staff (May 24, 2012). "Cowgirls 'N Angels". Cinema Review Magazine. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
- Chen, Sandie Angulo (June 13, 2012). "Cowgirls 'N Angels". Common Sense Media. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
- Staff (May 25, 2012). "Cowgirls 'N Angels...Family Night Movie Review". Homeschool Roster. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
- Florman, Rachel (April 1, 2014). "Paint Horses Will Be Featured in Upcoming Movie, Cowgirls n' Angels: Dakota's Summer". Equine Chronicle. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- Gilman, Greg (July 1, 2013). "Disney XD Star Spencer Boldman Cast as Lead in Adoption Drama 'Dakota's Summer' (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved July 4, 2018.