Neal McDonough's 'The Last Rodeo' a Wild Ride to Put Family First

We have heard this mantra over and over through the years: “They just don’t make movies like they used to!”

Movies are fueled by sex. They are too scary and grotesque. They are filled with more profanity than thought humanly possible. In essence, many believe that American cinema has eroded into a muddled morass of extending moral boundaries beyond what is reasonable.

Yet, there is hope. If treated properly, a film can be life changing, drawing the heart near to a thought or ideal that is moral and true to foundational family values. 

The Last Rodeo, a new movie from Angel Studios opening this Friday, is that movie. It is a hard-scrabbled Western filled with contemporary themes rooted in faith that exemplify the vital importance of putting family first.

Starring Neal McDonough (The Shift), The Last Rodeo tells the story of an aging, retired bull-riding champion who must re-enter what is considered to be the most rough and tumble of professional sports. Along the way, he must reconnect with his estranged best friend, reconcile old wounds with his own daughter, and consider making the greatest sacrifice possible for his family.

I recently sat down with McDonough, who also executive produced The Last Rodeo with his wife Ruve, to discuss the divine intervention that led them to make this movie, why he chose rodeo as the story’s backdrop, and how the greatest sacrifice a person can make is for the good of their family.

If you were trying to convince a friend to take the time to get out to the theater to watch The Last Rodeo what would you say to encourage them?

I'm not much of a sales pitch type of guy, but I'll tell you one thing, you won't regret it. If you like rodeo, you're going to go crazy for the rodeo sequences. Jon Avnet, the director, just crushed it. He went through painstaking detail to make sure that it was as authentic looking as possible. And we got to use the actual PBR (Professional Bull Riders) riders to be in it. So, to do a sports film, if you're doing a movie about the Yankees you want to use Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. But you never get to. We got to do a movie about PBR and actually use the PBR riders and their real names.

So, it gives it this authenticity to the film as it is. But the best part of the film for me is the relationships. Life is a challenge at times, for sure. In this movie, we have a problem. My character’s daughter and I have had this fractured relationship ever since my wife died of brain cancer. My grandson is now dying of brain cancer, and what am I going to do about it? I have no money. I'm broke. The only choice I have right now is to go back and ride in the championships because once you win the green jacket, you're always invited back. But no one's going back at 58 years old to ride a bull. You're out of your mind. And they call me on it and they say, ‘Well, what if you die?’ He replies, ‘Well, if I die, I'll prove to my grandson how much I loved him. But if I win, I'll save my grandson's life. Is there any other choice? And there really isn't. It really talks about putting family first. God first, me second.

For every actor/producer, there always seems to be a moment where you say to yourself, “I have to be a part of this movie! It’s non-negotiable!” For The Last Rodeo what was that moment for you?

Well, the moment came when I was doing another Western at the time, called The Warrant: Breakers Law. My wife Ruve and the kids were at home. And I miss them when I'm on set. I’m fine until they (filmmakers) wrap for the day. Then I get really miserable. I get depressed. It's hard sometimes. And I was driving home from the set in Arizona. I had to pull over to the side of the road.

I was just gut punched with this thought, what would ever happen to me if something happened to Ruve? And I just sat there looking at horses out in the field. And all of a sudden this thought came into my head that I know was divine intervention. This is because I knew nothing about bull riding. I've been riding horses since I was a little boy, but I really didn't know much about the bull riding world. And this idea of writing a movie about Rocky on a bull where this grandfather has to go and save his grandson's life because he's dying of the same thing that his wife died of years ago. And he's broke and penniless. I'm not that smart. So I know that thought came to me from above. And immediately I started writing it. A week later, my writing partner and I came up with the first draft. A week later, we sold it in Angel Studios. 

Did you know anything about this sport of rodeo and bull riding prior to making this movie? If not, why take on such an intense sport? 

No, because God planted that thought in my head that day on the side of the road in Arizona. And then I immersed myself in needing to find out everything about bull riding. I need to know who these guys are. I need to know what they do. I need to start training on bulls and becoming one of these guys. And that's exactly what we did. I fell in love with the culture and PBR. If you've never been to a PBR event, I implore you to go. I'm a big family guy. I've got five kids. And I love bringing my kids to events where it's not some big sporting event. An event where half of the people there are rooting for the other team, they're getting in fights, and they're drunk. And I just don't want to be around that stuff with my kids. With PBR, everyone is rooting for every rider to get to eight seconds (on the bull). So, it's this really positive impact that it has on the fan base.

And PBR starts off each and every event with a prayer. So everyone takes their hats off. Everyone's hand in hand, arm in arm, talking to God about giving these young riders safety. Thank you for being here. It's so heartland of America and I'm so proud that this fell in my lap. I'm so humbled by the fact that God gave us this gift.

Before we go any deeper into our discussion, I must know, did you do your own stunts for this movie? And if not, did any thoughts go through your brain where you thought, “You know what? I think I can do this?”

I pride myself in doing all my own stunts in all my films. My stuntman will try things out to see how it goes. Then when the camera's rolling, I want to do my own stunts. That's just the old athlete in me. I know that sounds crazy. But it’s part of why I stay in shape. So, for this one, they wouldn't let me into the big ring on the big bulls. We had mechanical bulls. Mechanical bulls can mess you up as much as real bulls. When you are riding those mechanical bulls and they're throwing you off, sometimes you're landing on metal. You're sometimes landing on the side of the (gate) mechanism. They have this one thing called Robo Bull. And Robo Bull would ride me around the stadium on top of the bull and try to throw me off. But Robo Bull had a platform. And when you land on Robo Bull's platform, it hurts. You're busting things up and I'm stupid enough to not want to quit. I didn't want to look anything but a hundred percent authentic as a rider. And I think we nailed it. I'm so blessed that we worked so hard to make sure we did it right. 

Changing gears, for me this is a movie all about sacrifice and the lengths we will go for our families. How important was it to bring that message to the forefront in this movie?

It talks about family first. Yes, it has rodeo as a backdrop, but it's really about the family. What are you going to do when your family is in jeopardy? What are you prepared to do as a man when your family is really suffering? Can you step up to the plate and man up to those situations? That's what our films are about and that's why we call out all guys and all women for these situations. What are you going to do when your family's in a hard spot? Are you really prepared to go the whole nine yards to make it work? And that's what we do in our films. If you love films like this, you have to go to the cinema and actually support it. You’ve got to go to the movie theaters and buy tickets, sit in the theater, and enjoy the films. Tell Hollywood we're sick and tired of just the dark, strange films that they put out. We want to see films that are about the heartland of America with American core values. Talking about family first, me second. Those are the films we're making. 

Through playing the role of Joe Wainwright, did you learn anything new about yourself that you never realized before? What qualities do you hope will resonate with audiences when they see the film?

My parents were both from Ireland. As I've said, my dad came over to America with 12 bucks in his pocket, walked into the Army office and said, ‘Make me an American.’ And he came back five years later the proudest American guy. And he instilled those American core values into all six of his kids. But as the baby of the family, I think he instilled it a little bit harder. And my mother is the same way. Do the right thing, be the best version of you possible, but realize that you are part of the greatest country ever devised and probably ever will be devised, the United States of America. I love to write about the heartland of America and being part of this, realizing how much I do love it, and the real core value of the people in our country. It surprised me how much I just loved being there (in Oklahoma making the movie). And the cast and crew were working so hard in our film because they have the same ideals that Ruve and I have. 

And our kids see that. It isn't something that was new to me, but it was something that really kind of was reinforced in me. America is the greatest country ever. Let's make movies that talk about the greatness of America, the heartland of America, and how it's built on, “In God We Trust.” In the Declaration of Independence it says God four times. It's God that permeates through everything in the origins of our country. So, why have we kind of drifted away from it, especially in our filmmaking? So, I want to get back to it. 

After audiences have had a chance to see The Last Rodeo, what would you like to see viewers take away from that experience? What is your greatest hope for the film?

It's kind of amazing when you look at the numbers and the test groups. Rotten Tomatoes numbers or the Angel Guild numbers are at a 95 percent approval rating. I've never been part of a movie that's been that high. And to have a film that talks about family values and God, is just amazing.

And with rodeo as its backdrop, it's an All-American film. I think people are yearning for that All-American atmosphere like those old John Wayne films that I grew up with.

When our backs are against the wall, what are we going to do? We're going to stick together as a group, build together, and make a great culture. That's what America is.

Be a better at  whatever you can to make America even greater than it is. As for people coming out of the theaters, I see grown tough guys in tears when they see the film. It just inspires me to dig deeper, write better, and create even better films.

WATCH A TRAILER FOR THE LAST RODEO: