Search - The Newton Boys

Richard Linklater's fifth feature is a major departure from his previous work -- his first big-budget picture, it's also the first of his films since his 1987 Super-8 effort "It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books" not set during his signature 24-hour time frame, offering instead a ravishing bankrobber period piece buoyed by a gentleness of spirit rare among movies of any genre. Its true story tells of the four Texas-born Newton brothers, who between 1919 and 1924 were the most successful robbers in the U.S.; led by the newly-paroled Willis Newton (Matthew McConaughey, in arguably his strongest performance to date), the gang -- siblings Jess (Ethan Hawke), Joe (Skeet Ulrich) and Dock (Vincent D'Onofrio), as well as nitroglycerin expert Brentwood Glasscock (Dwight Yoakam) -- embarks on a crime spree which spreads across the U.S. and into Canada, heisting bank vaults only at night in order not to hurt or kill anyone. (As Willis figures it, the bankers -- all covered by insurance -- are merely thieves themselves anyway.) A sweetly contemplative film, The Newton Boys is almost an anti-crime caper -- no one gets killed, and the violence which does occasionally erupt is handled with a light comic touch. By no means a master storyteller, Linklater has instead crafted a movie tailored to his own strengths, among them his skillful direction of actors, his flair for period detail and his unerring sense of rhythm; like all of his work, The Newton Boys is also informed by its maker's deep and abiding love for the film medium itself, complete with any number of striking visual and emotional references to classics ranging from Greed to Jules et Jim. While viewers expecting slam-bang action typical of the genre will undoubtedly be disappointed, those seeking a more humane and poetic alternative will be utterly charmed. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Matthew McConaughey - Willis Newton
Skeet Ulrich - Joe Newton
Ethan Hawke - Jess Newton
Vincent D'Onofrio - Doc Newton
Julianna Margulies - Louise Brown

Director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused (1993), Before Sunrise (1995)) spins this true-crime tale of four Texas brothers who became the most successful bank robbers of their era in this unusually restrained and thoughtful historical crime drama, coming to DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Video. Presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and offering selections of both closed-captioned English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Digital Surround audio tracks, the disc also features a French Dolby Digital Surround track in addition to optional English and Spanish subtitles. Extra features are fairly bare bones though the disc does contain interactive menus and an original theatrical trailer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

These movies share cast/crew with The Newton Boys...
10	Slacker [Criterion Collection]
60	Dazed and Confused (R)
26	Before Sunrise (R)
10	The Whole Wide World (PG)
28	Beavis and Butt-Head Do America [Widescreen] (PG-13)
16	Paradise Road (R)
13	Alive (R)
These movies are similar to The Newton Boys...
28	Bonnie and Clyde
5	Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (PG)
23	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (PG)
2	Harry and Walter Go to New York (PG)
3	Jesse James (NR)
21	The Sting (PG)
3	They Live by Night/Side Street (NR)
91	Young Guns (R)
2	Thieves Like Us (R)
2	Normal Life [Widescreen] (R)
10	Texas Rangers (PG-13)
85	O Brother, Where Art Thou? (PG-13)
23	American Outlaws (PG-13)
13	Ned Kelly (R)