Wild Horses

DIRECTOR: Robert Duvall

Starring Josh Hartnett Adriana Barraza Robert Duvall James Franco Luciana Pedraza

2014

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An OLDER MAN finds TWO FIGURES in a shack and scares them. FIGURE #1 runs out. The remaining YOUNG MAN is his son, whom he kicks out because he’s gay. Young man leaves. He hushes his dog so they don’t wake up Pedro, the ranch hand. 15 years later, Texas Ranger SAMANTHA PAYNE and the RANGER CAPTAIN inspect a local shooting. A dead MOTHER lies in a pool of blood while her TWO BABIES (1 ½ and 3) crawl around her. Sam calls her son, CODY, to check on him. MRS. DAVIS, and Ranger Captain meet with Sam. Mr. Davis died recently and her son, Jimmy, disappeared 15 years ago. She wants to know if he was killed and who did it. DEPUTY ROGERS observes them. Sam takes the case, which finds out Ranger Jackson, now retired, originally worked on. On the Briggs ranch SCOTT BRIGGS finds his son BUCK BRIGGS teaching Scott’s grandson, BUSTER BRIGGS, basic horse knowledge. Scott plays with 3 GRANDCHILDREN. He hosts a barbeque on the ranch. Ranger Captain introduces Samantha to Scott. Buster plays with CODY, Sam’s son. Samantha discusses the missing Jimmy case with Ranger Captain and Jackson. Jackson tells them that Scott’s son left the same day Jimmy and Pedro disappeared. Briggs thought all gays are evil. Later at the barbecue JOHNNY BRIGGS, Scott’s other son, talks with rangers. Sam comes back to Brigg’s Ranch in the morning and MARIA GONZALES, the maid, answers. Sam asks Scott about Pedro Alvarez and he refuses to talk. Scott instructs Deputy Rogers to watch everything Samantha does. Scott says goodbye to his grandchildren and they leave. Deputy Rogers briefs guys in their teens and early 20’s about dealing with Sam. Mrs. Davis shows Sam Jimmy’s old bedroom. Sam sees a photo of Jimmy and Ben Briggs. Jimmy knew Pedro, who introduced him to Ben. Scott calls his ex-wife, who tells him Ben is working and studying law in night school. Scott finds Ben’s work and gets information from his coworkers. Sam wants to meet with Pedro. Ranger Captain assigns Rogers to the case with her. Sam drives home and is shot at by a speeding car. She chases it and a Texas Ranger police helicopter flies overhead. Sam slams into the car and kills the driver. Scott talks to MARIA, Latin features, while BEN, Scott’s son, arrives via helicopter. Maria helps Ben unpack. They are closer than the others, and afterwards Ben and Maria have beer, eat sweets and dance in his room. Ben finds Scott alone and yells at him for what he did that fateful night. Sam finds Mrs. Davis gardening. Tomorrow is Jimmy’s birthday. Sam comforts her. Rogers plans to meet Sam at Isabel’s convenience store. Sam leaves Cody alone at home. Rogers tries to enter her house but it’s locked. Sam goes to Isabel’s convenience store, but Rogers never shows up. Isabel says she’ll tell Pedro that the Rangers are looking for him. Sam sees Rogers’ car in a bad part of town and parks nearby. She sees Rogers negotiating a drug deal with a DRUG DEALER and 3 GANG MEMBERS and informs the Ranger Captain. The Sheriff and Ranger come enter the building and a shoot out occurs. The Drug Dealer and Rogers are arrested. Scott, Ben, Buck, Johnny and the FAMILY LAWYER meet to discuss Scott’s will, since his health is poor. Maria joins them. Scott reveals Maria is his daughter. Johnny, Buck and Ben go out for drinks and get in a fight with THREE GUYS. At home Buck tells Scott about their fight, and they discuss women. Ben eavesdrops. The COUNTY DA grants the Captain permission to move forward with his plan to use Rogers to bust a drug supplier. The Ranger Captain debriefs the rangers on his plan, where Samantha will be undercover as Rogers’ fiancé, and they drive to the location. Rogers and Samantha drive in a pickup truck together. He drives her to a small narrow bridge and tries to come onto her. They fight. He pushes his door open and jumps into the river. She shoots at him and the Sheriff joins, but Rogers crawls away. A search party looks for Rogers. At home Sam calls her husband, who is a Marine stationed in the Middle East. While Cody is studying, a figure comes and knocks on the back door. Sam gets her gun and stands guard. Rogers is dead, his corpse in the river. Scott reaches out to Maria at her house. She agrees to get lunch with him. Isabel thanks the Sheriff for getting rid of Rogers, and brings him PEDRO ALVAREZ (elderly). Sam interrogates Pedro, but he refuses to help. Sam visits Scott to ask him about Jimmy. He denies having done anything to Jimmy. She informs him she spoke with Pedro, and leaves him. Scott calls Isabel to talk to Pedro but Pedro refuses to talk to Scott. Scott warns Buck and Johnny about Sam, and they argue. Sam interrogates Ben about Jimmy. Bucks and Scott make amends. The next morning Scott faints while working out. Scott finds Ben in the barn the next morning and they argue. Scott leaves to ride with Maria, and they go to a mound, which Scott tells her is where he buried his dog fifteen years ago. He has an internal debate about telling her the truth. He gives her his horse. Sam pulls Scott over on the road and informs him Ben lied to her during the interrogation, and she knows Scott paid Rogers to hurt her and Cody. Johnny watches Scott read a Bible verse and load his gun. Scott takes Ben for a ride before he leaves. They apologize to each other. Johnny finds Samantha and Cody at a gas station. He asks her to stay away from Scott. Scott drives Ben to Mrs. Davis’s house. Scott tells her that a horse kicked Jimmy and killed him instantly. He flashes back to the night Jimmy died, where Scott tried to comfort Jimmy, who was hiding under a horse. The horse kicks and kills Jimmy. Pedro sleeps in the corner. Back in Mrs. Davis’s house Scott admits he buried Jimmy. He flashes back to burying Jimmy. Mrs. Davis kicks Scott out. Ben apologizes to Mrs. Davis, and leaves his father. Ben drives to the countryside and calls Buck, and dies. Ranger Captain tells Sam that Scott died, but confessed to burying Jimmy. They hold a funeral for Scott, and he is buried. Samantha helps Cody with his homework. He asks about her father. Her father abused her and she got into the justice system to stop that. Samantha and Cody ride horses in the fields. He dances for her. The Brigg’s family lawyer and Jackson watch as Jackson’s dog digs up Jimmy’s body. Samantha’s husband comes home.

Status: Completed

Genre: Drama