The Whole Shootin’ Match

This debut film by Eagle Pennell, the Texas filmmaker who died last month, was made back in the years before making movies in Texas was considered cool. This slice-of-life comedy focuses on two over-the-hill dreamers. The film made quite a splash in the burgeoning independent film world, winning praise from the hard-to-please critic Vincent Canby and actor Robert Redford, who found inspiration in this film that confirmed he was on the right track in founding the Sundance Institute. (See reminiscences about Eagle Pennell on p.44 of this week's Screens section.)