This film stands as a snapshot into the life of working ranches in Texas in the mid-70s. It strives to capture the everyday lives of everyday people in that community. From the ranch hands living in bunk houses and spending their free time carousing at bars to the women tending garden or hanging laundry on a line to dry, there is a sense of celebration of this quiet and uncelebrated life. A point is made to showcase some of the small towns in the area as well as their traditions (i.e. – the birthday party with the closeups of the barbecue and the particular foods everyone loads up on their plates). Though some may see this as a character study of Mackintosh himself, it is really a study of the culture in this part of the country. Mackintosh represents a man who does things “the right way”, something the 6666 ranch realizes it is lacking as shown by the boss gleefully referring to Mackintosh as a much needed “top hand”. In essence, he represents a particular element of the modern cowboy that has been lost or forgotten – the sense of working hard and being thankful for the breaks you get. It is this mindset that he helps instill in the young TJ, essentially passing it on to the next generation, to keep the values of the “old cowboy” alive. The very truck Mackintosh drives represents the broken spirit of the cowboy in this area that, like his rusty truck, is in dire need of repair.

The clash with the ranch hands at the 6666 is representative of the changing times which is a common motif in modern westerns. The “can do” mentality of the aged cowboy who believes he has the key of how to approach all things in life then crosses path with a different mode of thinking that contradicts everything he knew. This leads to eventual conflict, some of which is resolved, some not. Tommy Lee Jones’s Sheriff Bell, in “No Country For Old Men” is unable to comprehend a man like Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh (nor is most everyone else in that movie for that matter). Jeff Bridges Ranger Hamilton in “Hell or High Water” struggles with similar issues with Chris Pine’s Toby Howard and it is only in the end when they do finally understand each other albeit with veiled threats to help the other “find peace”. 

It should be said, though, that this motif was, at times, represented in the proto westerns of the past – the drifter who comes into town, helping fix all that was wrong whether they realized it or not. While Clint Eastwood used a gun, Mackintosh showcases spirit and impressive bronco busting skills.

Mackintosh and TJ is not a film so much about plot, but more of a place and a time. It is a moving photo album of ranch life in the mid-1970s, both good and bad and a lone drifter helping show them how they have lost their way.

– Sean Lawrence, Colorist