The leads are all from Canada in this production from CBC, Canadian Broadcasting. Janet Laine Green and Ron White star in this story of a bull rider trying to earn a living without getting injured. Son "Shane" (of course) is played by brothers Zach and Joshua Ansley at different ages. Looks like Zach got out of the biz in 2002, while this was the only film for Joshua. Liberal use of the dramatic music.... they never miss a chance to play the cheesy music, and dad never misses a chance to take a drink. Tragedy strikes, and now Dad's falling apart. Then, they stumble into a jackpot, and try to find a new career. Kind of a snoozer. Nothing wrong with it... just kind of saunters along. and what would a cowboy film be without harmonica music?? This would make a GREAT drinking game movie... take a shot every time they say "Sorey".... or "Eh". Story by Marillyn Halvorson... she seems to be a one hit wonder, or at least this was her only book made into a film. Directed by Anne Wheeler, who has directed many a Canadian film.

Cowboys Don't Cry offers the proposition that if they don't cry, there are occasions they should. Such is the tale of the Morgan family which is a rodeo family.Father Ron White is a two time champion bullrider who is starting the down side of his career. Mother Rebecca Jenkins is a barrel racing rodeo queen and their son Joshua Ansley also earns some money in the junior steer riding events. Dad's a bit of a hellraiser, but otherwise they're a happy family.That is until a drunken white won't let Jenkins be a designated driver one night and the family piles up in a wreck with Jenkins killed. After that the descent for White as a bullrider quickens as he buries himself in alcohol. There are days when the only brought in is when his son wins the steer riding events.Four years pass and the son is now played by Zachary Ansley and his maternal grandfather leaves him his small ranch as a legacy with his father as guardian until he's 18. Big mistake right there, but I'm betting that the grandfather had no one else.Young Zach assumes the responsibility of the ranch with his father now an alcoholic who won't give up dreams of rodeo glory.This production from Canada is a fine family film with the cast giving some sincere performances. The ending was a bad one though. I'll only say as a family who were rodeo performers, what happens in the end never should have occurred.

Some classic Canadian drama. More than a "B" western, pulls some heartstrings along the way. Some might cite it for predictability and some forced acting in spots . . . but as it progresses it can be easy to chalk this up to some very genuine characters going through some very tough times. Young Shane has grown up on the rodeo circuit. His dad, Josh Morgan, is a 2- time world bull-riding champ and sits pretty tall in the saddle in young Shane's eyes. Tall enough that his problem drinking is sort of taken in stride. But then a tragic drunken accident leaves the two of them all alone in the world to sort themselves out. And as the song on the camper radio says, a man can be a drunk sometimes, but a drunk cannot be a man. Shane loses his mother to an accident, and both his father and his hero to the bottle.Four years later finds the two of them barely scraping by. Shane inherits a small Alberta ranch from his grandfather and finally has a chance to settle down. And it seems to be working for a while, but Josh remains unforgiven both by his son and himself. It haunts him and he finds himself unable to break the bottle's hold, or hold a job. Even though the plot is predictable, it draws you in. The acting is good imho, and has you believing you are right there, watching Shane come of age in some very trying times. A strong performance by Zack Ansley of a young teen trying to be a strong man; but with the hurting child just under the surface. The rest is for you to discover. But there are strong messages of abandonment, coping with grief, the compassion of small-town community, love, and the forgiveness that lets hearts mend. Even though they are imperfect, your folks are the only ones you'll ever have. It's a movie that left me with a lot to think about.I love this kind of Canadian cinema, and wish there was more of it.

Rodeo bull-riding star Ron White (as Josh Morgan) and his more grounded wife Rebecca Jenkins (as Lucy Edwards) have formed a perfectly balanced relationship, traveling on the road with son Joshua Ansley (as Shane).Then, tragedy strikes… Based on the popular (particularly among teenagers) novel by Marilyn Halvorson, "Cowboys Don't Cry" turns out to be a very predictable film. However, director Anne Wheeler and her father/son co-stars make Ms. Halvorson's already appealing story believable. A couple of the ending events are obvious; they are (thankfully) left out completely. The film emphasizes the conflict between Mr. White and Zachary Ansley (as 14-year-old Shane) and (necessarily) drops some strong original material. If this were made today, the high school bullying of Mr. Ansley would be included. The story is a strong one for post-teenage children, who will relate to the strong, realistic characters and messages - chiefly, your parents are not perfect, but it doesn't mean they don't love you.Both White and young Ansley were nominated for "Genies" (the Canadian "Oscar") in the leading "Best Actor" category in Canada; a good call, though the dual consideration certainly diminished their winning chances.******* Cowboys Don't Cry (5/10/88) Anne Wheeler ~ Ron White, Zachary Ansley, Janet-Laine Green, Candace Ratcliffe