Overview
An aging cowpoke finds unexpected love and family in the harsh Rocky Mountains.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- tender
- realistic
- quiet evening
- classic western marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film's realistic, intelligent portrait of cowboy life and Charlton Heston's restrained lead performance, while some find its villains implausibly exaggerated.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Will's line-riding work, harsh winter isolation, and awkward social life present the West as physically demanding and unromantic.
The aging, lonely Will discovers love and a parental relationship with Horace after nearly fifty years without family.
Will, Catherine, and Horace share a remote cabin and gradually function as a family under frontier conditions.
The Rocky Mountains winter traps the trio together in the line-rider's cabin until the spring thaw.
Films like Will Penny, and why
The Shootist
grounded western realism, aging loner protagonist, and understated romance
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
deglamorized frontier setting, intimate character study, and restrained emotional drama
The Homesman
western hardship, family formation, and morally complex frontier characters
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
humanistic western tone, vulnerable outsiders, and quiet romantic tension
Movie Details
- Director
- Tom Gries
- Release Date
- 1967-12-19
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (123)
Cast
- Charlton Heston
- Joan Hackett
- Donald Pleasence
- Lee Majors
- Bruce Dern
- Ben Johnson
- Slim Pickens
- Clifton James
- Anthony Zerbe
- Roy Jenson
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Will Penny about?
- An aging frontier cowboy finds unexpected love and fatherhood while protecting a makeshift family from a murderous clan.
- What is Will Penny like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Will Penny as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Will Penny violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Will Penny as moderate.
- What did critics think of Will Penny?
- Critics broadly praise the film's realistic, intelligent portrait of cowboy life and Charlton Heston's restrained lead performance, while some find its villains implausibly exaggerated.
- Which films are like Will Penny?
- Films with a similar feel include The Shootist, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Homesman, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
- How long is Will Penny?
- Will Penny runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch Will Penny?
- In United States, Will Penny is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
