Hope Ranch (film)

Hope Ranch is a 2002 American made-for-television western film about a rancher who takes three teenagers from juvenile court to try to turn them around. It stars Bruce Boxleitner, Brian Gross, Richard Lee Jackson, and J. D. Pardo. Hope Ranch was the first The Discovery Channel-Animal Planet original feature film, which initially aired in 2002 and was later released on DVD on March 9, 2004. Hope Ranch was directed by Rex Piano.

Hope Ranch
DVD cover
GenreFamily
Western
Written byLynne Moses (additional writer)
Screenplay byC. Thomas Howell
Jim Snider
Story byChris Howell
Directed byRex Piano
StarringBruce Boxleitner
Lorenzo Lamas
Barry Corbin
Brian Gross
Richard Lee Jackson
J. D. Pardo
Laura Johnson
Brad Hawkins
Gail O'Grady
Theme music composerBruce Lynch
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersPaul D. Goldman
Stephen P. Jarchow
ProducersC. Thomas Howell
Dale G. Bradley
Grant Bradley
Jim Snider
Ben Moses
CinematographyHoward Wexler
EditorJohn Blizek
Running time100 minutes
Production companiesAnimal Planet
Regent Entertainment
Release
Original networkAnimal Planet
Original releaseSeptember 2, 2002 (2002-09-02)

Plot summary

J.T. Hope, a former police officer and marine and now owner of the Circle Hope Ranch, decides to start a program for troubled teens on the ranch to help turn them around. The first three boys are Keith (Brian Gross), Brooker (Richard Lee Jackson), and Ernesto (J. D. Pardo). The workers at the ranch are Shorty (Barry Corbin) and a former juvenile delinquent Colt Webb (Lorenzo Lamas), who was given a second chance with the help of J.T. As the program goes on, Brooker and Ernesto make progress but J.T. can't get to Keith. He finds out that Keith was being made to do crime and drugs by his older brother Ajax (Brad Hawkins) and he wasn't actually a bad kid. Keith is driving a tractor and it gets out of control, almost running over a young girl called Molly (Isabelle Howell). JT is really angry at Keith and wants to give up on trying to turn him around, but Molly's mother convinces him to give Keith another chance because he isn't trying to be bad. The next day, the three boys have to go back to Juvenile court, and because they made progress, they are allowed another six months at the ranch, giving Keith another chance. The film ends with three more Juvenile court teenagers arriving at the ranch and Keith telling them the rules of the ranch.

Cast

Critical reception

Carolyn Patricia Scott of The Los Angeles Times gave the film a mixed review, stating that "The jokes and tenderfoot mishaps played out against the great outdoors carry along the entertaining, if predictable, story, although the idea that these hard cases could be redeemed in two weeks requires considerable artifice and contrivance."[1]

References
  1. "A Ranch That Reins In Tough Teens". The Los Angeles Times. September 2, 2002. ProQuest 421944115. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
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