Ladies and gentlemen...
Ely Braxton!
What you are about to see
is
ro-de-o history!
-Hey, Joe.
-How's Ely?
He's good.
-Hey, how you doing?
-Hey, Joe.
Did I leave the prescription?
Just like a wedding night.
Not my wedding night.
Here it is.
Let's get some coffee brewing.
HANK: There.
-There you go.
-Watch the leg.
Now's the best time for us to
get him thinking, while he's
got the pain.
He's not gonna listen to
no doctor, and he's not
gonna listen to me.
That makes two of us.
Check it out, son!
It don't get better than this.
You know, it's funny.
It could've been anything,
from what I hear.
Football, baseball, wrestling.
You just chose bull riding,
is all.
Could've chose anything.
You still can, you know.
No.
Choosing time's come and gone.
Well, maybe for riding bulls
or baseball,
but there's all sorts of other
things to look forward to,
all kinds of other choices
to make.
Never chose bull riding,
Connie.
It just sort of chose me.
That might make it easier to
let it go then.
-Don't you think?
-It might.
We'll see.
CONNIE: I don't think there's
any other way to see it.
Are you two okay?
CONNIE: The doctor was
pretty clear about that.
ELY: Yeah.
Go on, take it down.
-What?
-The poster.
Take it down.
You sure?
I'm sure.
HANK: I started out
a bull rider, ended up
a bullfighter.
Best goddamn decision
I ever made.
PRCA bullfighting
hall-of-famer
and a few other things I could
mention if I wanted to.
Hold up now.
Point is, I've been doing this
for 15 years on both sides
of the chutes.
I can tell you one thing for
certain, there's only two
ways to ride a bull.
You can either make it happen,
or you can let it happen.
There's been a few champs
that have made it happen
but the really great riders,
the guys that have ridden
hard and long,
guys like George Paul,
Gary Leffew,
those guys just let it happen.
Are you giving them the
"you have to dance
with the bulls" speech again?
Ladies and gentlemen,
my brother Ely Braxton
is back.
And he'll be the first
to tell you, it starts here.
You've gotta clear your heart
and your head,
so that when you get on
that bull, you've already won.
It's just a dancing partner.
You just gotta be man enough
to let it lead.
You've gotta be able to have
enough confidence in yourself,
and faith that you can
sit back and let it happen.
It's attitude, pure attitude.
Whether you're
making a putt,
whether you're riding
a bull...
Attitude.
That's what separates
the best from the rest.
-Let's go.
Clean up the arena.
-All right.
Stay focused. Real simple.
HANK: Remember what
we talked about.
Clear your head.
Don't force anything on him.
Just react, okay? Okay.
-He's ready to dance,
so are you.
-Okay, man, let's go.
(HORN BLOWS)
(HANK YELLS)
(BOTH LAUGHING)
Shit!
Get up. We gotta go to work.
-What?
-We gotta go to work.
I gotta pick up Connie
to do the vaccines.
You guys need anything else
from town?
Shots already? Seems like
we just did them.
-Always does.
-What?
-The shots.
-The shots!
Got it. We gotta do the shots.
You started it, man.
Thanks, Mom.
Hey, Doc.
Hold. Hold. Okay, he's safe.
-Where's Zapata?
-Who cares? He's a dud.
No one's ever ridden him.
Besides, he needs
his vaccination.
You won him in a card game.
It don't matter.
He needs his vaccination.
-Turn this one out
and go get him.
-All right.
Move! Move!
Guys, roll up Zapata.
Move, bull.
Damn!
He's a big son of a buck.
Yeah. I wouldn't worry
about him. He's all bark,
no bite.
I'm just gonna
center this for you.
Ely!
CONNIE: What the hell are
you doing? Get off!
Ely!
What do you got, huh? Nothing!
What you got? Nothing!
Ely, get off the bull.
-Get off!
-This thing can kick, man!
Get off. You wanna
ride him, or you want me
to turn him out?
Hell no. Turn him out.
What are you talking about?
Get on this thing!
-Ely, get off the bull.
-I'm getting off.
Go!
Watch out. Look at him.
Nice dancing, brother.
He nipped you, too.
Thank God for my sneakers.
That's one hell of an athlete.
Number 24 and 21,
pick up your orders.
-What?
-Damn.
I think I got a cavity.
Take this.
-Do you put nutmeg
or clove on it?
-Clove.
-How do you know?
It's nutmeg.
-It's definitely clove.
-You're a vet, not a dentist.
-It's clove.
-Excuse me.
-What do you want?
What do you put on a cavity,
nutmeg or clove?
-Clove.
-She says nutmeg.
You're still gonna have
to get that looked at.
Yeah, when I get back.
-Back from where?
-Salinas.
Hank's taking some bulls.
I thought I'd give him a hand.
Huh. When did you decide
on the Salinas thing?
Well, I need a change.
I need to do something new.
The ranch is getting old.
What's new about
a rinky-dink rodeo in Salinas?
It's just about being there,
being with some of the guys
and being around it.
Well, that's not new.
That's old.
If you want new,
I got plenty of ideas.
Oh, yeah? Like what?
You know,
you've been incredible.
You got hurt, and just went
on getting better,
getting on with your life.
You made it look
a lot easier than it's been.
It's been hard, I know.
Hard as hell.
Well, I got hurt sooner
than I wanted to.
But sooner or later,
most guys get hurt.
That's just the way it is.
You're gonna get carsick.
Shit. I thought I downloaded
this stuff.
What?
There it is.
"A used Huntley trailer
in excellent condition."
I figure we can use Zapata
to frontline us up with PBR,
five or six shows, and then...
Yeah, that's plenty
for a down payment.
Zapata's gonna be a star.
We're gonna get paid
our breeding fees.
We might even get him on TV.
They got an agency
for that kind of shit.
I bet you a hundred dollars
that no man can ride
that bull.
I don't doubt your eye
for talent,
but I got Put Hustead's bull
back in the pens.
Ray, talk to him for me.
How many times have
I driven all night to fill in
a slot for you guys?
I know that.
But I'm telling you,
Pat ain't gonna like this.
Pat doesn't have to know
about it. This ain't
a sanctioned event.
Hell, it's just
a draw pot, right?
For Christ sakes, guys!
I'm talking about one bull!
Okay. This is what I'll do.
I'll fight for you tomorrow,
free of charge.
All right. All right.
I'll tell you what.
You bring him, and if there's
any re-rides, he's in.
How's that, huh?
Okay.
Thank you, guys.
-Thanks. We'll see you
bright and early.
-Nice to see you, Ray.
Great to have you back, kid.
Can't wait to see
you ride tomorrow.
-I'm not gonna ride.
-You're not?
Don't even think about it.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
Yep, they always come back.
Long as they can walk.
God, I love 'em.
Gather around ladies
and gentlemen. Welcome to
Salinas, California.
We have the thrills,
spills and chills
of a professional rodeo...
HANK: So he gets in one
of these umpire masks,
his nose is completely mashed.
Guess what bull he draws?
Knock Him Out John.
Son of a bitch gets out
the chute, he turns
back around, and whack!
Ely Braxton, you big dumb dog.
Welcome home.
Hey, Jed. We was just talking
about you.
I was telling the boys
about that umpire mask.
Goddamn thing nearly turned me
into a Belgian waffle.
Braxton, keep your hand out
of the money pot, you hear?
I'm riding for alimony
these days.
-Who'd you draw?
-I didn't.
Doctor's orders.
We got bigger fish to fry.
Next five years,
you boys are all gonna
be riding Braxton bulls.
You watch.
Yeah, you watch. You watch.
I gotta go get some gas.
I'll see you later.
We're only gonna be
a couple hours, so don't
be late, okay?
Oh, come on. Please?
Bull!
ANNOUNCER:
Nobody yet made
a qualified ride.
Let's go down
to chute number seven.
Here's Rough And Ready.
He's... No! Another one down!
I've seen some bull riding
before, but these guys are
really bringing it up.
-Hey, Ray.
-Hey!
ANNOUNCER:
He made the whistle.
What are ride we'll see there.
(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)
-Are you sure?
-Yeah.
Hell, yeah, boy. Right here.
ANNOUNCER: There's no buck
in him. He's just standing,
waving to the crowd.
The Yuma, Oklahoma cowboy,
Tom Sharples, they're gonna
give him a re-ride.
Stu, Ray.
Pen six.
Kid in chute two.
Let's go with him.
ANNOUNCER:
The young man getting
on this bull
has not been on a bull
for over a year.
A serious injury kept him
out of competition.
His brother Hank,
his dad Reid,
both performed
in the rodeo business.
Ladies and gentlemen,
over here in chute number two
is Ely Braxton
from Santa Maria, California
on a bull they call Doomsday!
Let's watch him ride!
HANK: Hang on!
Son of a bitch.
(HORN BLOWS)
Stay! Stay!
Come on! Go, go!
ANNOUNCER:
Eighty-eight points!
Eighty-eight points
for Ely Braxton!
I don't know whether
to hug you or hit you,
you son of a bitch!
-Great ride!
-Yeah!
Welcome back, my friend.
You ain't missed a day.
Zapata, don't let me down.
There you go.
You have a good ride.
ANNOUNCER:
I've been in the business
a long time
and Zapata's one of
the rankest bulls I've seen.
I told you, Ray!
-Five thousand.
-No, I'm sorry.
-Ten thousand.
-I'm sorry. I can't.
I can't sell this bull.
He's my future, okay?
Fifteen grand, and my wife.
Is that for me or Zapata?
What exactly were
your thoughts
when you got back on the bull?
I don't know.
Stay on, I guess.
How did you prepare?
I didn't.
I'm gonna be sore tomorrow.
What does your father think
about you coming with
a metal plate in your skull?
It's not metal.
-It's good to have you back.
-It's good to be back.
-See you at the truck.
-Thanks a lot.
Take care.
You made a mistake today.
I don't know.
It felt pretty good.
I ain't talking
about your ride.
You're a big boy.
I ain't gonna judge
you for that.
I'm talking
about the reporter.
-What if it makes
the papers back home?
-Don't worry. It won't.
You better hope it doesn't.
Mom, Connie, they'll skin you.
-It was a hell
of a ride though.
-Thanks.
Sure do know how
to sit on a bull.
It must be God given.
Answer me one question.
What's it mean to you in here?
I don't know.
You will.
Morning.
Use a glass.
(SIGHS)
So, is it true?
Is what true?
Ow!
What'd you do that for?
-I'm sorry.
-You have done me in.
You really have.
I was just trying to find
the right time to explain it
to you.
Just done me in.
Just know that.
You've done me in!
Well, you know what?
It felt great!
(DOOR SLAMS SHUT)
Ely, come here, boy.
Come on. Now watch, Ely.
Take ahold of this, and watch.
Squeeze the trigger real slow.
-Piece of cake, Dad.
-Okay, son.
Cowboy up.
Reid, what are you doing?
(GUN FIRES)
Go!
Come on, Rose.
It's just a bit of fun.
What the hell? Put that down.
-Go on! Get outta here!
-Come on, Rose.
We're gonna need ten CC's
of penicillin.
-Okay.
-Make him feel
real good later.
-Hey.
-Hi, liar.
Dr. Fremont, Ely Braxton.
He's a liar.
He's also dumb enough
to ride a bull
with half his skull missing.
-Maybe I should step...
-No. It's okay.
You should go. We're busy.
I'm sorry. I'll be right back.
Ely, I'm serious!
If you lie like that,
where does it stop?
Come on. Don't make this
such a big deal.
I haven't done anything.
You lied to me.
After everything we've been
through this year, you can't
give me the real you.
I'm still trying to find
my way back.
-I swear I didn't see
it coming.
-Don't do that.
I didn't know.
Do you want me to lie
to you to make you think that
I'm telling the truth?
It's so scary.
I'm standing here with you
in front of me
and I don't even know
who you are.
If you don't, nobody does.
Including me.
That's a terrible
thing to say.
I'm sorry.
MAN: (ON TV)
In the late '70s,
the Mitchell technique made
its first appearance
on the circuit
with Reid Braxton
leading the way.
While the technique involved
a pronounced shift forward
in the riding position,
it was best known
for its credo, "Cowboy up."
An all-strength,
take-no-prisoners attitude
which is being demonstrated
by Reid Braxton here.
(ELY GRUNTING)
Thanks, Mom.
You gotta talk to him.
-Talk to who?
-Ely. He's out there packing.
Somebody's got to talk
some sense into him.
Mom, Ely and I get along
because I never daddied him,
I'm not about to start now.
He's healed up fine.
I promise you, I'll take care
of him, okay?
Stop worrying.
-Where do you want these?
-Over there is fine.
Thanks.
Well, the good news is,
I'm done worrying about you,
Ely.
But if you get hurt,
you don't come back here
again.
You understand?
Socks go in the other drawer.
Go. Go see him.
You're a grown man. Do it.
No, thanks.
I'm sure Hank has the address
up there somewhere.
This has nothing
to do with Dad.
You're not him, Ely!
You're you!
God bless you for that.
Bye.
Bye.
(LINE RINGING)
This is Connie.
I'm not in right now.
Leave me a message, or
you can try me at the clinic.
-No Connie?
-Nope.
-Check the clinic?
-No. She's probably busy.
Yeah, she's probably
with that doctor, getting rug
burns on her ass.
What are you looking for?
Oh, there's this girl I know.
She ain't there.
-Is this her rig?
-It's pretty nice, isn't it?
It's real nice.
I want you to meet someone.
Come on.
Hey, Celia.
-How you doing?
-Good.
You doing an exhibition
or something?
I am selling barbecue sauce.
There's someone
I want you to meet.
-My brother, Ely.
-Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
You're the one
that hurt your head.
-That's right.
-This is Sophie.
What about having dinner
with us tonight?
Sounds good.
You're on, Miss Jones.
Gotta go. Bye.
(PHONE RINGING)
Grab that for me. Push "talk."
Hello?
No, she's gone into the arena.
She'll be a minute.
ANNOUNCER:
Here she is,
ladies and gentlemen,
the world's champion,
Celia Jones.
Damn. They better be paying
her a lot of money.
The joke is,
she's a vegetarian.
-I wouldn't have put you
two together.
-That's why it works.
Tell you the truth,
with a woman like that,
most guys are just scared
of them.
Probably for a good reason,
don't you think?
-Well, they gotta love
somebody.
-And that'd be you?
Why not?
Hello?
Hey, thanks.
I'm sorry. Dinner's off.
Maybe we'll hook up
in Carson City or something.
Sounds good. Nice to meet you.
-Bye, Celia.
-Bye-bye.
See you later.
ANNOUNCER: Well, stand back.
We got our bullfighters
over here.
Come on. Don't be late.
(HORN BLOWS)
-You okay?
-Yeah.
ANNOUNCER:
The score coming up f
or Ely Braxton.
Eighty-four points!
Hey!
(WHISTLES)
Dinner's back on if you guys
wanna hang out.
That'd be great.
That'd be great.
-Mario's at 8:00?
-Yeah.
-Okay, bye.
-Bye.
Seems stupid to bring
me along.
Au contraire.
It's the slow approach.
In matters of love,
brotherly accompaniment
equals respect.
You go in slow
like an iceberg
and by the time
she knows what's happening,
it's too late.
That sounds more
like war than love.
-Love is war.
-You're so romantic.
How's your year been, Ely?
-Pretty good.
-Yeah?
He's been getting checks.
Wrangler called and made
him an offer.
They've really been beefing up
their budget this year.
It's not exactly like
they're giving the money away.
I don't know how you guys
deal with the judge thing.
The judge thing?
You know, the judges
give the scores.
It's like ice skating
or boxing.
Where's the win in that?
If you watched enough,
you'd be able to tell
the winners from the losers.
Really?
I'll take that, please.
-Are you all through?
-Yes, thank you.
I'm sorry.
We don't take credit cards.
-You've gotta be kidding.
-I'm sorry.
They call this a restaurant.
I'm gonna take a pit stop.
I'll see you guys out front.
Sure. It was nice to meet you.
-You're not coming with us?
-No, I'm gonna walk.
Okay. See you.
I'll meet you outside.
-You got any cash?
-No. You said dinner was
on you.
That's when I thought t
hey took credit cards.
I don't have any cash.
Bit of a tight spot, eh?
Shit!
Don't worry.
I'll take care of it.
I love you,
you son of a bitch.
Go get her.
Oh, she loves that.
-You ever get a massage?
-Every chance I get.
You?
Once. It was kind of like
a gift certificate.
And?
Son of a bitch damn near
put me in the hospital.
And then during the whole
thing, I keep feeling
something dripping on me.
Then I realized
the guy was sweating.
It was a guy?
You got a massage from a guy?
Yeah.
Not a sports massage. I mean,
I get massages from guys.
I didn't know you guys did.
Well, I didn't either.
Give me a hand here?
-Nicely done.
-Thanks.
It was nice to meet
your brother. You guys
are pretty different, though.
Yeah. Ely's a good kid.
He just gets tangled up
sometimes.
Thanks for dinner.
Good night.
Hey, I was thinking about
that massage stuff
we were talking about earlier.
The deal with that was,
it was a gift certificate
and so I kind of felt awkward.
'Cause if it were me,
you know,
I would've asked
for someone else,
like a woman.
You are so funny.
Don't worry about it.
-Good night.
-Night.
I don't know, man.
She gives me a bad feeling.
Why?
She never looks you
in the eye.
She's shy.
That's part of why I love her.
Yeah? What's the other part?
You know, I've been thinking.
I don't think this clown
thing's helping me.
You're not a clown.
You're a bullfighter.
Well, next time we go out,
remind me to talk more
about the stock contracting.
Gee, that'll grab her.
Any woman that makes you feel
like you have to explain
yourself
is the wrong woman.
-Where the hell did you
pick that up?
-My feet?
Ever watch that James Bond
movie where they painted
that lady in gold?
-She suffocated.
-I thought it was
lead poisoning.
No. Her skin couldn't breathe,
something like that.
Shit, I don't know.
I've just always done it.
Hey.
What?
What's the old man been up to
these days?
I don't know.
Probably just waiting around
to go to hell.
Do you think he knows?
I mean,
do you think he knows
how we've done?
Probably.
Gotta do it, boy.
He ain't going nowhere.
-He might make it.
-Come on!
This is your last chance
to put some hair
on your balls.
-He's gonna make it!
-Get outta here.
Ely, come here, boy.
Good night, little big man.
Hey, hey.
Come on, Ely. You all right?
(MOUTHING)
Have you ever been
with a zookeeper, Ely?
'Cause this girl had
a funny smell, but she had
the best body I ever saw.
This is Connie. I'm not
in right now. Please leave
a message.
ANNOUNCER:
Poor Randy Frost has drawn
Zapata, the unridden bull.
Randy gets started,
but whoop, he's down!
Now in the winners' circle,
we see the familiar faces
of Ely Braxton
along with Celia Jones,
with another buckle.
(COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING)
"After the wreck, the closest
I ever thought I was gonna get
to a bull
"was cleaning out the stalls
back home," Braxton said.
-I never said that.
I never said that.
-Here we go.
"Ely blames his busy schedule
on keeping he and his father
apart.
"Although he says
he phones him often."
Damn, that is such bullshit.
Relax, cowboy. I'm just
enjoying some fine journalism.
They always find a way
to bring Dad into it.
-Hey, how are you?
-How are you?
-Are you guys in the rodeo?
-Yes.
What's this?
Do you want me to sign it?
How you guys doing?
About ready to go?
You coming in or going out?
Great. Great.
Son of a bitch.
Sorry. Did I wake you?
'Cause I was just trying
to figure out, while you were
having fun last night,
I spent my night freezing
my ass off in this truck.
Yeah. And while you've
been sleeping, I've had to do
all the driving.
I'd like to know how
the hell that works.
It works well.
I bet it does.
-Hey.
-I don't believe it.
How are you?
Ooh. How are you?
Good. It went well.
I'm glad to hear that.
-Where's your brother?
-Right behind me.
I'm gonna go put
some coffee on. Be right back.
Hey, Ma. What do you think?
-Whose it is?
-It's mine.
Yours?
-You look like hell, kid.
-Thanks.
You look great, as always.
Come here. Give me a hug.
You're all in one piece, huh?
Are you?
Yep, I'm great. You all right?
-Yeah, I'm all right.
-Let's go.
I think I'm gonna sign
a contract with Wrangler,
Ford, and Bud Light.
He's got Southwest coupons,
too. He's been doing
really good.
A good showing in Nashville
ought to sew up the PBR
and then he can quit
and come back and help us
with the ranch.
Maybe. But there's always
something to be said
for sticking with it.
I wanna keep my edge.
Well, we could use your help
back here too.
Maybe I'll do like
a back-and-forth or something.
Let's not get
all confused about
what people are doing
or aren't doing.
Joe and I are working out
just fine here.
You and Joe, huh?
Things getting a little lonely
at the ranch?
You best not forget
what's important.
Home, sweet home.
-Hi.
-Hi.
That's my shirt.
You're wearing my T-shirt.
-What are you doing here?
-I'm home for the Fourth.
-Oh...
-Here, I got this for you.
-Thanks.
-Go on. Open it.
Connie, do we have
a miniature Phillips-head
screwdriver?
Gene, you guys remember
each other? Ely.
Sure.
Howdy.
These model 1740s,
it takes a degree
to figure them out.
Do we have one of those
little, tiny, miniature...
Under the sink.
Excuse me?
There's a toolbox
under the sink
with a screwdriver in it.
Great. Thanks.
-Is that yours?
-Yeah. You like it?
It's nice.
You wanna come inside?
We're just hanging out.
No, thanks.
Maybe another time.
Why don't you just
come back tomorrow,
bring this.
We'll make a plan,
try to do this right.
No, thanks.
You're incredible!
You're gone for two months,
you don't even call
and then you show up
out of the blue and act
like I'm a bitch.
-I called a lot.
-No, you didn't.
-You only called once.
-That's not true.
I left a message once.
I called lots of times.
Oh, that is lame!
I can't believe you!
That is so lame!
If Zapata keeps rolling
along the way he is,
I'd like to take some
of that cash, maybe put
something together.
Like a book?
I was thinking more
like a video. I want something
that says it all.
There's a lot of guys teaching
a lot of different things,
but it's all based
on power and strength.
There's nothing wrong
with a little effort.
Are you kidding me?
Have you seen some
of these guys in the chutes?
All muscled up.
They don't know a single thing
about bull riding.
Take Denny Presser,
for example. Pulls his biceps
clean off the bone.
Never thinks
he's gonna ride again.
I work with him, get him
to focus on balance,
stretching, visualization.
He wins the PBR
two years later.
Oh, come on!
You know that final went
to whoever drew Meathead.
I think I'd give Denny
a little more credit
than that.
He's one out of three guys
who rode him that year.
That was luck of the draw.
Ely, it takes a lot of heart
and skill to ride a bull.
All I'm saying is,
I'm just sick and tired
of these bull riders
with bad attitudes
and bad habits.
It's getting like
I can tell already
who's gonna get injured.
-That's bullshit!
-Ely!
-You don't know
who's gonna get hurt.
-Sure, I do.
It's the power guys,
using the Mitchell technique,
slapping themselves around.
-Just like Dad did.
-All right, Mr. Expert.
What are you gonna tell
Ronnie Kitchens about getting
his face rearranged?
That was the bull.
Fine. Then what are you gonna
tell me?
If you don't smarten up
and start listening,
you're gonna get hurt again,
real bad.
You know what?
I've had it
with all your talking.
My brother loves to go on
and on about this and that,
all day long.
Who made you the expert
anyway, huh?
Besides, Dad got
two money titles.
When did you win anything?
-That's enough!
-You bet it is.
Whatever point you are trying
to make, you just ruined
that dinner!
I didn't ruin that dinner.
Hank did.
And if nobody can see that,
then forget it!
Get back here. Come here.
-This isn't like you.
-Yeah? Maybe it is.
Maybe I'm finally taking up
my place in the world
instead of wandering around
like a goddamn ghost.
Get in here! Come on back!
Eddie, you know he won
all the big ones, right?
-Sure did.
-Cheyenne, Calgary, Denver.
All of them except the finals.
Placed high, but he never
won it.
-Who, your pops?
-Yeah.
It's like Jim Kelly,
Dan Marino. Something's always
gonna be missing.
Hell. Finals back then was
just another rodeo.
PBR was just a pipe dream.
I don't think your daddy
or the rest of us gave
a second goddamn thought.
Yeah, well, hell,
everything's different now.
Everything. Just look at
the old films.
The bulls were pussies
compared to the bulls
we ride now.
These bulls we ride,
they're killers.
-They're killers!
-Looks pretty much
the same to me.
-You don't know shit.
-Come on!
Break it up, goddamn it!
Come on!
Oh, shit.
What the hell happened?
I didn't touch him!
DOCTOR: We have to find out.
It could be a number
of things.
An injury in the past years.
It could be a hemorrhage
from the hits he took
over the past months.
Or maybe from the one tonight.
-I didn't realize
it was that serious.
-Hard to tell.
-I still think he should
stay overnight.
-I sort of have already.
At least come back tomorrow
for more blood work
and X ray follow-up.
Okay.
Prednisone. Take with food.
And no more bulls, young man.
-Thank you, Doctor.
-Night.
Your shirt's all screwed up.
You know when
I'm talking and stuff?
I'm not talking about you.
That conversation about you,
that's a whole other deal.
Don't make me have it
with you now.
-Come back tomorrow?
-Yeah.
-You all right?
-Yeah, I'm fine.
Let's get outta here.
Hey. I'll give you
a ride down.
No, I'm all right. Thanks.
What do you mean?
You don't want the company?
Not unless you're going
to Salt Lake.
Salt Lake City?
-You're going
to Salt Lake City rodeo?
-Yeah.
Jesus Christ, Ely!
Didn't you listen to what
the doctor said?
I feel fine. Whatever they
gave me, it worked.
-Don't do that!
-You listen to me!
If you go now, in the shape
you're in, you are going to be
killing yourself.
And if I do, it'll be me
doing it, okay?
Not you, not Mom, Connie.
Me.
Christ, I can't do
this anymore.
This is your deal, not mine.
You know,
maybe you can explain
to me why it always had to be
your deal or my deal,
why it never could just
be ours.
I don't know.
Back office says
we need to take
a wait-and-see attitude.
Granted, you're a great story
with the comeback,
but we only sponsor guys
who make the finals.
-I'm going to the finals!
-I know that.
It's a formality.
Just a few spots up
in the rankings is all.
-We're rooting for you.
-Yeah, right.
I'll see you around.
Check it out, son.
It don't get better than this.
Hey, comeback kid!
Come here.
Give me a hand, cowboy.
Whoa! Easy, cowboy.
There's a foot in there.
-Like them?
-They're nice.
Why don't you talk to the rep?
You're high up, aren't you?
-Top five.
-That's what I thought.
What does someone like you do
when there's no one around?
I find someone.
Right.
Out of the five dates
you've had with my brother,
you came through on only one.
Is that true?
Jesus, I have no life.
It's true!
What's with the score keeping?
You got a notebook somewhere?
If you saw what it does
to him, you wouldn't need
a notebook.
You're making me feel bad.
Your brother's a good man.
You bet.
You want a drink?
I'll see you around.
-Hey, Doc?
-It popped.
Okay, hold on.
Let him get his feet up.
(YELLING)
It's gonna hurt. Ready?
(CRACKING)
Every time you pop that out,
you're making it worse.
What do you want me to do?
Try landing on
your left shoulder.
-This is for the pain.
-Good old Dr. Hack.
No, I don't want
a prescription. I need
something now for the pain.
You boys are gonna have
to learn how to ride better.
I gave them all away.
Let's get outta here.
You gave them to who?
I never seen you give
a pill to no one.
Next!
-Rooster!
-Hey, boys, what's going on?
-I got something
for that pain.
-What do you got?
I got some good stuff.
What a nice surprise!
Excellent timing, Connie.
Thank you.
-It's been too long!
-I know.
Listen, I came out here 'cause
I was thinking that...
I don't know how to say this,
but you know,
when you break up
with someone,
it's not just the two of you,
it's everyone else too.
And I was thinking
that maybe it doesn't have
to be that way.
I must have picked up
that telephone 20 times
to call you.
As far as Ely goes,
you did the right thing.
Most of us just go on and on,
taking whatever comes,
not asking for more.
But you have a right
to expect more,
'cause you deserve it.
Thanks.
Hank and his shiny new toy!
-Wow!
-What do you think?
-It's gonna be a shame
to get it dirty.
-Mom tell ya?
-Hank's got a contract
for Bakersfield.
-Congratulations.
Thanks. We're leaving when
I get these bulls loaded.
I'll stop on my way back.
See ya.
(DOOR KNOCKING)
-Hey, how you doing?
-I'm good. How are you?
I was wondering
if maybe you wanted
to get a bite to eat.
How sweet.
This is my sister Debbie.
Hi. Nice to meet you.
Ely Braxton, ma'am.
Nice to meet you, Ely Braxton.
Why don't you come in
and have some ice cream
with the girls?
Come on.
Get your butt in here.
Honey, you cannot call
that a dress!
I can so! It was a dress!
Last year I give her
a Victoria's Secret
gift certificate.
Do you know
what she buys herself?
Overalls. Can you imagine?
Why would anyone buy
themselves work clothes
out of that catalog?
It's a little like buying
yourself a hot dog
in a French restaurant.
Aren't you clever!
Our mama always thought
she would be happier as a man.
That is a lie! That is a lie.
That is not true.
-It is too true.
-It is not.
-What's the matter with you?
-You're trying to pick up
this boy...
We're just having a good time.
I'm not trying to pick him up.
-He knows a woman
when he sees one.
-Flashing your titties?
Honey, I'm sorry!
I'm sorry if I'm a real woman!
Why would a man go
for a hamburger
when he can get a big sirloin?
-You okay to drive home?
-Yeah.
Ah!
What a nightmare!
I like her.
Oh, yeah? I bet you do.
Celia!
I gotta use the phone
before I go!
No!
Why?
Because you're a pain
in the ass.
Stupid, selfish little bitch!
Be good.
What are
you looking at?
Joe, stop here.
I'm just gonna be a minute.
Leave us alone!
Talk to him.
Let's just go.
Come on, let's go.
I thought I was pretty clear
on the phone.
Yeah, I know, Hank,
but I already penciled you in.
I suppose I just...
I don't know.
I figured since you was here,
you'd be fighting.
You knew what this meant
to me.
This was supposed to be
my first full-on deal
as a contractor.
Hey, it's just a little more
dinero. Right?
What the hell's wrong
with that? Huh?
For Christ's sake!
Fine.
ANNOUNCER:
This bull, Zapata,
has never been ridden.
Whoo! I'd say Zapata won
that war.
Hank, damn, he's bucking good!
You rooting for the bulls now?
That's Zapata!
Where you been?
You don't want to know.
(HORN BLOWS)
Yeah!
ANNOUNCER:
Eighty-eight points!
What a ride! Eighty-eight!
You pull a stunt like
that again and you're out
of the loop. You got it?
What the heck was that?
What the hell are you doing?
I was gonna ask you
the same thing.
You do not come back
to the ranch. Understand me?
No more.
You wanna know what kind
of a father you got?
Take a look in the mirror!
Yeah. That's what I thought.
I was wondering when
you were gonna show me
that temper.
Let's go load the bulls.
Hi, handsome.
I'm taking Zapata
and the other bulls down
to PBR in Vegas.
-I figure, when in Rome...
-Great. This calls
for a celebration.
-What do you wanna do?
-Um, pie? Louanne's?
Okay. Park.
Wow.
It's the frosting.
Don't you think?
Must be.
You seem really good.
I am. I'm okay. How about you?
I'm good.
And bad.
And bad and good.
Do you see him much?
Not really.
How is he?
I don't know. He seems okay.
You know,
in a different world,
you and I would've made
a lot more sense.
Yeah. In a different world.
Mr. PBR!
Hey, you're in!
Yeah, that was close.
I got lucky, I guess.
You did not get lucky.
I'm gonna come with you.
We're gonna do something sick
in Vegas.
What? You wanna get married?
Who knows?
Oh, get this!
Ray is looking for you.
-TNN wants an interview.
-Don't do that.
I'm sorry. Aren't you excited?
Say something! You're the man!
Vegas! It's yours!
-Did you get any other calls?
-You keep asking me that.
I was hoping to hear
from Hank. We always go
to the finals together.
-Take the phone. Call him.
-I don't want the phone.
You are really hung up
on the past.
You should just get rid
of this big brother,
little brother, father shit.
It is not helping you.
You are almost at the top now.
You don't need all this crap.
Maybe you should deal with it.
Hank will be at the finals
with his bulls.
Just face it.
Ely, I would hold off
on those pills
until after the interview.
So now I have to pay you
to be my manager?
Oh, my God!
What the hell is with you?
Nothing.
For the last few days,
you've made me feel like
I've done something wrong.
You didn't do anything wrong.
Then what is it?
Are you gonna be mad
at me for wanting you
instead of him?
If you are, you should
let me know.
I got better things to do
than follow you to Vegas
and be treated like shit.
Hey, Hank! Ely's gonna be
on television any minute!
Come on.
Ely, it's been
an impressive year.
Did you really think you'd
have a shot
at the championship?
It's important to take it
one bull at a time.
When I came up,
your dad was the man.
He looked like he was
in control all the time, and
I see a little of that in you.
That can't be helped, I guess.
Good genes, they'll only take
you so far.
Did you pick up any words
of wisdom from your dad?
Sure, you bet. Lots of things.
- Share them with us.
-This ought to be interesting.
Not to think too much,
to stay centered,
get through the eight seconds
the best you can
and cowboy up.
All right. Thanks, Ely.
Good luck, and give Pops
my best.
Ely Braxton, he's
my dark horse pick for the PBR
championships in Las Vegas.
I'm Donnie Gay for TNN.
Hey, can I ask you something?
If things were reversed,
would Hank have given me
up for you?
Yeah, he would have.
Take care of yourself,
all right?
(BELL DINGING)
Again Ely Braxton
with another powerful ride.
How did it feel?
It felt great.
I'm just rocking
along as usual.
Well, rocking along,
it was a great ride, Ely.
Your next draw,
your brother's bull,
the bad boy, Zapata.
What do you think about him?
That seemed to even get
his attention, Pam.
But in all honesty,
that bull is a bad one.
(YELLING)
Hey.
That's something new.
Tell me something.
At least...
At least tell me all this
had to do with love.
You know, Ray swears
Zapata was luck of the draw.
Yeah.
What do you think?
Me?
I thought you might have me
set up for the ass-kicking
I deserve.
What's this?
It's Dad's address.
It's not far from here.
You got your work
cut out for you.
Hey, Hank.
I could really use your help
with this one.
Ely, you gotta lighten
your load.
All that shit you've been
hanging on to for,
Jesus Christ,
God only knows how long.
You gotta let it go.
If you wanna ride Zapata,
you've gotta drop everything
and everyone
that isn't you.
Then you'll be fine.
We both know
you can ride anything.
You'll be fine.
Hey.
I'm sorry.
That's a start.
You be careful.
And I love you.
ANNOUNCER:
It don't get better than this.
What the hell?
-What time is it?
-It's late.
You guys got the shits
of a life.
Least ways, you didn't bring
no camera with you this year.
What the hell?
Suppose you better come on in.
Come on.
Same thing every year.
I know when it's finals time,
when you reporters start
coming round.
-I'm not a reporter.
-What the hell are you then?
-I'm a bull rider.
-Oh! A cowboy, huh?
I used to ride bulls,
real ones.
Not this corn-fed,
feedlot pussies you see
nowadays.
Come on, sit yourself down.
Have a seat.
Go on through.
Get kids like you
in here asking for advice.
I don't got much to tell them
except you gotta fight
that damn bull
like he's just crawled out
of your sweetheart's bed.
You gotta hate that sucker,
and then you gotta hate him
some more.
It's a goddamn war,
is what it is.
And you're a damn fool
if you think it's otherwise.
Let me show you
this here thing.
Now, where is that...
Where is that thing I put...
There it is.
Wait a minute now.
Look at this.
That's Wyoming, 1969.
I won that.
I was out the night before
with the boys, tomcatting.
That's a hell of a town
for that.
We left that bar,
went straight to the rodeo.
I didn't know whether
I was coming or going.
And damn me if I didn't win
that damned thing.
You just sit right here.
Wait one minute.
I got something, I just put
my hands to it here.
Where the hell did I put
those sons of bitches?
There they are.
Well, almost out of them.
I got one left.
You can have it.
There you are, son.
What do you think of that?
Just a minute. Just a minute.
Let me have that.
What did you say
your name was, cowboy?
Ely.
Ely?
Ely what?
Just Ely.
Just plain old Ely?
There you go.
"From Reid Braxton
to just old Ely."
Now, son, you take care
of that. That's gonna be worth
a lot of money someday.
Want another beer?
I'll get you another beer.
Yep, one more beer coming up.
(PHONE RINGING)
Hello?
Wow, you're there.
-Ely?
- Afraid so.
-Where are you?
- Somewhere near Vegas.
Been up all night?
Is there still a chance
for the two of us?
You're the one
that's gambling.
Am I?
-Good luck tonight.
-Thanks. I'll need it.
You're watching, right?
I don't know.
But good luck.
I miss you.
Bye.
ANNOUNCER:
Ladies and gentlemen!
I welcome you to the P...
B...
R!
This is the final round
of the Professional
Bull Riders'
World Championship!
Forty-five world-class
bull riders
started this competition
last Thursday
and after three go-arounds,
the top 15 heroes qualified
for tonight's finals!
And here they are!
Heath Hanson.
Carl Hudson.
John Mortenson.
Andre Nelson.
Chris Shaw.
Donny Ray Howard.
Ely Braxton.
Each and every one of them
can walk away
with over half a million
dollars worth of prize money
tonight
if they make it through
the eight seconds safe
and sound.
But it won't be that easy,
as you know.
Because each and every one
of our heroes
will ride the rankest,
the meanest bulls known
to mankind!
Give our heroes a hand
and include them
in your prayers!
God bless them,
and God bless America!
PAM: (ON TV) Welcome back
to the PBR Finals,
live from Las Vegas.
Donnie, the action
has been exciting.
Do you have any predictions?
DONNIE: Well, Eric Black's
been on a run since Cheyenne.
And you know
what momentum means when
you come to the PBR Finals.
Best bulls, best bull riders.
But you gotta take
the injuries into account.
Like Weathers and Franks,
they're hurting.
You gotta look to Ely Braxton.
PAM: He's gotten by one bull
but what about this draw
in the next round?
DONNIE: It's the classic
good news/bad news story.
He knows the bull because
he belongs to his brother.
The bad news,
the bull's Zapata. Unridden,
and maybe the most dangerous
animal on earth.
PAM: He's got his hands
full, but what makes that bull
so tough?
DONNIE: Pam, he's got
a lot of moves,
but in reality, he's just
so dangerous, it makes
it real hard to concentrate.
PAM: As we wait for that ride,
let's move
to chute number three.
Ely Braxton!
(BELL DINGING)
(ALL CHEERING)
Whoo!
Get him off!
(SCREAMING)
No!
(SOBBING)
Ma!
Hey, Zapata.
Get out of the way, Joe.
Rose!
Ma!
-Wait, think about this.
-Rose, Rose.
Mom, put the gun down.
Come on, put the gun down.
Please. Come on.
This isn't going
to bring him back.
It's okay.
Come on.
I'll take care of this, okay?
Come on, put it down.
Come on, it's okay.
(SOBBING)
All right, Joe, come on.
Let's go.
You sure you wanna do this?
Yeah. Let him out.
That's what he would've done.
Yeah.
Come on.