There's a terrific moment in this - single mum Lisa Armytage is struggling to get cattle off her land and about to give up when all of a sudden Jon Blake and all these cattlemen who've been feuding uniting to help her out. That's an image strong enough to build a movie around even if yes it would be nice to have a few female riders in that group. But...
It's confusing as to why she needs help - she's overgrazing is that right? And the people chasing after her are... park rangers with machine guns is that right? Because they work for the state government who want a national park?
And the conflict among the cattlemen is weak and/or confusing.
They really, really needed to do more work on the story. The story, rather than the script. It's just... bad. The greenies want to kick the cattlemen off because of overgrazing. I think I get that. But the conflicts within the cattlemen are confusing - Jon Blake's dad looks like Lisa Armytage's uncle. The older women look the same. They act the same (sensible! No nonsense! No plot function!) Having Blake be the father of Armytage's kid muddies things - doesn't give us anything. I don't like her for not telling him. Why not have it as a baddy's kid? Why not have a proper baddy? Deborah lee Furness is meant to be bad but she's just a politician. Why have Furness go topless in a family flim? Why have Armytage be do dumb she assumes Blake slept with Furness? Why build to an exciting climax then have cattlemen play dumb jokes. Start climax and go backwards.
People use property developers and criminals as villains because they work. They are personal, their goals are clear. This is too messy.
Needs to be simple. Government want to kick cattlemen off land. Pick on Armytage. She's overgrazed. Use her as an example. Give her a good reason why it's happened. Cattlemen are divided viciously over what to do. Armytage too proud. Blake tries to help. She has to move stock from A to B in 24 hours to raise money. Ticking clock. Etc.
There was a market for this sort of film, even this sort of propaganda. They stuff it.
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