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Man and Boy

Play trailer Poster for Man and Boy G 1972 1h 38m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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Caleb Revers (Bill Cosby) has worked hard to build up enough savings to buy his family a small farm in Arizona. Having fought in the Civil War and faced intense racism, Caleb is no stranger to hardship and struggle, but he is not prepared for the difficulties he and his family will face out West. When Caleb's son, Billy (Gloria Foster), comes back from a trip into town without the clan's only horse, father and son set out on a challenging journey to reclaim the animal.

Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 11/06/2018
2.5/4
The movie lacks structure and discipline, and we're left hanging too often while plot points are shoveled in. Go to Full Review
Madeline Wheeler Murphy Baltimore Afro-American 06/01/2021
Worthwhile, rich entertainment for the entire family. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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05/01/2022 William Henry Cosby, Jr. EDD, you debuted your first and greatest Western role ever as a cowboy from the American Civil War, LOL!!!!!!!!!! All families are admitted, allowed, and awesome. No ****ing **** to deal with!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more 06/23/2021 The story of a man and his boy starring Bill Cosby, George Spell, and Gloria Foster In 1871 Caleb Rivers is an ex-Union soldier from the civil war He lives out west hoping for a new start not worrying about the intense racism and prejudice At least he's not alone; there's lot of native Americans mixed in with other blacks in this part of the world But now he is fighting to save his wife and son from their land being overtaken by lawless white officials Things get more difficult when Caleb's son Billy takes a horse with him on a trip and the animal is stolen Now both of them set on a journey to get the horse back while also confronting the hostility of the white officials Caleb also runs into an old adversary of his, Yaphett Koto's Nate Lee Christmas is also the most notorious outlaw running amok so it might be up to Caleb to bring him to justice This is one of Bill Cosby's more dramatic parts as opposed to his comedic background It's refreshing to see an Afro-centric western in this crowded Caucasian genre Not too many shootouts but it is dripping with atmosphere while also commenting on the current social climate of the time period For a G-rated flick there's a lot of shooting involved and violence These days we are all looking at Bill Cosby much more differently but at the time he did have the range to act outside his usual norm See more 06/19/2020 This is one of very few movies that try to provide insight into the black experience in the old west: The American West. It has become collateral damage in Bill Cosby's tragic fall from grace. His character in this story is a former union soldier who lives with his wife and son on a small plot of land in Arizona. As he and the boy attempt to track down a stolen horse, important to their future, they're forced to deal with some difficult realities of life. See more 04/30/2010 My first time seeing Bill Cosby in a 'dramatic' role, I enjoyed the movie. Its a Western hands down. Overall a good short movie, though I wish the ending was a bit more developed. See more Read all reviews
Man and Boy

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Movie Info

Synopsis Caleb Revers (Bill Cosby) has worked hard to build up enough savings to buy his family a small farm in Arizona. Having fought in the Civil War and faced intense racism, Caleb is no stranger to hardship and struggle, but he is not prepared for the difficulties he and his family will face out West. When Caleb's son, Billy (Gloria Foster), comes back from a trip into town without the clan's only horse, father and son set out on a challenging journey to reclaim the animal.
Director
E.W. Swackhamer
Producer
Marvin Miller
Screenwriter
Harry Essex, Oscar Saul
Production Co
Jemmin Inc., J. Cornelius Crean Films Inc.
Rating
G
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 4, 2019
Runtime
1h 38m