I will admit, I wanted to see this movie only for Jackson Rathbone. But because of my interest in him, I discovered a cute movie. Cowgirls 'n Angels is about a 12-year-old girl named Ida who joins a touring rodeo company called the Sweethearts in order to find her estranged father. Along the way, she learns about responsibility and the value of friendship.
Bailee Madison stars as Ida Stanton. She gives a great performance as a girl on her own, not respecting authority who finds friendship where she least expects it. James Cromwell is the owner of the Sweethearts, a female rodeo touring company. I loved Cromwell in this role. He was authoritative when he had to be but also makes time for the girls. You can tell that he loves the Sweethearts with everything he's got.
Alicia Witt is Elaine, Ida's mother. Elaine believes that all people involved with the rodeo are "lowlifes" because her husband was one. She forbids Ida to participate at first, and then changes her mind at the thought of money. Although I liked Witt in this role, I wish that she had more to do. She doesn't really ever understand Ida's desire to know her father, yet does a great job trying to keep her from meeting him. She allows Ida to be a part of the Sweethearts, but I don't believe she ever really understands her daughter.
Dora Madison Burge is Kansas, one of the Sweetheart riders. She is instantly nice to Ida and the two form a bond. Burge shined when she had to make a decision about whether to stay with the Sweethearts or pursue love when it comes calling. Although I did not agree with her decision, I enjoyed watching her in this role and looking at her profile on IMDb, she is in hot demand.
Jackson Rathbone is Justin, Kansas's boyfriend. Rathbone is originally from Texas, so it was no problem for him to speak with his Western accent. Although Justin does not have a lot to do in this film, every time he was on the screen, I smiled. Rathbone brings sweetness to Justin that makes you understand why Kansas chooses him over the rodeo. And with his cowboy hat and beard, Rathbone was very attractive. And I literally swooned when he tipped his cowboy hat.
The rest of the cast also excelled in their roles. I did not find one person out of place and believed that the mean girls really were mean and the men that they met along the way were genuine cowboys. The acting was not over the top from anyone and I hope to see everyone in future roles.
One thing I liked about this movie (besides the horses of course) was that it did not rely on special effects to enhance the story. While some movies nowadays spend millions on effects to make a poor story spectacular, Cowgirls 'n Angels relied on the plot and the acting itself to attract the audience. And of course, horses help too. I was nervous watching the film, worried that a horse would get hurt.
Overall, Cowgirls 'n Angels was pretty good. There were times when I wanted to smack Ida for being so difficult and other times when I wanted to run off with Justin. A simple story with a message, I hope to see this movie again.
