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Parents' Guide to

Rodeo & Juliet

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Far-fetched horse tale is wholesome but predictable.

Movie NR 2015 88 minutes
Rodeo & Juliet Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

In RODEO & JULIET, Karen (Krista Allen) returns to her country home after her father's death. She intends to sell the horse ranch she grew up on. However, Hugh (Tim Abell), the rancher she was set to marry 20 years before, had become so close to her father in her absence that Dad left him half ownership of the ranch. Sparks fly over real estate claims and old hurts as Karen discovers the ranch's debts and expenses. Additionally, the country girl who skipped on her fiancé for the call of the big city and fame as a romance writer now faces writers' block because actual romance is but a dim memory for her. At the same time, her complaining daughter Juliet (Nadine Crocker) learns to barrel race in the hope of using the winnings from a competition to pay to keep the horse she's bonded with. She's also bonded with Monty (Zeb Halsell), Hugh's horse-training nephew. Romance blooms amid the conflict. Both couples kiss.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (4 ):

This movie seems farfetched at times, but it'ss appealing enough that one wishes it were so much better than it is. The bare bones of Rodeo & Juliet will go well with a bowl of popcorn, but a stronger script would have made all the perfectly competent actors look a whole lot better. A girl who has never ridden western saddle in her life learns in three weeks to barrel race well enough to beat an arena record at her first competition. Guess barrel racing is a lot easier than it looks.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the story in Rodeo & Juliet. Karen has no romance in her life yet she has achieved fame as a romance writer. She says that she feels like a fraud. Do you think it's common for people to feel that they're faking their way through life? Why?

  • Juliet seems eager to give up her life and friends in New York City to stay in the country training and racing horses. Do you think it would be easy to make that kind of great life transition so easily? Does the movie seem believable?

  • Do you believe that Juliet could learn to barrel race well enough to break a local record in only three weeks? Why or why not?

Movie Details

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