Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cowboy character study mixes violence and depth; some peril.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Will Penny
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Will Penny (Charlton Heston) is an aging, illiterate cowboy whose work has run out. He must either find better prospects or risk dying on the land he's navigated most of his life. When a band of outlaws led by Preacher Quint (Donald Pleasence) roughs him up, he's taken in by a kind woman, Catherine (Joan Hackett), and her son, who nurse him back to health but also offer a glimpse of a life he passed by, forcing him to consider the road not taken.
Is It Any Good?
WILL PENNY is a cut above most Westerns: Here, the typical shoot-'em-up is expanded to encompass character in a way that gives the genre some real depth. Heston is stellar as a man too old to cowboy but too cowboy to love, who scores an It's a Wonderful Life-style glimpse of the life he passed up in the softness of a woman and her young son trying to survive on the frontier. He learns to sing carols, take regular baths, and make a home and develops a real fondness for the family way of life. For young kids, there's too much menace and peril for this to be appropriate. For teens old enough to appreciate westerns, this could be an unexpected and unwanted look at the lifestyle, but for parents and older teens who are interested in genre standard-bearers, it's a great film.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about cowboys. Is this how cowboys are normally portrayed? How is it the same? How is it different?
How are Native Americans portrayed in the film? Are they portrayed as savages or as a complex people whose motives deserve understanding or compassion?
What do you know from history about the cowboy way of life? What do you think it would be like to be a cowboy who is too old to keep working and too uncivilized to join a family?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 10, 1968
- On DVD or streaming : June 2, 2002
- Cast : Charlton Heston , Donald Pleasence , Joan Hackett
- Director : Tom Gries
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Western
- Topics : Adventures , Animals
- Run time : 110 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate