Outer Banks scene-stealer Rudy Pankow takes the reins in his first big movie role against a stacked cast of Hollywood character actors and stars in the new western, Accidental Texan. The young heartthrob gives a charming performance that deserves recognition, despite the film’s lack of success at the box office. Pankow stars alongside Thomas Haden Church, Bruce Dern, as well as Carrie-Anne Moss, who all make for an endearing family-like group of underdogs trying to beat the big guys in the oil drilling industry.
Accidental Texan is directed by Mark Lambert Bristol and written by Julie B. Denny. Released in 2023, it garnered just over $200,000 at the box office after making its debut at the Dallas International Film Festival. Although receiving mixed reviews, the drama-comedy western is full of heart and authenticity, having been shot on location in Texas with beautiful scenery. Based on the 1999 novel, Chocolate Lizards, by Cole Thompson, Pankow is miles away from the wild, heavy-drinking character he portrays on Outer Banks, and transforms into a land man hunting for black gold.
What Is ‘Accidental Texan’ About?
Pankow stars as Erwin Vandeveer, a Harvard dropout who is an aspiring actor, but blows it on set on his first night, which results in him being fired almost immediately. When his car breaks down driving away from set, he’s forced to walk to the nearest small town in the heart of Texas, where he meets oil man Merle (Church), at the local diner, which is run by the town matriarch, Faye (Moss). Merle ends up enlisting Erwin’s acting skills to pretend to be his landman on his oil rig so he doesn’t get foreclosed. Erwin winds up staying with Merle for the month leading up to foreclosure as they try to beat the clock in their search for oil, leading him to learn the ways of being a Texan.
Rudy Pankow Plays a Harvard Drop-Out Working on an Oil Rig
Pankow is awkward, jittery, and contained as Erwin, playing the complete opposite of his star-making role of JJ in Outer Banks. But he’s still hilarious, especially in a scene where he chews tobacco to try and embrace his country persona, only to gag in repulsion afterward, going full in on any physical bit that comes his way. Pankow plays Erwin like a fish out of water, often stuttering and stumbling over his own words while trying to lead the rig in finding the right spot to dig oil. He even comically tries to sport a Texas accent, which Pankow smartly botches,making his character all the more endearing.
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Where Pankow really shines, though, is in his scenes with co-star, Thomas Haden Church. Their kooky senses of humor and inviting energies bounce off each other perfectly. Pankow plays a funny satire of a once-uptight Harvard student, and Church’s molding of him into a Texan is like hazing in a fraternity, without the male toxicity. When Merle hands Ernest a whiskey flask on their first outing together in his pick-up truck early in the morning, it’s basically an initiation into the world of the Wild West. Pankow shutters and shivers, but carries a subtlety to the role that makes him the perfect straight to Church’s wild.
Thomas Haden Church and Rudy Pankow Fight off Greedy Businessmen
Accidental Texan is like a comedic version of There Will Be Blood, as it explores themes of father-son bonds while turning itself into a slapstick comedy full of oil explosions, shoot-outs, and greed. The dark reality of the American dream keeps coming for them and reminds them that Mother Nature can be unforgiving. The answer to their dream then comes in the form of an always reliable, Bruce Dern, returning to the Western after getting his big break in the genre back in the ’60s. Playing an old cowboy on a large property that is said to have oil on it, he packs a punch in his scenes of shooting at greedy oil men with as much pizzazz as all those years ago.
Accidental Texan has its cheesy moments and can feel kitschy at times, but the film’s sincerity makes it easy to enjoy. Erwin and Merle’s friendship makes the film feel authentic, as they forge a father-son bond in funny ways, including getting revenge by placing chickens in a businessman’s car or brainstorming over countless glasses of whiskey. Church is essentially a cowboy, just instead of riding a horse, he rides a pick-up truck, and his adversaries are men in suits in lieu of bandits. His performance is surprisingly emotional and vulnerable, as it’s revealed in time why he’s so interested in helping Erwin find his way. A ccidental Texan is a great showcase for Pankow’s versatility as an actor, and for those who want to experience more than just JJ from Outer Banks, this is a great place to start.
Erwin finds himself stranded in Texas, where he’s taken under the wing of a nearly bankrupt oil driller Merle. They set off on a wild adventure to outwit a corrupt oil company to hit pay dirt before Merle’s dreams are foreclosed.
- Director
- Mark Lambert Bristol
- Cast
- Thomas Hayden Church , Rudy Pankow , Carrie-Anne Moss , Bruce Dern , AnnaClare Hicks , David DeLao , Selase Botchway , Jake Ryan
- Runtime
- 104 Minutes
Accidental Texan is available to rent or buy on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
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