This unassuming little coming-of-age drama features Matt Dillon in the title role as a sweet, slightly dim teenager living with his older brother Mason (Jim Metzler) in a rural Oklahoma town. With an absentee father and a deceased mom, the two eke out a marginal existence; things get desperate enough for Mason to sell his and Tex's horses to have enough money for groceries. Mason is ready to graduate high school and has his sights set on Indiana University and a basketball scholarship; he has little patience for his younger brother and his antics, feeling like he has to babysit him to keep him out of trouble. Tex's partner-in-mischief is Johnny (Emilio Estevez), while Johnny's sister Jamie (Meg Tilly) is the object of Tex's crush. The two live under the stern eye of their authoritarian dad (Ben Johnson), foiling any ideas Tex may have about Jamie. If this film seems reminiscent of The Outsiders, it's because it's similarly based on an S.E. Hinton novel; its tone and mood also calls to mind early-'80s kid dramas such as Breaking Away and My Bodyguard. It's a quiet little movie, capturing the boredom and tedium of small-town life nicely, with good characterizations and early roles by the Brat Pack. Dillon helped define himself early on with troubled-teen roles, and this is a fine example. Tex is also notable because it was one of the first adult dramas to come from Disney Studios. --Jerry Renshaw
(18 votes)
2.
The rural town of Bixby, Oklahoma, doesn't have a lot to offer the kids that are stuck growing up there. In TEX, the poignant coming-of-age story based on S.E. Hinton's novel of the same name, Tex McCormick (Matt Dillon) and Mason McCormick (Jim Metzler) are two very different brothers forced to survive when their burnt-out rodeo cowboy father (Bill McKinney) deserts them. After his departure, the boys must face the hardships of running a household and making some tough decisions. Mason is a star basketball player eager to escape the confines of the small town, but forced into the fatherly role of looking after the younger, hapless Tex. Considering himself a fourth generation cowboy, Tex is happiest when he's riding his horse. He parties with the locals, plays pranks in school, flirts with his best friend's (Emilio Estevez) sister (Meg Tilly) and doesn't take life seriously. When Mason is forced to sell Tex's beloved horse to pay household bills, Tex must learn how to accept the loss and forgive his older brother. The two boys are drawn closer by the sudden appearance of their delinquent father and a series of life-threatening events that reminds them that they're all the family they've got.
(18 votes)
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