Although the film means well as something of an inspirational, David-versus-Goliath tale set in Texas oil country, Accidental Texan can’t quite get past the reality that its young lead character is annoying and entitled until he’s promptly humbled and then humbled again.
A recent Harvard acting student now living in LA, Erwin (Rudy Pankow) finally lands his first big acting gig in New Orleans only to get fired immediately when his cell phone goes off before a major stunt, accidentally triggering a major explosion during a scene that can’t be redone. On his drive of shame back to LA, Erwin’s car breaks down in a small Texas town where there just happens to be a big oil war going on between a local, independent oil driller named Merle (Thomas Haden Church) and a big petroleum company, both of whom are trying to lease the oil rights from a handful of locals under whose land they believe is the precious black gold. Without the means or money to get his car fixed, Erwin accepts an offer from Merle to pretend to be a Harvard-educated oil rights expert, only to find out Merle doesn’t have any actual money either. Erwin decides to stick around because the ruse gives him a chance to flex his acting chops once again and get it right.
Based on the Cole Thompson novel Chocolate Lizards and adapted by Julie B. Denny, Accidental Texan is helmed by Mark Bristol, a video game director and well-known storyboard artist (he recently did the storyboards for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part 1), whose skills as a visionary filmmaker have yet to be tested. There’s nothing especially interesting about the way he directs this movie, other than having the smarts to let THC just do his home-spun thing beautifully. Merle has a team of devoted rig workers who would rather stick with him than accept big payouts by the competition (even Merle thinks that’s a dumb move), and he’s got a lot of friends and well-wishers in town, including local waitress Faye (Carrie-Anne Moss), who might also be a possible love interest for the crusty old oil man. Speaking of crusty and old, Bruce Dern also shows up as one of the property owners Merle is trying to sway, and anything with Dern in it is better than something without.
The film works best when it leans into the parallel stories about Merle and Erwin being two lost, desperate causes who find a way to better each other’s existence by working together. Merle’s operation has a month-long deadline in which to strike oil or lose the business to the competition, adding an unnecessary ticking-clock element to the story that feels inauthentic. I believe this story is said to have been based on a true story, but so much of the movie feels forced and dishonest that nothing about it feels real outside of some of the relationships. (There literally comes a moment when the bigger oil company sends a helicopter with gunmen out to take shots at Merle’s rig and crew. Seriously? If that actually happened, that feels like it should be the end of story.)
I’m always excited to see THC in anything these days, and he does his best to keep Accidental Texan grounded, but there are too many elements working against him to make the film worth recommending.
The film is now playing in theaters.
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