Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #134924 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-07-23
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 102 minutes

Amazon.com
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

Customer Reviews

An excellent adaptation of S.E. Hinton�s novel
What a great film this was- there was good acting, a good script, unexpected moments of hilarity- and best of all this film stayed close to the book. Many of the characters' lines in the movie are directly from the book. If you are fan of S.E. Hinton and her writings, you won't be disappointed by it. In my mind, "Tex" was even better than "The Outsiders," at least in terms of the movies.
Matt Dillon is superb as Texas McCormick, a quiet, somewhat immature teenager living in Oklahoma, the usual setting for Hinton's books. There are few moments in the film (don't worry, I won't give them away) that were extremely funny. However, not only is the humor entertaining in the movie, but the drama is well done too. Tex faces changes at home, with his friends Johnny and Jamie, and at school, and the result makes for a captivating story line.
The selection for the supporting cast is right on in almost every case- Jim Metzler plays Tex's brother Mason, who has to tend for his younger brother while also looking ahead to college and his own future. Emilio Estevez is Tex's spunky friend Johnny and Meg Tilly is Johnny's independent-minded sister Jamie, the object of Tex's affections.
Even the filming and quality of the movie is not bad, considering that it was made two decades ago. The music is usually fitting in each scene, and the script came off sounding realistic and genuine. All in all, this is a movie well worth checking out. I think the only thing wrong with this movie is the rating it received; there's probably enough swearing in this movie to have earned it a PG-13 rating. Highly recommended.

An Overlooked Gem
In the rough days of teen life trying to find where one belongs in relationship to one's self, family and friends and the need for change and breaking away.This movie portrays all of that with great care and fantastic acting by the entire cast.I highly reccomend it.

80's Movies Fan
TEX was a great Movie,I own THE DVD..A must See IF You're Matt Dillon's Fan :)