The Last Cowboy

6.2/10 · 742 ratings20031h 40mJuly 4thWeirdness 5/10Bingo card

Where to watch

Search Amazon.com

Amazon

Search Amazon.com for this title. Availability varies by country.

Search Amazon.com

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The premise

After an eight year absence, a headstrong woman returns to her Texas home for her grandfather's funeral and locks horns with her father.

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — an enemies-to-lovers arc keeps it from being totally by-the-book.

A rare specific

Tap to find the other Hallmark movies that share it.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Written by

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The protagonist is a vegetarian on a cattle ranch who refuses to eat beef.
  • The backstory involves the father 'unplugging' the mother from life support, which is unusually dark for Hallmark.
  • Amos's 'special lemonade' contains tequila, which is a rare depiction of hard liquor consumption for the brand.
  • The father buys a $1,200 antique desk at an auction while the ranch is literally being foreclosed upon.

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 31 to find more movies that do the same thing.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)
The film opens with the funeral of Charlie Bankston, the patriarch of Dry Creek Ranch. His granddaughter, Jacqueline 'Jake' Cooper, returns from California after eight years away, surprising her stubborn father, Will. The tension between them is immediate; Jake left after her mother's death, a tragedy she blames on Will's decision to 'unplug' her. She arrives with her young son, Billy, and a prize horse named Lucky, revealing she has become a talented horse trainer. The ranch is in dire financial straits, suffering from a five-year drought and mounting taxes. A developer named Sanchez and a cold corporate bank from Seattle are circling the property, hoping to carve it into 'ranchettes.' Will wants to stick to traditional cattle ranching, while Jake proposes a modern equine rehabilitation facility. Their conflict escalates when Will uses Jake's $50,000—intended for her business—to buy 90 days of time from the bank without her consent. The family's mediator, Amos, tries to bridge the gap between father and daughter, but the stress leads him to suffer a stroke. During a fierce storm, a lightning strike sets the barn on fire. In a moment of redemption, Will risks his life to save Jake's horse, Lucky, finally showing her that he values her dreams. While Amos recovers in the hospital, Jake secures a partnership with a wealthy investor, Alex Kerwin, and her friend Morgan. The film concludes with Will and Jake reconciling; they agree to run the ranch as a joint venture, combining Will's cattle expertise with Jake's horse rehab center, fulfilling Charlie's final wish for a family reconciliation.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Jake returns to Dry Creek Ranch for her grandfather's funeral and reveals she has a son named Billy.

  2. Inciting Incident

    The reading of the will reveals Charlie left his interest in the ranch to Jake, forcing a partnership between her and Will.

  3. Midpoint

    The bank calls the note on the ranch, and Will uses Jake's savings to buy a 90-day extension without her permission.

  4. Rising Action

    Amos suffers a stroke after an emotional outburst trying to get Will and Jake to stop fighting.

  5. Climax

    A lightning strike causes a barn fire; Will saves Jake's horse, Lucky, proving his love for his daughter.

  6. Resolution

    Jake secures an investment to turn the ranch into a rehab facility, and she and Will agree to work together.

31 tropes in one movie

We counted 31 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 6.2 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.2567

Higher-rated than 28% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog The Last Cowboy belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “Family! That's all there really is.”
    — AmosAmos's final plea to Will and Jake before he suffers a stroke.
  • “I'm not planning on being the one who after five generations dropped the ball, no sir.”
    — Will CooperWill explaining his refusal to sell the ranch to the developer.
  • “Sarah's roses was popping up out of the cow patties. Your daddy was mad as a hornet, too. But she thought he hung the moon.”
    — AmosExplaining the complicated love between Jake's parents.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Jacqueline 'Jake' Cooper

    Lead

    Horse Trainer

    stubbornindependentvegetarianskilled
  • Morgan Murphy

    Love interest

    Horse Trainer

    Friend and business partner

    supportiveloyalpatient
  • Will Cooper

    Supporting

    Rancher

    Father

    traditionalorneryproudgrieving
  • Amos

    Supporting

    Ranch Hand / Cook

    Family friend and mentor

    wisepeace-makersarcastic
  • Billy

    Supporting

    Student

    Son

    curiousaffectionate

Questions people ask about The Last Cowboy

Where can I watch The Last Cowboy?

The Last Cowboy is available via UP Faith & Family Apple TV channel, UP Faith & Family Amazon Channel, and Xumo Play. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is The Last Cowboy?

The Last Cowboy runs about 1 hour and 40 minutes, and was released in 2003.

Browse all movies

If you liked this one, you’ll probably like these. The chips show what they have in common.

Love Comes Softly poster

Love Comes Softly

7.1

2003 · Christmas

  • Rural/Farm
  • Enemies to Lovers
  • Pet
A Summer Romance poster

A Summer Romance

6.7

2019

  • Rural/Farm
  • Enemies to Lovers
  • Pet
The Presence of Love poster

The Presence of Love

6.9

2022

  • Rural/Farm
  • Pet
  • Cute Kid
Accidentally in Love poster

Accidentally in Love

6.1

2011

  • Jennie Garth
  • Enemies to Lovers
  • Cute Kid

Talking Hallmark

Love talking about these as much as watching them?

So do we. Come hang out on the Talking Hallmark channel, where we dig into movies just like this one, episode after episode.

Watch the latest episode
This Hallmark Christmas movie is aggressively stupid

“This Hallmark Christmas movie is aggressively stupid”

Data and sources

HallmarkDB catalogue. How we research filmsData refreshed .

Search JustWatch for current viewing options.

Sources:IMDbTMDB