The Grey Fox (1982)
Bill Miner (Richard Farnsworth) was sent to jail for robbing stagecoaches. After decades of incarceration, he is released from prison in 1901. Stagecoaches have been replaced by trains. Early on, Miner sees one of those horseless carriages that runs on gasoline.
After spending time with his sister (and her asshat husband who boots him out) and working a regular job (briefly), Miner jumps right back into what he knows best. Robbing.
On paper, “The Grey Fox” sounds like one of several westerns made by Sam Peckinpah. An aging outsider adjusting to the changing times. A career criminal who tries (briefly) as a crime-free existence, only to get pulled back into that life. I kept thinking early on the underappreciated Dustin Hoffman film “Straight Time.” We’ve seen these tales on film before, often hit over the head with the message. Not here.
“The Grey Fox” is a western for those who are not fans of westerns.
