Cowboy & Indiana

Demons come in many forms.  For Tulsa, a former World Champion Bull Rider, they take the shape of addiction, defeat and death.  With his best bull riding days well behind him, he’s trying to keep his fragile world together.  How fragile is quickly seen as death comes calling. This time the death angel comes in the form of a bull named Gang Banger — a bull that no man has ever been able to ride and carries a $1,000,000 bounty on his head and, now, the title of man killer. 

The movie begins as Dean, the current PBR World Champion and latest rider trying to collect that bounty, enters the arena in one of the most anticipated bull riding events in history.  With Tulsa’s insight and help, he might just be able to do the impossible.  But things go horribly wrong and send Tulsa’s fragile world tumbling once again.  

This newest tragedy sends Tulsa to the place he’s most comfortable, drowning his pain in whiskey at the local watering hole.  On his way home, he’s pulled over and gets a DUI.  The judge decides that a little dose of reality is what Tulsa needs.  Tulsa’s dose comes in the form of a year of community service and his community service has a name – Indiana, a young African American boy.   

In most ways, Tulsa and Indiana really couldn’t be much more different.  Tulsa grew up on a farm, which eventually led him to being a successful bull rider.  Indiana is growing up in a gang-infested neighborhood. His single mom, Velena, is doing her best to protect him, but trouble and the streets are quickly becoming Indiana’s life.  Even with their different backgrounds, Tulsa and Indiana begin to form a relationship.  

Indiana’s dad, Marcus, has never really been a part of his life, mainly because of his years in prison.  But Marcus has been “reformed” during his time in prison and that transformation has him determined to “make it right”.  Fulfilling his sentence, Marcus’ first priority after his release is to be involved in Indiana’s life. Marcus returns only to find that his role as father has been replaced by a white bull rider.

In a final attempt to put his life back together and seek revenge, Tulsa takes his own shot at Gang Banger, even if it costs him everything – which it just might.

One of the surprising twists of the story is there’s a third bull rider in this story, Marcus.  Strangely, as a youth he rode bulls too and continued while in prison.  But no one would give an unproven, ex-con a chance at riding the greatest bull of all time, would they?

Will Marcus be able to be a dad to a child he doesn’t even know or will the years of separation be too much to overcome?  Will Tulsa be able to defeat his demons and a killer bull while fulfilling his commitment as a mentor or will the ride prove too difficult?

Eight seconds isn’t a long time, unless you’re on a bull…