American Cowboy . Austin Chronicle . 03-30-98

American Cowboy

DIRECTED BY: Kyle Henry

REVIEWED: 03-30-98

Gene Mikulenka stands at odd personal and societal crossroads - at 39 he's an engaged, aging, gay cowboy who knows his riding days are soon over. He stands at those crossroads haltingly, though, because in American Cowboy's opening, a bull bucks Gene in rodeo competition and then steps on him, breaking his right leg in two places, which is particularly unfortunate for someone who stresses that he's "not used to being still." Gene also makes it quite clear that he's not used to being filmed, which makes for its own drama on top of the drama behind his broken leg and his anxiety about asking his partner Stephen to marry him. Gene declares that there is "a personal and private side of yourself that you don't want to just reveal to the world," and he's forthright in making his feelings known. Gene's reluctance stems in part from the fact that he's not entirely out to his small-town, South Texas family. To demonstrate just how many obstructions he had to brook in order to capture Gene at ease, UT documentarian Kyle Henry steps inside the frame throughout the documentary as if to show the whole picture. The viewer is privy to shot set-ups, discussions between Kyle and Gene about what will and will not be filmed, and the film crew's bungled directions in following Gene to a New Mexico rodeo competition. More than one documentary has been stifled by this technique, but not American Cowboy.

--Claiborne Smith

Interviews
American Cowboy

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