Lonesome Dove star Tommy Lee Jones rides again in The Comeback Trail. This time, however, the Oscar-winning C&I reader favorite is aiming for laughs in an uproarious comedy directed and co-written (with Josh Posner) by filmmaker George Gallo, and co-starring Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Zach Braff, Emile Hirsch and Eddie Griffin. Yes, we have already seen it. And yes, it will make you laugh until you’re thoroughly ashamed of yourself.
What’s it all about? In 1974 Hollywood, two disreputable producers (De Niro, Braff) are running out of time as they struggle to repay a massive debt to a mobster (Freeman) who’s running out of patience. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so the producers concoct a scam to cast aging cowboy star Duke Montana (Jones) in a fake western — and then collect on the insurance when the actor “accidentally” dies during production.
Trouble is, while Duke might be dying to make a comeback, he’s not necessarily dying to bail out his producers.
Loosely based on a 1982 comedy of the same title featuring Buster Crabbe, The Comeback Trail is scheduled for a July 23 theatrical release.
