Average Rating: 
Rating:  - The film that broke the mold of traditional westerns!
This 1969 film made box office history at the time and was nominated for seven academy awards. The public just loved it and I can well understand why. It broke the mold of the traditional western by being upbeat, lively and whimsical. And the stars, Paul Newman and Robert Redford, cast as bank robbers, had a special chemistry between them with their lighthearted wisecracks throughout. Katherine Ross plays the love interest of both of them and there's a great musical score by Burt Bacharach, most notably, "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" in which Newman and Ross ride around on a bicycle. The story was predictable and at times it seemed a little long, but I found myself smiling throughout and the actors were a pleasure to look at.Even more than the film, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the "add on" which was included on the videotape. Entitled "The Making of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'", this was 52-minute documentary with the kind of interesting details that really enhanced my appreciation of the film. For example, there's a part in the movie that shows photos of the characters superimposed on old time photos from the 1890s. This is a technique that is relatively simple today by using any one of a number of computer programs. However, in 1969, they had to be actually pasted on. And it was also interesting to see how they do special effects with guns that shoot puffs of smoke. I loved this going behind the scenes.
Rating:  - Really 4-1/2 stars, top-quality entertainment
This one really takes me back to my teens, when the movie came out and my whole family went to see it. We were enraptured, and we all went home humming "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head."I like THAT song sequence in the movie very much. I think it sets up the Butch/Etta relationship nicely and establishes the comfort level of this star-crossed trio. I'm not so sure about the other musical montages (NY/steamship trip to S. America and the Bolivian robberies). The ba-da-da-dums really date the film (hence the reason for taking a half star from an otherwise perfect rating). This movie is incredibly charming, though, in its writing, appearance, and above all, acting. It showcases the first cementing of the Newman-Redford onscreen relationship that was later so effective in "The Sting" (also directed by George Roy Hill). And it's funny and poignant but yet so real in ways that we rarely see in movies today. When Butch finally has to kill someone after all his years of being an outlaw (ironically when he's in a straight job), you feel his gut-wrenching pain and regret. There are so many memorable scenes: the rain of money after the train explosion, "Who are those guys?", the jump from the cliff, the bicycle ride, Strother Martin in a career-best role, the Spanish cheat sheets when robbing the Bolivian bank, the jokes and banter even at the most grim times. The freeze-frame ending is so effective and benevolent toward us, the audience. I have always appreciated the sensitivity of the conclusion. This movie is a treasure and true entertainment--something my kids enjoy as much as my parents. The DVD has lots of interesting extras. The commentary by George Roy Hill and others in the "making of" sequence is intriguing, especially when you consider the budgets of today's movies and what they managed to do with so little back then. The interviews with the main players are great, and it's fun to learn how Redford met Butch's real sister and how he tried to get her to the premiere of the movie. The movie stands alone, but if you've got a player, I'd recommend getting the DVD for the bonus material.
Rating: - Newman & Redford's First Film Together
Paul Newman and Robert Redford are two of the biggest movie stars of all time. They are also the best of friends and that friendship shines through on their first film together, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid. The film is set in the old west, but it has a definite 60's feel to it. Butch and Sundance are anti-heroes who defy the "establishment" by robbing trains. Finally the train company gets fed up and sends an elite team of bounty hunters to track them down. This inspires the film's classic catchphrase, "who are those guys" as Butch & Sundance can't shake their pursuers. The film has a light comical side to it as Mr. Newman is at his charming best as Butch and Mr. Redford elicits laughs as the uptight Sundance. Katherine Ross provides a pretty diversion as Sundance's beautiful schoolteacher girlfriend, Etta Place. Mr. Newman & Mr. Redford are instantly likable in the lead roles and you can feel their real affinity for one another come through in the film. The movie was a major box office hit and won and William Goldman won an Oscar for his crisp and witty script and But Bacarach and Hal David won an Oscar for the film's theme song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" which B.J. Thomas took to number one in late 1969.
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