A Justified Life: Sam Peckinpah and the High Country (2006 Video) User Reviews

A touching documentary about the more human side of Sam Peckinpah

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 13 February 2008]

Legendary tough guy director Sam Peckinpah's sister Fern Lea Peter reminisces about growing up with Sam. She talks about an incident when Sam fell off a horse and broke his back, how in the Peckinpah family you hunted always for food instead of sport, how her father was a judge and died at a fairly young age (had her father lived Fern claims Sam would have turned out differently), a split between her and Sam that was later fixed when they both attended a Golden Boot Awards Show for him (Peckinpah sadly died a few months after the show), how Sam got his artistic side from his mother, and how in his hometown Sam is not as revered as he should be. In addition, Fern points out how her father was a major influence on the Joel McCrea character in Sam's terrific Western gem "Ride the High Country." This lovely and moving documentary gives the viewer some invaluable insight into how Sam's childhood days played a key role in shaping him into the troubled man and insanely brilliant artist that he grew up to become. This poignant documentary is absolutely essential viewing for Sam Peckinpah fans.