Sundance: Clifton Collins Jr. in “Jockey”
Sunday, January 31, 2021 at 7:44PM 
It feels like there’s at least one memorable horse movie every year at Sundance. Dream Horse played last year (as did Horse Girl), The Mustang was a hit in 2019, and Chloé Zhao’s The Rider screened in 2018. There’s just something about the bond between man and the animal that’s not necessarily known as his best friend but is still thought of in quite an endearing manner. The best of those films tend to focus just as much on the human protagonist’s own internal and interpersonal struggles as they do on their relationship with their prized steed. This year’s signature Sundance entry, Jockey, does just that…
Clifton Collins Jr. stars as Jackson, a jockey whose body is beginning to betray him, showing clear signs of aging and other deterioration caused by a number of incidents in training and on the track. He feels ready for the next ambitious ride with a new horse, but finds himself thrown off by the arrival of a younger jockey named Gabriel (Moisés Arias), who tells him that he is his son. Dubious about the validity of that claim, Jackson is nonetheless unable to shake the unresolved feelings he has towards his past and the complicated feelings he has about the choices he has made.
It’s refreshing to see an actor like Collins in a lead role. He’s been working for decades, and I remember him prominently from the part that deservedly earned him an Emmy nomination, FX’s Thief, opposite Andre Braugher. He’s since appeared in many television shows including, most recently, Westworld and The Stand, and films like Capote and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In Jockey, he’s playing someone who has commanded the type of respect often afforded to leading men, a seasoned rider whose reputation precedes him. As a result, Jackson has remained active far longer than he should have, lengthening his career but likely shortening his life.
Paired with Collins in another excellent actor much newer to the industry. Arias was a key player in a Sundance success with his real-life brother Mateo from last year, Blast Beat, which for some reason was never released despite being acquired by Sony, and also appeared in The King of Staten Island. He embodies such a reverence for his sport and for the chance to meet the man who may or may not be his father, and Gabriel represents someone just starting out, able to see how Jackson has navigated his life and what it has done to him.
Collins and Arias are truly terrific together. A strong score and powerful ending complement an effective story that showcases these wonderful actors. This film manages to capture the best elements of other similar films without feeling like it’s treading the same territory, which is no easy feat.
Reader Comments (2)
Clifton Collins Jr. has always been one of my favorite character actors ever since I saw him in the cult classic The Stoned Age as Tack. He was a real asshole but he stood out really well. Drinking talls.
He was robbed of an Oscar nomination for Capote.