Western Documentary “Good Ol Girl” Helps Empower Women in Ranching
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A Documentary Following Cowgirls in Texas
And these girls hustle for land, cattle and respect across their native land. GOOD OL GIRL follows three young Texas cowgirls tasked with carrying on their families’ legacies amidst a volatile landscape and industry.
The film is a Western, and explores modern farm country: a place where the male cowboy mythology must answer to a new, honest - and some would say subversive - female story. The jarring transition between generations illuminates the weight of heritage and tradition, and it's a struggle for many ranchers. These three women stand amidst the vast ranchlands of Texas.
Where are women in ranch history? Women have done everything men have, we just haven't been written about enough. Henrietta King is the female to thank for the way King Ranch is today. When she passed away at 92 years old in 1925, she was was one of the richest women in the world.
Who has the authority to claim our traditions when only those who have been overlooked are left to carry them on? There's a scary statistic in Texas that every hour: 2,000 acres of agricultural and ranchland and gets turned into subdivisions and developments.
Meet the Girls
LEMOINE (32, West Texas) | The eldest descendant of a sprawling historic ranch, Lemoine upset her family when she decided to pay her own way through law school. Now with her own law firm, she is caught between her own professional aspirations and the duty to maintain and carry on her family’s legacy as ranch owners.
MANDY (37, East Texas) | A former runaway from the Northeast, Mandy defied her family’s wishes and moved to Texas to become a cowgirl. After the death of both her parents, she realizes she wants to start a family, despite the lack of support from her partner John. When she unexpectedly discovers she’s pregnant at the age of 37, Mandy must decide whether to stay in her flawed but stable long-term relationship or raise her unborn child on her own.
MARTHA (25, South Texas) | Martha’s family helped found the city of Laredo when they moved from Spain in 1801. The Santos clan owned a sprawling ranch, the remnants of which disappeared 15 years ago as the city gradually swallowed it in urban sprawl. Martha has found it almost impossible as a Latina to find a job in ranching without her own land. Overshadowed by her older brother, Fred, who gave up ranching after the death of their father, Martha clings to her dream of working in agriculture.
JOYCE (85, North Texas) | An author of numerous books on women in the American West, Joyce became a folklorist in the 1960’s at a time when women were not allowed in historical academic societies. As she narrates connecting themes of each woman’s story, she reminds us that these women, although remarkable, are not the first of their kind. Women have owned, worked, and fought for their Texas land since before white men landed there; modern history has simply refused to acknowledge them.
This Film is Gaining Traction
Among several other credible review networks and film festivals, Good Ol Girl was reviewed by The Film Stage. After it was scheduled to premiere at SXSW 2020. The Oxford Real Farming Conference has several talks on Women and Ranching, including a full discussion dedicated to this movie. You can read more reviews of this conference here. There are also Interviews done by Texas Highways and the Factual America Podcast, one of my favorite resources for documentary reviews.
Another wonderful short film on YouTube, Learning from the Land, talks about a network of women ranchers in the West that are pioneering an ethos of nurturing and sustainability across the region. Their own curiosity of farming has led them to want to teach young females aspiring to be ranchers. One of these women, Julie Sullivan, is championing these practices in southern Colorado. (Katie Klann/The Gazette)
We applaud these women in agriculture who choose to help carry on native traditions and local culture. By inspiring their own curiosity and connecting with nature, they are helping our entire food industry and regenerative farming practices. Be sure to support your local (women) farmers!
