Goin' South

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Goin' South
original film poster
Directed by	Jack Nicholson
Produced by	Harry Gittes Harold Schneider
Written by	John Herman Shaner Al Ramrus Charles Shyer Alan Mandel
Starring	Jack Nicholson Mary Steenburgen Christopher Lloyd John Belushi
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	October 2, 1978 (USA)
Running time	105 min. / USA:109 min. (DVD version)
Language	English
IMDb profile

Goin' South is an American western-comedy film, directed by and starring Jack Nicholson. The 1978 film also starred Mary Steenburgen in her movie debut and included Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi (movie debut), Richard Bradford, Veronica Cartwright, Danny DeVito and Ed Begley Jr.

[edit] Plot outline

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Henry Moon (Nicholson), a third-rate outlaw in the 1860s, is a bank-robber, horse thief and cattle thief who is due to be hanged in Longhorn, Texas to the great glee of the local populace and especially of the deputy sheriff. Moon comes under especially close scrutiny from some women in the town, which turns out to be because of a local ordinance, dating back to Civil War days, that allowed a condemned man to be saved from the gallows if an unmarried lady would agree to marry him and be responsible for his good behaviour.

Moon is saved from hanging by the intervention of a lovely young woman who agrees to marry and take charge of him. Julia Tate (Steenburgen), the headstrong but genteel Southern virgin who weds Moon, initially only wants him to help her work the gold mine she insists is on her property; but their shaky partnership soon evolves into much more.

The film was not well-received by critics or moviegoers.

The film was co-written by John Herman Shaner, longtime friend of Jack Nicholson from his early days in Hollywood.