American actors Robert Redford and Jane Fonda on the set of the film ‘The Electric Horseman’, USA, March 1979. (Photos by Ernst Haas/Getty Images)
Plot summary
The runaway horseman: The story begins with Sonny Steele as a commercial spokesman for a breakfast cereal company, where he is forced to appear in a garish light-up suit while riding the company’s prize racehorse, Rising Star. After discovering the horse is being drugged and mistreated, Sonny steals the horse and rides into the Nevada desert, intent on setting him free.
The pursuit of a story: Hallie Martin, a chic TV newswoman, chases after Sonny to get an exclusive story. She is initially focused solely on her career and securing the scoop.
Love on the road: As the two travel across the country, a romance develops between them as they learn to appreciate each other’s convictions. Their journey also has them contending with the police and their corporate pursuers.
An old-fashioned love story: Film critic Roger Ebert described the movie as “an oddball love story about a guy and a girl and a prize racehorse” that harkens back to old Hollywood romances.
The on-screen chemistry between Redford and Fonda is a key element of the film.
