Old Gringo (1989)

An American spinster (Jane Fonda) travels to Mexico to work as a governess to a wealthy Mexican family. But upon arrival, she finds herself in the midst of the Mexican Revolution and attracted to two men: a young hot headed Mexican revolutionary (Jimmy Smits) and the "old gringo" (Gregory Peck) with a death wish. Based on the novel GRINGO VIEJO by Carlos Fuentes and directed by Luis Puenzo (THE OFFICIAL STORY), who co-wrote the screenplay. Puenzo gives the film the feel and scope of a genuine epic. He's aided in this by his cinematographer Felix Monti and composer Lee Holdridge. But the revolution itself seems merely a backdrop to Fonda's story, much the same way the Civil War is a backdrop to Scarlett O'Hara's story in GONE WITH THE WIND rather than being about the revolution. Peck acquits himself very well in the title role but there are problems with the two other leads. Fonda seems just too innately intelligent for the wide eyed naive old maid she's playing and Smits is too eloquent (though that's the fault of the script) and polished for the uneducated revolutionary. I liked it but I would have preferred a grittier look rather than the romanticized version we get here but I appreciate the attempt. With Pedro Armendariz Jr. as Pancho Villa, Jenny Gago and Annie Pitoniak.