Unbeknownst to the young Tex McCormick his life is at a turning point and it’s up to the confused small town teen to figure out what to make out of his family, school, relationship, and ultimately the rest of his life.

The drama presented in Tex is subtle and believable, and Tex himself is an easy point of reference to the viewer. It’s this subtle approach that makes the drama much more impactful: We’re tightroping with him knowing that any small wrong step he takes could easily snowball out of control, leading his future life off to an awfully bad start.

The movie admittedly takes its sweet time to get going by the time that the end credits roll the movie will have you fully involved in Tex’s life. Young Matt Dillon has the natural grasp for the acting and Tex joins Drugstore Cowboy and The Outsiders as his prolific movies to date.

80s-o-meter: 81%

Total: 85%