Independent Films, Film Profiles

Love and a .45

Love and a .45 is a Bonnie and Clyde-esque road movie starring Gil Bellows and Renée Zellweger. The film was originally released in 1994 by Lions Gate Entertainment.The film begins with a young couple in love (Gil Bellows as Watty Watts; Renée Zellweger as Starlene), planning a convenience store robbery with Watts' drug-addict friend, Billy Mack Black (played by Rory Cochrane). The robbery unquestionably fails and the trio is forced to go on the run from the law, headed for Mexico.They meet a lot of quirky characters along the way, including Starlene's parents, played by Peter Fonda and Ann Wedgeworth. The couple inspire a sort of media-frenzy with their antics and the couple love to watch themselves.One common theme running through the film is Watty Watts' unusual philosophy on bad behavior - a little petty crime is okay but he doesn't believe in violence. He is a follower of the I Ching, an ancient system of philosophy. The audience gets to watch as he walks the line between a little thievery and being downright violent.Rockabilly band The Reverend Horton Heat make an appearance in the film, playing themselves in a night-club scene.