Renegades, Rebels, And Rogues

Recently, Gina and I were trying to figure out a movie to watch, rent, or buy. We were heavily leaning toward Walk The Line, but at the time it was all rented out, and the DVD had just been released, so it was still a bit pricey. Suddenly, on the discount rack at Circuit City, I noticed a brand-spankin' new copy of Maverick for just $9.99. Naturally, it didn't take us long to decide after that.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the 1994 Mel Gibson movie or the TV series on which the film is based, they both follow the adventures of gambler Bret Maverick (and, in the TV show, his brother Bart) in the Old West. James Garner also stars in the movie version, returning to the Maverick universe since leaving the TV show in the early 60's. In quick summary, it was a great pick for a light-hearted film with a few action scenes, some romance, some poker, and a lot of humor. Give it a shot; it's a nice classic.

Did you catch the abbreviated Maverick family tree up there? Bret and Bart. Heard those names before, perhaps?

I always knew that my name, and its one-t goodness, had some kind of connection back to Maverick. I even watched parts of the movie in the years after it came out, when it showed up on TBS and the like. But somehow, it wasn't until I finally watched it start-to-finish, commercial-and-distraction free, that I finally, finally figured it all out. My brother and I are the Mavericks of the new generation. There are so many similarities, after all! For instance:

• Bart was generally considered to be the older brother, with Bret as the younger. We've got that covered.
• Bret Maverick is left-handed, at least in the movie. So am I.
• Bret Maverick as both James Garner and Mel Gibson, and with Jack Kelly as Bart, were all portrayed by some of the biggest male sex symbols of their time. Oh yeah, baby. There's no denyin'.

I really don't think we need to go on.

Seriously, though, I'm going to have to ask Mom and Dad again just how much they liked that show. I know Dad loves Westerns, but you'd think they'd have mentioned it a little more over the years. At the least, I'd think that I would have picked up on the connection a little bit more before now. It could be that I just never asked, but I think it's high time I did. I'll let you know what I find out.