For the first 10 years of his career, Billy Bob Thornton was barely a blip on the entertainment world’s radar. He had small parts in a dozen or so even smaller films and a handful of forgettable episodic TV shows. The closest he got to fame was as a permanent (supporting) cast member of the romantic sitcom “Hearts Afire” (1992–1995).
With the release of “Sling Blade” in 1996, Thornton’s fortune hit the figurative stratosphere. He was not only the lead character but also the director and screenwriter (for which he won an Oscar); Thornton went from D list to A list practically overnight.
Hardest Working Man
In 2015, Sheridan’s screenplay for “Sicario” was produced to wide acclaim and he hasn’t looked back since, mostly because he hasn’t had any time to look back. Five more winning screenplays arrived. In 2018, he created ‘Yellowstone,” which was followed by five more shows, four of which are still in production. It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say that Sheridan is indeed “the Hardest Working Man in Show Business.”“Landman” is Sheridan’s eighth new series in six years. It’s correctly tagged by many (including me) as “Yellowstone” set in West Texas. The series stars Thornton in a leading role that Sheridan created specifically for him. Thornton plays Tommy, the title character. Webster’s Dictionary defines Tommy’s position of landman as “an agent employed by an oil or gas company to secure leases of mineral rights and land for drilling.”
Tommy performs these duties and many more for Monty Miller (Jon Hamm), an oil and gas industry titan who is also Tommy’s closest (arm-distant) friend. Monty is married to Cami (a criminally underutilized Demi Moore), and his workaholic ways often put a strain on their relationship.
Ne’er-Do-Well Son?
Tommy and Angela’s son Cooper (Jacob Lofland) is the polar opposite of Ainsley and something of a disappointment to Tommy. To gain his father’s approval and prove his mettle, Tommy eagerly takes an entry-level job as a roustabout at one of Monty’s rigs.
But during his first week, Cooper is nearby a derrick explosion that claims the lives of two of his co-workers. Mind you, he clearly had nothing to do with the explosion. Though he’s seriously injured, Cooper gets indirectly blamed and suffers the ire of the dead men’s surviving families. This also gives Tommy further reason to think that he’s not cut out for this line of work.
Slightly more interesting than the Cooper situation is one involving a Mexican cartel wishing to pressure Tommy into allowing use of private roads built by Monty for drug-running. Look out for an 11th-hour wicked smart “stunt” casting choice to figure in this scenario.
Another brilliant stunt casting move takes place in the ninth episode involving the real-life owner of a professional U.S. sports team, who turns in a surprisingly moving single cameo performance playing himself.
Besides the underused Moore, my big gripe with the first season (and yes, there will be at least one more season) is the time devoted to the Angela and Ainsley characters. I’ll be the first to admit that both Larter and Randolph are “easy on the eyes,” but their respective characters are sorely out of place in this otherwise gritty and dramatically gripping show.
Gimme Some Beth, Please
Resembling scantily clad cast members of a “Real Housewives of [insert your choice city here]” show, Angela and Ainsley provide unwelcome comic relief and cheesy titillation where none is needed. Had Sheridan (who wrote all 10 episodes and directed three) written either or both with a similar level of caustic wit, organic sex appeal, and simmering danger as Beth (Kelly Reilly) from “Yellowstone,” that would have worked. But none of that is present in the first season.The big winner here is Thornton. Irascible, comically profane, often unkempt, frequently impatient yet deeply warm, deceptively loving, and ultimately humane, Thornton’s Tommy is a richly textured, complex, and eminently watchable character.
Thornton isn’t a guy with tremendous range, but he’s an extremely smart actor. He makes the most of his limited range more than any actor with similar characteristics since Clint Eastwood. As one of Eastwood’s most memorable characters (Dirty Harry) once said: “A man’s got to know his limitations.”
Here, Thornton turns his “limitations” into his greatest strength. You won’t be able to take your eyes off of him the entire time.
