Before You See ‘The Counselor’: Watch 1977 Film ‘The Gardener’s Son,’ Cormac McCarthy’s First Produced Script

While there’s still no sign of Ridley Scott‘s “The Counselor” at either Venice, Toronto or New York (perhaps it’ll pop up in Telluride?), the anticipation for the film still remains very high. Not only does it feature a ridiculous cast (Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz and more), it also has a script from one of America’s literary titans, Cormac McCarthy. This is something written directly for the screen, not an adaption of a book, but as hardcore fans know, this isn’t the first script he’s written.

Way, way back in 1977 PBS unveiled “The Gardener’s Son,” as part of their “Visions” series of original programming, and it’s a feature length film penned by none other than McCarthy. And thanks to helpful reader Luca for the heads up, you can watch the nearly two-hour movie in full below. Starring Ned Beatty, Kevin Conway, Brad Dourif and Penelope Allen, and directed by Richard Pearce (“The Long Walk Home,” “A Family Thing“), the film tells the story of a young man whose rage over the influence and greed of the owners of a mill in small town reaches a boiling point. So yeah, kind of in McCarthy’s wheelhouse already, even this early in his career.

Nominated for two primetime Emmy awards, the movie has been somewhat forgotten. It was briefly issued on DVD but seems to be out of print, but no matter, you can watch it all below.