Plot

Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine, star of the classic train movie "Emperor of the North", hosts this remarkable examination of the uniquely America Hobo. Hear compelling tales of life as a migratory worker from these notable former Hobos, such as Pulitzer Prize winner, James A Michener, country music legend Merle Haggard, and many other adventurous free spirits who have crisscrossed our vast nation on the awesome railroads.

Customer Comments

• Reviewer: anonymous on 17-Sep-2006

  The word “hobo” does not evoke particularly glamorous images in the mind of the average American. These migrant workers, particularly associated the freight train, provide excellent springboards for romanticism. Bobb Hopkins’ The American Hobo skims through the more unappealing aspects of beings a hobo, instead choosing to emphasize it as a free-spirited wanderlust steeped in history, tradition, and human experience.
  
  The American Hobo feels less like a documentary than a lengthy recruiting video to come join the hobo way of life. The difficulties of living in such a fashion are skimmed over, and the repeated “warnings” about the illegality and danger of hopping on moving trains don’t feel particularly cautionary. Real-life hobos (mostly older men with the occasional woman) recount their stories and experiences, and every one of them has a different take on their motives, and the future fate of the hobo.
  
  While the film doesn’t capture the rhythm of a train ride, they’ve nailed the leisurely pacing. Ultimately your enjoyment of this film relies on your penchant for anecdotes. If you decide to jump on board, you have a slow ride ahead.
  

Additional Information

• Country: United States
• Language: English
• Format: NTSC
• Aspect Ratio: 4:3 (standard TV)
• Color: color
• Sound: 2 channel