in recent years, several scholarly works (e.g., Broughton; Johnson et al.; Mitchell) have revisited one of the oldest genres in film history—the Western—to examine its lasting appeal and its ability to reinvent itself through hybridization with other genres. However, when genre hybridization is considered, research often focuses on so-called weird hybrids1 (see Green; Johnson et al.) or “darker” varieties such as noir and crime fiction crossovers (e.g., Mitchell or Monticone). Joe Johnston's Hidalgo (2004) is unusual in this context, and its ambiguous reception at the time of its release highlights some of the problems that arise when genre conventions are taken too much at face value. A closer analysis of the film, therefore, might demonstrate the value of looking beyond obvious genre tropes toward wider cinematic trends.
While Hidalgo was largely dismissed by critics reading it as a Western, I will argue that the film...
