Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) marked Michael Cimino's directorial debut, with the screenwriter working alongside star and producer Clint Eastwood. The film features Eastwood as a laconic thief teaming up with a young drifter, played by Oscar-nominated Jeff Bridges, to evade former partners and execute a high-risk robbery. Set against the backdrop of Montana's Big Sky country, the movie is noted for its cinematography by Frank Stanley, a score by Dee Barton, and its focus on a touching portrait of masculine friendship.