It co-stars Rory Cochrane, Jeffrey Combs, Jace Alexander, Michael Bowen, Jack Nance, Ann Wedgeworth, Peter Fonda, and Wiley Wiggins.

Pursued by Billy, the mob, and the police, they become media sensations Zellweger shared that she first learned about the project while working on Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4, when Matthew McConaughey was being considered for a role.

After McConaughey set the script aside, Zellweger picked it up, was captivated by the character Starlene, expressed interest in the part which led to her casting.

Bellows brought depth and charm to Watty, making him both engaging and sympathetic, while Zellweger added raw intensity to her role.

Despite some criticism of the visual style and familiar story elements, the film was applauded for its fast pace, witty dialogue, and energetic action sequences, which kept it engaging and entertaining throughout.

A young couple in love — Watty Watts (Bellows) and Starlene (Zellweger) — are planning a convenience store robbery.

The next day, they are paid a visit by Creepy Cody (Alexander) and Dinosaur Bob Combs, collectors for a local mobster whom Watty has borrowed money from to buy an engagement ring for Starlene.

This is followed by a visit by Watts' drug-addicted former prison buddy, Billy Mack Black (Cochrane), who has a plan for a big score.

Against the wishes of Starlene, Watty goes along with the plot and the robbery turns deadly when Billy shoots and kills the stoned clerk.

Zellweger explained that she found out about the project while Matthew McConaughey was being considered for the role, while filming Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4.

"[2] Bellows who was cast as Watty said "I loved him from the moment I read the first page of the script, in spite of his profession, he is really a noble character.

Talkington's Love and a .45 sends up the gun-toting lovers-on-the-run genre with a gleeful wit, nonstop energy and a refreshing honesty."

Dialogue is lively and performances mostly sharp, including Bellows as the philosophical small-time criminal and Jeffrey Combs and Jace Alexander as the maniacal hit men.

He felt that what holds the film back is the "addition to its less than compelling schema and central relationship, is its utter lack of visual style.

"[6] While Talkington explained that he didn’t draw any inspiration from director Quentin Tarantino, who had recently risen to fame, and noted that he wrote the first draft in the early 1990s, Love and a .45 was still labeled as part of the wave of "Tarantino-esque" films that followed.