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Homer's cattle ranch is endangered by a suspected outbreak of Hoof and Mouth disease, which requires the quarantine and potential slaughter of the herd. But the film is really about the relationship between Hud and the other three members of the household. Alma addresses Hud a "cold-blooded bastard," and Homer, with no small degree of self-righteousness, informs Hud that "you don't give a damn." They're both onto Hud, but Lon is younger and impressionable. He looks up to Hud, a hard drinking, hell-raising cowboy noted for casual affairs with married women.
How others will see it. The two best films of Paul Newman's long movie career were made two years apart: The Hustler and Hud. These films established Paul Newman as a cocky anti-hero, traits almost comically exaggerated in a more famous role, Cool Hand Luke. The latter film is more popular than Hud or The Huster, partly because it was made in color, but mostly because it strips Newman of romantic pretensions and presents him strictly as an endearingly rebellious role model.
Hud was nominated for seven Academy Awards, somehow missing a nod for Best Picture (Cleopatra and How the West Was Won were nominated instead, likely because they filled theaters and employed a greater number of actors). Hud acting awards were won by Homer and Neal. Newman would have to wait nearly a quarter century for his Oscar, a Lifetime Achievement concealed as Best Actor in the lesser Hustler sequel The Color of Money.
How I felt about it. Homer's condemnation of Hud slightly misses the mark. Hud does give a damn. For example, he's prompt to defend Lon at a diner fistfight, and he tries to help his father in his waning moments. Hud does care, but he's reckless, cynical, impatient, alcoholic, irresponsible, and has poor impulse control. When Hud is drunk he becomes angry, and resentful that he is denied his father's love.
Lon eventually realizes the depths of the flaws of Hud's character, but remains on speaking terms with him. Perhaps he knows that Hud will never fully mature. Hud is also the only family that Lon has left.
Hud is fascinating for its characters and script. The plot, however, suffers from the condensation of the novel into a two hour movie. For example, it appears that in a single day, the herd is slaughtered, Alma leaves town, and Homer passes away. The film weakens somewhat in its final minutes, and would likely be improved if the film ended with Alma boarding the Greyhound bus, leaving Homer alive and Lon still at the ranch.