Urban Cowboy

This film is a classic compared to the Latham/Bridges/Travolta misfire called PERFECT which came out in 1985.

This film showcases the Houston lifestyle of the oil boom in the early 1980s. We get an insider's view of their jobs, hangouts, and relationships as Travolta and the gang live out their daily lives.

There are some excellent supporting performances here, but make no mistake: THIS IS TRAVOLTA'S SHOW! Who would have thought at the time he'd make such a credible Texan? You almost have to remind yourself this guy was one of the Sweathogs from Welcome Back Kotter. We get to see him dance, fight, ride a mechanical bull, and score with a number of hot women. What more could you ask for? I think this is his best performance to date.

The soundtrack is one of the best I've heard. You won't hear any of this crappy pop-country that is en vogue today. It's just good old fashioned music you can dance or make love to.

This film displays the downfalls of couples who get married too quickly in a very realistic manner. Bud and Sissy resemble a lot of young couples without big bank accounts who have trouble getting along.

Scott Glenn makes a terrific villain, too.

Do yourself a favor and see this one. Or see it again if it's been a while. Travolta could use a hit movie like this one right about now in his career.

9 of 10 stars

So sayeth the Hound.

Bud Davis (John Travolta) is a simple small town kid who moves to Houston and lives with his Uncle Bob (Barry Corbin)'s family. He gets a low level job at the refinery with Bob's help. He starts hanging out at Gilley's Club where he meets Sissy (Debra Winger). They have a fiery combative date and quickly get married. They move into a trailer park. Bud is traditional but Sissy is independent. Bud likes to ride the mechanical bull at Gilley's. Released convict and rodeo bullrider Wes Hightower (Scott Glenn) impresses Sissy with his skills. He teaches her after Bud forbids her to ride.

It's hard to like Bud especially at the beginning. It takes awhile for him to build some vulnerability. I never really get to a point where I'm rooting for this couple to stay together. It's the first leading role for Debra Winger and she shows her great feistiness as well as vulnerability. Gilley's is very well represented. That cowboy way is nicely done. It would be great for this movie to be shorter and for Bud to not be so much of a jerk. It would allow for better rooting interest. I don't particularly care who wins or who gets together by the end. Although I definitely want Sissy to get out of her troubled life.

First let me say I am not from the south but I am an American. I don't love Country music but I can stomach it. I would never wear a cowboy hat but I wear hats. I don't live in a trailer but I do eat tuna salad and own a home. What does that have to do with this comment? A lot if you are one of those people who say only "country" people love this movie. This movie is loosely based on the "They loved and lost" premise. James Bridges directs an American love story as real as it gets. In an era of Jerry Springer and "Lets put it out there" mentality, this film rings truer than ever.

Bud is "coming of age" and embarks on a life of his own with a little help from his aunt and uncle so he moves to the big city with them. Bud finds himself drawn into the local honky tonk world for the only escape a blue collar man can afford. He quickly meets Sissy who is from a similar background and the two have a whirlwind romance filled with painful ups and downs.

(*This plot takes so many turns that one has to just sit for a few minutes before they get hooked. Marriage is a focus here that is often missed. Early in the film they marry and we view the transition from being single to married. The film highlights some of the modern struggles a woman has when she marries an old fashioned man. It also brings into view the male ego with women and competition.)

Bud is challenged and is excited when Micky's puts in an electronic bull. Sissy gets ideas of having fun on it too but is quickly reminded that she is married and need to start "acting like it." The emotion between the two characters is raw and expressive and the plot continues from there especially when they (NOTE THIS IS GIVING SOME OF THE STORYLINE AWAY) split and Sissy falls for an ex con with a penchant for abuse and cruelty. She soon realizes that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

How anyone can compare Bud to Vinnie Barbirino is shocking to me. John Travolta gave an exceptional performance that was worthy recognition. He was believable and real. The scene where he shaves his beard and you first see him at the bar..still gives me goosebumps. Mind you I am not a huge Travolta fan, but come on, I see why Sissy was kicking of her boots so early in the film. Deb Winger was so real that you found yourself sympathizing with her as she pens a note of emotions to Bud, after sneaking in to clean his house during their break up.

The supporting cast was incredible. Wes played by Scott Glenn gave a first rate performance that made you hate him and curse him as he abused Sissy. Madolyn Smith-Osborne, as Buds Mistress/girlfriend was so authentic that large chested girls across the U.S. prayed to wake up flat chested to wear the clothes she donned in the film. My biggest kudos's go to Barry Corbin and Brooke Anderson as Bud's aunt and uncle. They seemed like someone's aunt and uncle somewhere in Texas and however small their role, they made the film so much bigger and lifelike. Two memorable scenes were the Dolly Parton contest and the unforgettable scene where Bud and his aunt stand outside after one of the characters death. The dialog between them is touching.

If you can watch this for what it is, a true American love story. Then I recommend that you take it for what it is...a film before it's time that gave us voyeurism into a world unlike our own but real enough for our enjoyment and entertainment. If this world sounds similar to yours then you will enjoy it so much more. Lastly, the music however dated, is sure to send you back in time if you are over 30 years of age.

There's a part of me that wishes I was cognizant in 1980 when the "Urban Cowboy" craze hit; just to experience the hype if nothing else (I saw it in utero, but that doesn't count). As it stands, this is best viewed as a cultural curiosity; a snapshot both of Travolta in his prime and the Western craze. It's that star power that helps the film retain its potency for decades after the fact. The camera belabors that point with the shot of its lead actor posing against the bar, beer in hand, intensity smoldering (they even used that on the poster to sell tickets).

If we're talking substance, hell there's not much. The allure of bull-riding is lost on me and the men in this movie are absolute pigs. Watching Debra Winger go from one loveless abuser to another is a real drag, and she tends to be the film's sympathetic core.

I can't blame anyone for not being able to relate to this movie if their first watch is in 2020, but I can appreciate the mark it made in its time.

Okay, so I have come a long way from Houston by now, but whenever I see this movie, I am taken back to a little cowgirl's dream to one day ride the bull at Gilley's. (It burned down before I was of drinking age.)

If you grew up in in East Texas, then you know this movie is an accurate depiction of contemporary life at that time. If you didn't then trust me and watch the movie. Either you will join the many who love it (and at the same time strangely repulsed), or at the very least, you can make fun of the red-necks. (There is plenty material for poking fun.) This movie doesn't try to be P.C. (what was that in the 80's) or hide the white trash element and it is honest to the time and place.

Gotta be a 10 for me!