Urban Cowboy (1980)
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A young blue-collar couple navigates a turbulent marriage against the backdrop of the country-western nightlife in Texas.
The story
Buford "Bud" Davis moves to Pasadena, Texas, to work at an oil refinery with his uncle, Bob. While staying with Bob's family, Bud becomes a regular at Gilley's, a popular honky-tonk known for its mechanical bull riding. There, he meets and falls in love with Sissy. The couple marries and settles into a routine of working by day and socializing at Gilley's by night. However, tension arises when Bud forbids Sissy from riding the mechanical bull, leading to a series of conflicts that test their relationship as they navigate the local nightlife and their personal ambitions.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After marrying Sissy and settling into a routine at Gilley's Club, Bud's relationship is strained by his jealousy over Sissy's interest in the mechanical bull. When a paroled bank robber and rodeo champion named Wes Hightower is hired to operate the bull, Bud becomes enraged by Wes's flirtation with Sissy. After a fight where Wes bests Bud, Sissy secretly learns to ride the bull from Wes. When Bud discovers this, he reacts with anger, eventually slapping Sissy and kicking her out. Sissy moves in with Wes, while Bud, unable to work with a broken arm, enters a mechanical bull-riding contest for a $5,000 prize. After a refinery explosion kills his uncle Bob, Bud is urged to reconcile with Sissy. Sissy eventually leaves Wes but is forced to stay with him after he strikes her. Bud wins the contest but is heartbroken to find Sissy is not there. After learning Sissy still loves him, Bud finds her in the parking lot, apologizes for his violence, and intervenes when Wes attempts to rob the club with a pistol. Bud attacks Wes, leading to the villain's apprehension and the couple's reconciliation.
- First release year
- 1980
- Runtime (minutes)
- 135
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Bridges
- Writers
- James Bridges · screenplay; Aaron Latham · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- John Travolta · Buford "Bud" Davis; Debra Winger · Sissy; Scott Glenn · Wes Hightower; Madolyn Smith · Pam; Barry Corbin · Bob Davis; Brooke Alderson · Corene Davis; Cooper Huckabee · Marshall; James Gammon · Steve Strange
- Genres
- neo-Western; romantic drama
- Themes
- domestic violence; jealousy; pride; rural vs. urban life
- Tone and mood
- romantic; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- romantic drama; country music; western fashion; mechanical bull riding
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Ballad of the Urban Cowboy: America’s Search for True Grit by Aaron Latham (1978 Esquire article)
- Content notes
- domestic violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed to generally positive reviews from critics and was a box-office success, grossing $53.3 million worldwide against a $13 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 71% · scale: Fresh · review count: 24; Metacritic · score: 61 · scale: 100 · review count: 12
- Production trivia
- Dennis Quaid was initially Latham's first choice to portray Bud.; John Travolta was the first actor cast, having previously been attached to star in American Gigolo.; Producer Robert Evans sought someone other than Debra Winger for the role of Sissy, reportedly describing her as "unfuckable".
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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