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Urban Cowboy (1980)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 4/05, 4/07, 2/15, 2/22

UrbC
4/07: Urban Cowboy is the Saturday Night Fever of the honky-tonk genre.

Slowed by the pace, the film seems confused by the direction it wishes to take. Hence, everybody has to find his or her own way for a while until the mechanical bull riding contest which takes 132 minutes. So, that's a long time to wait.

Although the two have little chemistry, I like the romance between John Travolta and Debra Winger, yet the complexities of their relationship feel underdeveloped. Oddly, the other female lover (Madolyn Smith Osborne), who has money and, more importantly, class, is a hell lot prettier than Sissy. So, why did Bud turn her down? Is he stupid or what?

All in all, I wish Urban Cowboy has better direction.

2/15: Urban Cowboy is still the best honky-tonk picture made.

It's the relationship between Bud and Sissy, who are played superbly well by John Travolta and Debra Winger, that makes the film a romantic classic. At the same time, it's cool to see the characters dress up as cowboys and mix in with the ambience of dance hall that's drenched in country and western. That's why the film is a great slice of Americana in a Junior Bonner way.

Not many movies go through the gamut of the Seven Deadly Sins, and there's no better example of it than Urban Cowboy. Bud lets his pride nearly wreck his marriage which evolved out of a romantic relationship that's practically days old. In that process, he's consumed with wrath by seeing Sissy trying out things that are normally reserved for men.

Then, he becomes jealous when she's ogled at by Wes Hightower, who's memorably played by Scott Glenn in the role of his career. To get even with Sissy, Bud hooks up with a pretty gal from Houston. After separating from her, Bud lets drinking get the best of him as he loses his balance in a fall during work which subsequently finds him boarded up, causing his house to go pigsty.

Finding motivation to win Sissy back during the mechanical bull riding contest, Bud works on his technique. In the long run, he's rewarded with a showdown against Wes for the top dog honors. His temporary girlfriend takes the win as a sign that it's been all for his wife by showing off. Hence, Urban Cowboy should be seen repeatedly because it's not an easy film to appreciate from the get-go. As a result, I've been increasing my rating every time I see it.

The performances are authentic and in tune with the honky-tonk scene. It also has great music that puts me in the mood. I love how the lives of the patrons revolve around Gilley's Club in the same way as the disco club did for Saturday Night Fever.

All in all, Urban Cowboy is a classic.

2/22: Urban Cowboy is an underrated 80's classic with memorable performances.

Not many pictures can capture the smoky club ambience so well like how Reynaldo Villalobos did for Gilley's. It's almost like being inside for real. Located in Pasadena, Texas, it was the largest Honky-Tonk club in the world which was the size of a football field, having been opened in 1971, reaching its zenith during the nationwide showing of Urban Cowboy, and closed down in 1989 when the owners, Mickey Gilley and Sherwood Cryer, had a falling out.

Three thespians are famous for appearing in this: John Travolta, Debra Winger, and Scott Glenn. Their characters are unforgettable. They're made to be unintelligent on purpose but have true intentions that are much along the lines of honor. All of Gilley's patrons are obviously fake cowboys; only Wes Hightower passes the eye test and has the experience to match reality.

It's funny to see John Travolta walking around mad all the time; sheesh, he needs to learn how to relax once in a while. For the two-step dance, Patrick Swayze's mother taught him how. Of course, they lived in Houston for many years. Turning down the lead role for American Gigolo which thankfully went to Richard Gere, John Travolta learned how to ride on the mechanical bull and then decided on not needing a stunt double afterwards.

The prison rodeo scene in Huntsville, where all death row inmates are currently housed, is for real, but it closed down in 1986 after fifty-five years in operation. Michelle Pfeiffer was the prefered choice for the role of Sissy, but director James Bridges wouldn't budge from insisting on Debra Winger. Hence, she became a memorable 80's actress, thanks to the timeless romantic films that she was part of. As for the story, it happened for real, but the marriage didn't last long, which is no shit anyway, and I predict the same, too, for Bud and Sissy.

All in all, like how Saturday Night Fever did for disco, Urban Cowboy captures a period of honky-tonk at its best.