Urban Cowboy -1980

Director : James Bridges

Writer(s) : Aaron Latham, James Bridges

Rating : R

Running Time : 2hrs 14 mins

Genre : urban/western

Cast : John Travolta, Debra Winger, Scott Glenn, Madolyn Smith

                                   Our hero of this movie directed by James Bridges (The China Syndrome) is Bud Davis, a farm boy with a short temper who has come to Houston to find the good life. His uncle helps him land a decent paying refinery job. Nights at Gilley's, dressed in a silk shirt and hip-hugger jeans, Bud is a hungry youth on the loose. There he meets Sissy, a husky voiced coquette who has a thing for "real cowboys."  they are soon married even before they know much about each other.

                    Their initial sexual connection quickly wears thin between the newly-weds, especially when short tempered Bud suspects that Sissy is having an affair with Wes, an ex-con who runs the mechanical bucking bull at Gilley's night club. But, actually all she's doing is learning how to ride the bull. Then when Bud takes up with Pam, a rich oilman's beautiful and sultry daughter, Sissy turns in to good ol' Wes, a hard drinker who teaches her about true grit. In the end, Bud faces his rival in a rodeo contest riding the mechanical bull for a big cash prize.

                    In short, Travolta is easily overshadowed in this film by Debra Winger as Sissy and Scott Glenn as Wes. One is pouting sensuality and the other is smoldering rage. Our hero Bud is left in the shadows a bit. Overall the movie high-lighted a fad or trend to the urban western night-life and the film is a pretty decent watch.

   7/10 Stars