"Urban Cowboy": A Short Review

Alright, I just sat through what felt like over two hours of John Travolta's "acting" and frankly, I'm amused, but at the same time, regretful. Amused because of the sheer silliness of the movie, despite the fact it was attempting to be serious? You bet! Regretful that I sat through this movie? Absolutely.

For those unfamiliar with "Urban Cowboy," the plot is as follows. Bud and Sissy live in Pasadena and frequent a club called Gilley's (which is a real club, by the way). Bud loves Sissy. Sissy loves Bud. Sissy and Bud are both pretty shitty human beings and have no business being in a relationship, but neither of them know it and decide, what the hell, let's get married. So they get hitched and move into a lovely trailer park (I'm not making this up). They live like pigs. They go to a prison rodeo, and watch a swarthy fellow named Wes Hightower (played wonderfully by Scott Glenn) ride a bull. Thus the bullriding nonsense begins. Gilley's gets a mechanical bull, and Bud likes riding it, but won't let Sissy. It's at this point that Wes shows up at Gilley's and wounds Bud's pride by riding better than he did. Then he tips his hat at Sissy, which throws Bud into a rage that culminates in Bud getting the shit beat out of him by Wes. Bud's pride is again wounded, and he's injured the next day at the refinery he works at because he's still hurting from the beating Wes gave him.

Okay, this is getting tedious. All you need to know is that Sissy starts training to ride a bull with Wes, Bud get's pissed, and they seperate. Sissy goes off to live with Wes, and Bud starts seeing some Houston skank named Pam. Bud then starts training to win a bullriding contest with his uncle Bob and becomes proficient. Bob is killed in a storm and Bud refuses to go to the bullriding contest, but relents when Bob's widow tells him to. Meanwhile, Sissy finds out just what sort of scumbag Wes is and desperately wants Bud back. But Pam prevents this.

Anyway, the bullriding contest comes and naturally Bud wins. Wes beats the shit out of Sissy, and plans to rob Gilley's and take the money and Sissy to Mexico. Bud finds Sissy in the parking lot, sees her bruises, and goes to beat up Wes. He does, and Wes' plan to rob Gilley's is foiled, Bud is hailed as a hero, and he and Sissy ride off into the sunset.

Alright, I have a few problems with this movie. Numero Uno is that neither Bud nor Sissy are very sympathetic characters. You just don't give a shit about these dysfunctional redneck lovers. After a while, I was rooting for one of them to die. You realize these are bad people who have serious issues and should not be involved with eachother.

Another problem is Wes. Scott Glenn is the best actor in this movie, and his character is entertaining, but there is a scene in which he enters Gilley's wearing a fishnet t-shirt. :wtf: A fishnet t-sirt? Okay, I have been to places like Gilley's (being in Houston and everything) and if anyone (ANYONE) walked into a C&W club wearing a fishnet shirt he'd have at least ten guys beating the shit out of him. Maybe times have changed.

In short, this movie was so incredibly stupid it was easily enjoyed!

it sounds like I don't need to.

But I do have to say that if Scott Glenn's character (Scott's a righteous dude!) thought that he could get away with wearing a fishnet T-shirt into Gilley's, well, maybe the boys in there figured that he had something to back it up with and didn't try anything on.

Of course, the ultimate he-man would be able to pull off the same sort of thing while wearing a pink tutu.

It takes one hell of a man to wear a fishnet shirt into a club full of rednecks. And he rode a mechanical bull with it on! Pure balls!

and it goes downhill from there. :)

I kept waiting for Travolta to mention Mr. Kotter.

Two hours of Scott Glenn beating the shit out of John Travolta.

"THIS IS FOR BATTLEFIELD EARTH! AND THIS IS FOR SWORDFISH! THIS IS FOR PHENOMENON!"

In a theatre. An IMAX theatre. 3D.

One can't help but look at it even if it is disturbing.

The only thing sillier than Vinny Barbarino trying to be a cowboy is Rocky Balboa trying to be a cowboy.

Best review of that flick I've ever read :)

I'm wiping tears from my eyes... sheesh... Wooooo...

Much obliged!

:hi:

I'll be the contrarion voice here.

First of all, some of the Charlie Daniels Band music sounds great. In fact, there's a lot of great music in this film, and I'm not even a country music fan! Plus, the location shooting adds a great deal of appeal to the movie. From the very beginning, with "Bud" driving through the 610 loop with all the scenery of Huston, this contributes to the movie's atmosphere.

While Travolta isn't a good actor, I think he was perfectly cast in this movie. I can't think of a better actor for the role of "Bud."
This was a movie of the period which dealt with the lives of working-class people -- a rarity in movies in general.

Debra Winger is a wonderful actress. She plays "Sissy's" youthful sluttiness superbly, and she is very attractive as well. Her seductive bull ride is something to see!

As noted, Scott Glenn plays his evil role superbly.

This movie was responsible for the overnight appearance of mechanical-bull western-themed bars across the country.

All in all, this is a first-rate movie and a believable redneck romance story.

:toast:

I live in Houston, so it's fun seeing your city in a movie.

"Urban Cowboy" is how well it showcases what a sewer Houston is. Like I said, I'm sorry......