Urban Cowboy (1980)

When this film came out it had The Disco Effect that "Saturday Night Fever" spawned, especially in parts of the country where Country Wasn't Cool. Suddenly mechanical bulls were replacing disco balls and cowboy boots and jeans were being worn instead of elevator shoes and leisure suits. Red states must have had a huge Hee Haw while watching city folk try to act like Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Fortunately, the craze lasted even less than disco did; it came and went before the next Travolta fad film...the aptly named stinker "Perfect" that attempted to cash in on the workout social scene."Urban Cowboy" is what you make of it. It apparently reflects the oil boom era of Texas where anyone who could walk and spit tobacco juice at the same time could make millions. It offered an insight to that era that the same city folk who tried to emulate it had no idea existed before the film came out. It also gave an insight to something a little more serious, such as the infidelity between Bud and Sissy. I'd always wondered about that dynamic. How does it happen? With regard to Bud the film is pretty clear and unflinching; smack your wife around a couple of times and restrict her to second class citizen status will pretty much guarantee it, while Sissy evidently needed a metaphorical slap to learn not to fall for cowboy stereotypes who act more like mama's boys than real men. (Mama don't let your babies grown up to be cowboys?)In any case, the film is more enjoyable as something to not take too seriously. Mystery Science Theater would've had a field day with it. The best thing is seeing Disco King Travolta (Bud) totally dominated for most of the film by career yardbird Wes. And the best part is Bud instigates and deserves just about all of it.First, Wes just shows proper cowboy respect by tipping his hat to Sissy, but a drunk and jealous Bud takes offense and hits Wes with an under cooked Texas Burger. Naturally redneck protocol calls for no apologies but settling it with violence. Bud cheap shots Wes, who promptly gives him a prison yard whoopin'. In fact, the final punch that knocks Bud stiff and backwards on his saddle, eyes wide and rolled back was a hoot. Bud then jeopardizes the job his Uncle Bob got him by showing up drunk for work and causing a workplace accident. What an idiot.In the meantime Sissy has cottoned to Wes, who shows her how to ride the bull. Bud again causes trouble, challenging Wes who once again dominates Bud by throwing him off the bull and breaking his arm, eventually causing Bud to lose his job.That boy don't ever learn.After another argument with Sissy that ends with yet another face slap courtesy of Bud, Sissy leaves and takes up with Wes, who more than eagerly puts his cattle prod to use on Sissy and shows her some pent up prison sex. So now you've got Wes beating up Bud, breaking his arm and bull riding Sissy. By the way, another rather comical scene shows Wes forcing Sissy's head down and leading her around by the hair in his trailer...conservatives must have loved seeing a liberal like Debra Winger in that scene. But the best is yet to come.Apparently not humiliated enough, Bud ventures once again into Gilleys, looking for a fourth helping. He gets his wish. There he is treated to a public cuckolding in front of the entire crowd as Wes orchestrates a sizzling hump and grind on the bull that he taught Sissy, with Wes at the controls of the bull. It was great!Ok...so Bud finally trains his ass off and edges out Wes of the bull riding contest money and then inadvertently stops Wes from robbing the club (once again cheap shot-ing Wes). The irony of course is what "spurred" Bud to attack Wes was Wes' physical abuse of Sissy...I guess in Bud's mind only he's allowed to hit her. However, the final and ultimate win goes to Wes, who will spend his next prison term knowing that every time Bud wants a little luvin' from his wife that Wes was in there, possibly more and better than Bud.

The cowboy Bud Davis (John Travolta) moves from his homeland of Spur to Houston to work with his Uncle Bob (Narry Corbon) in a refinery. During the night, they go to the Gilley's Club where Bob introduces his nephew to his friends. Bud meets Sissy (Debra Winger) at the club and soon they fall in love with each other and get married. Sissy is an independent working girl and Bud is a male chauvinist that believes in the traditional role of the wife, cooking, ironing and making love. When Gilley's buys a mechanical bull for the clients, Bud likes to ride it and does not allow Sisy to ride. However she goes to the club in the afternoon and the ex-convict and operator of the bull Wes Hightower (Scott Glenn) teaches her how to ride. When Bud learns that Sissy lied to him, Bud becomes jealous and has a love affair with the wealthy Pam (Madolyn Smith) and Sissy goes to Wes' trailer. Along the days, they fight each other and try to make the other jealous. When Gilley's announces a mechanical bull's dispute, Bud wants to win Wes. Will he succeed? "Urban Cowboy" is a silly film with unlikable and immature characters. Bud Davis is an unbearable character and Sissy is immature and fool. But the music score and the dances are highly entertaining. In addition, it is delightful to see Debra Winger very young. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "Cowboy do Asfalto" ("Asphalt Cowboy")

Hey anyone out there like me? I grew up in Houston during the 80s and 90s but I have never, ever seen this movie all the way through. So I don't have a full review of this film since I haven't completely seen it, but I caught half of it recently on the Country Music Channel and I wanted to review the zeitgeist or vibe this movie represents, especially in relation to Houston. Plus over the years, I always had to put up with out of town visitors that would come visit me in Houston expecting a little small metro area and the fun times we all had were at a local bar/tavern with a freakin' mechanical bull.Actually I moved to Houston from the Midwest when I was 6 years old in 1982, so this movie came out when I was still living up the north but I consider myself a Houstonian. So yeah I can't say if Houston was actually like this movie in 1980, but I can tell you I was in Houston in 1982 and while H-town was more country in the early 80s compared to the late 80s and 90s and after, it still was over exaggerated. I've seen parts of it here and there, and Debra Winger and that other brunette are hot, but this just wasn't my type of movie other then the setting was in Houston the city I mainly grew up in.I always avoided this movie, even as a little kid b/c I knew the national perception of Houston was that we were a honky tonk town and that EVERYONE was some damn mechanical bull riding wannabee cowboy. I recently caught half of the movie (still haven't seen it all the way through) and I heard them call the characters "kickers". So that's where that term comes from!!! When I was a kid in the 80s and in high school in the 90s, there was always a clique of country/redneck types that wore cowboy outfits and they would call themselves "kickers". I had friends in Dallas who would tell me in Dallas they would call themselves "ropers". I like the name "kickers" better myself. Although you could definitely pick up an underlying racist/white trash element to these people, usually they didn't blast it. They weren't going to yell out racial slurs or beat up on anyone who wasn't white, but you could easily pick up the racial discord and big government resentment within these folks. The kickers I knew as a kid (and their parents) tended to be "honorable bigots" if you knew what I mean. They were bigots who had their own honor code, like sort of a more modern version of the "I ain't got nothing' against them, as long as they stay where they supposed to be". Overall, they were actually nice people despite this hee-haw honorable country bigot mentality.I think I might just finally get the Blu-ray/DVD or just order this movie on Netflix and see it all the way through, H-town stereotypes and all.

This film is one of my all-time favourites and I watch it every chance I get. For some strange reason hardly anyone I know will admit they like it - even though several of my copies have disappeared over the years! Every time I have introduced it to an Urban Cowboy virgin, their initial reaction (of course) being complete disdain and supposed hatred for the movie, they get hooked. Whether it be after the first time they see it, or the 5th - I know when I turn it on in the lounge and they hear it from the other room, they sheepishly sneak in have a peek only to complain 'Oh not that cr*p again!' Yeah right! soon enough they are sat down on the sofa and refuse to get up for any reason throughout the entire 2 hours and 13 minutes of it - just like myself.I am not a cowboy hat wearing, snoose spitting, mechanical bull riding hick and don't have to be any of those things to love and appreciate this movie. The human nature aspect of it is absolutely brilliant! The script, the southern drawl accent, the acting, the verbal and physical abuse - soap operas can only dream of using this sort of material and making it work with their 2nd & 3rd rate actors. Bud, Sissy and Wes are 3 of the most convincing characters ever portrayed on film - seriously. and I haven't even mentioned the unbelievably amazing soundtrack throughout the entire film. Johnny Lee rocks!!On reading a review on the internet i saw a quote 'Bud and Sissy are immature, self-absorbed, shallow, one-dimensional nitwits'. hmmm....and the problem with this is? Hahaha, brilliant commentary! Judge Judy seems to be the only other place on television one can find such stupidly irresponsible behaviour coming from grown people - true American entertainment at it's best!