Movie
Urban Cowboy
Western film with a runtime of 135 minutes, released in 1980. Presented in English.
At a Glance
Synopsis
"You a real cowboy?" John Travolta traded disco for a mechanical bull in this adaptation by James Bridges and Aaron Latham of Latham's article on Western nightlife. Texas country boy Bud (Travolta) moves to Houston to work on an oil rig with his Uncle Bob (Barry Corbin), and he swiftly becomes indoctrinated in the nighttime rituals of drinking, dancing, and showing off cowboy duds at Gilley's, the enormous local honkytonk. There he meets and marries the sassy Sissy (Debra Winger), but the honeymoon quickly ends when Sissy starts spending too much time learning the men-only skill of mechanical bull-riding from ex-con Wes (Scott Glenn); Bud throws her out and hooks up with slumming Pam (Madolyn Smith). Under the paternal tutelage of Uncle Bob, Bud then learns not only how to master the bull but also what it takes to be a real man rather than just an ersatz cowboy. With a story, cast, and setting that were essentially Saturday Night Fever country-style, Urban Cowboy was poised to be a summer 1980 hit. Although its box office did not live up to Fever's legacy, Urban Cowboy did spawn a soundtrack album of country-and-western hits and helped spur a Western fashion vogue; people from all regions began sporting cowboy boots, and mechanical bulls started replacing passé disco floors. The first of Travolta's many comebacks, Urban Cowboy provided the star with a more "manly" image after his Moment by Moment (1978) fiasco, but it was neophyte co-star Winger who got even better notices. With its Western milieu and retro view of relationships, Urban Cowboy stands as a sign of the nascent Reagan era, as '70s icon Travolta learned bull-riding himself and replaced his white polyester with a black Stetson.
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Cast
- John Travolta
- Debra Winger
- Scott Glenn
- Madolyn Smith
- Barry Corbin
- Brooke Alderson
- Cooper Huckabee
- James Gammon
- Betty Murphy
- Ed Geldart
- Leah Geldart
- Charlie Daniels
- Keith Clemons
- Howard Norman
- Sheryl Briedel
- Sean Lawler
- Gator Conley
- David Ogle
- Bettye Fitzpatrick
- Jim Gough
- Christopher Saylors
- Mickey Gilley
- Johnny Lee
- Bonnie Raitt
- Minnie Elerick
- Bret Williams
- Tamara Matusian
- Becky Conway
- Sherwood Cryer
- James Harrell
- Jerry Hall
- Cyndy Hall
- Lucky Mosley
- Zetta Raney
- Ellen March
- Steve Chambers
- Ann Travolta
- Anson Downes
- W.P. Wright III
- Steve Strange
- Norman Tucker
- Debie Tucker
- Jesse LaRive
- Connie Hanson
- Glenn Holtzman
- Daniel Heintschel Jr.
- Robert Bush
- James N. Harrell
- Robert Herridge
- Willie D. Burton
- C.O. Erickson
- George R. Nelson
- Reynaldo Villalobos
- James Bridges
- Patsy Swayze
- David Rawlins
- Stephen B. Grimes
- Stephen Grimes
- Aaron Latham
- Stewart Campbell
