Urban Cowboy (1980)

It never fails. I’ll go out to dinner with a group of people and that one movie I’ve never seen will come up. From that point on, I’ll get grief for the rest of the night for missing one of the classics. Most recently, it was Urban Cowboy. The 1980 film was shot mostly on location in Houston (my hometown), starred John Travolta in vintage form, and featured a classic soundtrack. So, on the way home, I picked it up on DVD.

The film is a boy meets world story as young Bud (Travolta) finds and falls in love with Sissy (played by Debra Winger). Their whirlwind romance starts at the local country bar, Gilley’s, where Bud aspires to be the best mechanical bull rider in town. However, the vile Wes (played impressively here by Scott Glenn) stands in his way. During the course of the film, Bud must grow up, and, through the tutelage of his Uncle Bob, learns not only about the way of the bull, but life and love, as well.

The charm of Urban Cowboy is how primal the film’s characters are. The wants and needs of these people are very simple. Bud meets Sissy and wants her. She wants Bud. They get married. It’s that simple. Characters fight over trivial things, but in the world of the story a miniscule thing like tipping a hat to a lady is so much more. It’s an invitation to the bedroom. It’s not just riding a mechanical bull. It’s an affirmation of territorial control. If they feel bad, they go to Gilley’s. If they feel great, they go to Gilley’s. Thirty years later in 2010, it’s hard to see a film like this having the kind of mega success it had then. Audiences seem to demand such ardent complexity in characters these days, so it’s refreshing to see how simple movie characters used to be and how effective it was for this particular narrative.

By no means am I saying they’re simpletons. Their motivations are birthed out of extremely harrowing things like passion, love, and hatred. I just respect the very nimble nature of how they deal with these issues.

This is also a very sexy film. Travolta and Winger as Bud and Sissy, respectively, make for one of the truly gorgeous onscreen couples. The profile shot of Bud at Gilley’s after he shaves, the way they both lean against the bar when they first meet…Winger and Travolta did such a wonderful job of exuding sexiness from every pore. They practically scream for raw intense intimacy right then and there, but do it with a restrained coolness. It’s just magnificent to watch and a testament to their acting talents.

If there’s one glaring negative about Urban Cowboy, it’s predictable from start to finish. This was a very safe narrative, and we can see from the beginning Wes is not only going to roadblock Bud’s dreams of being the mechanical bull champion but Sissy’s love for him, as well. The rocky erosion of the outside romantic relationships Bud and Sissy have are also foreseeable. And easily the most predictable thing…well, I won’t give it away, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned from movies, it’s that disaster usually follows when the hero’s confidant gives him life-changing advice while performing a dangerous job. Remember Pete in Rudy?

Urban Cowboy is a classic film that movie lovers should see at least once. The pervasive sexiness, iconic imagery, and wonderful performances cement its legacy as one of the great Travolta films. Its primal themes render it timeless, and, hopefully, the original generation of viewers can continue to expose it to new audiences for years to come. Plus, it’s one less film I have to worry about coming up at dinner.