"Urban Cowboy" is the stupidest motherfucking movie you will ever see. It's peopled by the most ignorant characters ever brought to life on screen. And it's tremendous fun to watch it.

The film concerns John Travolta as Bud, a "real cowboy" (i.e. flatland farmer) who comes to Houston in 1980 during the oil boom to get a big paying factory job like his Uncle bob (Barry Corbin). Director and scripter James Bridges, who co-wrote the film with the man who conceived the story, Aaron Latham, wastes no time in getting Bud to Texas. He's not in town two minutes before he is taken to Gilley's, the largest indoor honky-tonk ever built. He's not at Gilley's two minutes before he's seduced by two barfly hoochie mamas. Of course, as is the movie's wont, we don't get to see this sexual encounter. He just wakes up in bed with them. Bridges doesn't go for exploitation here.

Bud soon meets Sissy at Gilley's. Played by Debra Winger, she is as stupid and monosyllabic as Bud is. The two of them strike up a relationship based on ridiculous conversations, have a few slap fights and are married just as soon. Bridges really does awesome work in the beginning of the film setting up his plot, which is almost nonexistent, and showing us his characters for the lame-brained toadstools they really are. It's a pure delight to watch Travolta and Winger bring these two characters to life. These are not innocents, as some might have played them, but ignoramuses. The acting talent it took to make these two people come to life is extraordinary. Communicating in terms only a small level above grunts and groans, the couple show us the inability these characters have to even deal with the basic simplicities of life, such as washing dishes. Dealing with their problems in marriage is simply out of the question for these two as Travolta swaggers and makes irate random remarks while Winger looks hurt, squeals out "no's" and then flirts with the next guy that comes along. These characters are simpletons stuck in a world with no meaning other than going to Gilley's and drinking beer. Their insipid existences so purely represent the majority of workers in Texas at this time.

Yes, problems evolve immediately for the bonehead couple and it isn't long before Sissy is shacking up with an ex-con named Wes (even the character's names are monosyllabic) played by Scott Glenn. He puffs out his skinny chest and scratches his pock marked cheeks and she is soon living in a trailer behind Gilley's with him. In retribution, Travolta takes up with slutty Pam (Madolyn Smith), who actually lives in "Houston proper" (something I've never heard it called in my 20 years here) in a high rise. Pam and Bud set up house and she acts as sort of a Sugar Momma to him.

"Urban Cowboy" spends all of it's time at Gilley's, in the oilfield, or in Sissy and Bud's trailer. When we're at Gilley's, if the characters are dancing, it is filmed in orange light. The character's home, a trailer bought by Bud as a honeymoon present, is filmed as horribly claustrophobic comparatively. The oilfields seems dirty and dusty. Most of the look of the film, and this is another place where it is truly successful, can be attributed to Cinematographer Reynaldo Villaobos. If anyone claims that this is not an awesome looking film, they only need be shown the shot where Winger walks out of blue light into Gilley's in the afternoon heat. It's beautiful.

The only problem with Urban Cowboy is the story, which begins to drag too much towards the end. Bridges is so adept at bringing us a slap-bang story for so long that his film looses momentum whenever it tries to introduce plot. It's not the actor's fault for sure, they are the same boring airheads throughout. These are truly excellent acting jobs going on during the film. And the story remains as vapid as it was in the start. It is only the plodding direction and the ridiculous introduction of a plot twist that turns this 100 minute film into 135.

The final reel of the film, the climax, is anything but climactic. The film ends wrong. While "Urban Cowboy" is surely an offshoot of the gritty realism films of the 70's, the "up" ending signifies the beginning of 80's commercialism and the end of reality in films. If it's any consolation, however, Travolta is only a hero by accident at film's end. It is his stubborn pride and his ignorance and temper, something he had hoped he had evolved out of, that allows him and Winger this "happy" ending.

Gilley's became a national landmark thanks to the success of the film worldwide. What's really sad is that the characters here, who represent a sort of new breed of Texans, are pretty honest. I've lived in Texas 20 years and I've known people just like Bud and Sissy. The film has them do things that are so true. The license plates bearing their names in Travolta's truck, for instance, is such a reality of Texas at that time. The film didn't start that trend, it just latched on to it. Gilley's really did have a mechanical bull. It too became a national treasure for a brief time in the early 80's. "Kicker" clothes, country music and mechanical bulls were popular for at least 2 or 3 years. Gilley's was THE place to go for a long, long time, even with the "tourists." But, like all good things, it eventually came to an end. One still imagines that the fad lasted longer than Bud and Sissy's relationship ever did. Then again, they might be living with their 5 kids in the trailer court next door to me right now.

Note:

Travolta made this film directly between "Grease" and "Blow Out" and would eventually begin to fade when his work wavered between stuff like "Perfect" and "Two of a Kind." He would fall from favor for a while until resurrected by Quentin Tarantino in "Pulp Fiction."

Debra Winger, in her first real big film role here, went on to make "Terms of Endearment" and "An Officer and a Gentleman" before her work dried up.

Madolyn Smith-Osborne was "introduced" by the credits and had her first film role here. She would go onto to be in bad comedies like "Funny Farm," and "The Super," although she was also in "All of Me."

Scott Glenn made this film somewhere between "Apocalypse Now" and "The Right Stuff."

Barry Corbin went on to be Maurice from TV's "Northern Exposure". Brooke Alderson, who played his wife and Travolta's aunt was also in her first film role here. She would do little in films however she would go on top be in Bridges' later bomb "Mike's Murder."

With appearances by Mickey Gilley, Charlie Daniels Band, Bonnie Riatt, and Johnny Lee. There is also a Dolly Parton look-alike contest in the film.

Bridges was a respected director who began to falter after this film. He has made highly respected films prior to "Urban Cowboy" like "China Syndrome and "The Paper Chase." He tried to use Travolta later in a stupid movie about Rolling Stone magazine writers called "Perfect" that failed and he also found problems using Winger and Alderson in "Mike's Murder," a thriller that sat on the shelf for a couple of years and was finally released to little fanfare. His last film was 1988's "Bright Light, Big City."

Many of Gilley's real employees and the actual co-owner of the bar, Sherwood Cryer, appeared in the film.

The Nepotism Factor: Cameo by Anne Travolta as a "Wedding Party Guest."

Although the music is credited as "Score Adaptions by Ralph Burns," the real music is the country soundtrack which was a huge hit. Many of it's songs were performed on screen while other artists include Boz Scaggs, Jimmy Buffett, Joe Walsh, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Seger, Anne Murray, Eagles, Kenny Rogers contributed to the soundtrack, There is also a duet by Linda Rondstadt and JD Souther.

Filmed on location in Houston and Pasadena, Texas.

The scene where Wes eats the worm was not scripted but a joke for the dailies that made it into the final cut.

Winger was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress

After the successful years, Gilley split with Cryer and the club sat vacant for many years. The Gilley's sign is still there, And you still see t-shirts and bumper stickers with the clubs logo here and there. Cryer remains a successful Texas entrepreneur while Gilley now has his own theater in Branson, Missouri.

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