Urban Cowboy

"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 ...more

Urban Cowboy is probably best-remembered for its examination of late-1970s honky-tonk kitsch -- in particular, the mechanical bull -- but the film is also an interesting, perceptive romantic drama. Love, jealousy, lust, and blue-collar ennui are all fodder for the knowing eye of writer-director James Bridges. Produced at the height of John Travolta's early popularity, Cowboy is essentially his star vehicle, but the supporting work of Debra Winger and Scott Glenn packs much of the film's punch. ...more