©PhotofestURBAN COWBOY introduced the world to a new breed of Texas wrangler when it put Debra Winger and John Travolta in Stetsons and Tony Llamas in 1980. This modern tale of a country bumpkin landing in the big city put its stars and Houston in spotlight as they boot-scooted through love, marriage, betrayal, and a scene-stealing mechanical bull at Gilley’s nightclub. Directed by James Bridges, Travolta’s naïve young character Bud goes looking for love in all the wrong places but ends up with a spirited cowgirl named Sissy, memorably portrayed by Debra Winger, who was Ginger Rogers to Travolta’s Fred Astaire, doing all the dance steps he did but backwards and in cowboy boots. The couple’s young life is threatened by the presence of the brooding ex-con Wes (Scott Glenn), who has eyes for Sissy but no moral compass. The film was also notable for its incendiary dance sequences and a rollicking soundtrack that kicked life back into country music. With fine performances by cast members Scott Glenn, Madolyn Smith, Barry Corbin, and Brooke Alderson (plus a notable bit part with Jerry Hall), URBAN COWBOY reclaimed the cinematic landscape for Texas and made a star of Debra Winger.
URBAN COWBOY
2008 Texas Film Hall of Fame
©PhotofestURBAN COWBOY introduced the world to a new breed of Texas wrangler when it put Debra Winger and John Travolta in Stetsons and Tony Llamas in 1980. This modern tale of a country bumpkin landing in the big city put its stars and Houston in spotlight as they boot-scooted through love, marriage, betrayal, and a scene-stealing mechanical bull at Gilley’s nightclub. Directed by James Bridges, Travolta’s naïve young character Bud goes looking for love in all the wrong places but ends up with a spirited cowgirl named Sissy, memorably portrayed by Debra Winger, who was Ginger Rogers to Travolta’s Fred Astaire, doing all the dance steps he did but backwards and in cowboy boots. The couple’s young life is threatened by the presence of the brooding ex-con Wes (Scott Glenn), who has eyes for Sissy but no moral compass. The film was also notable for its incendiary dance sequences and a rollicking soundtrack that kicked life back into country music. With fine performances by cast members Scott Glenn, Madolyn Smith, Barry Corbin, and Brooke Alderson (plus a notable bit part with Jerry Hall), URBAN COWBOY reclaimed the cinematic landscape for Texas and made a star of Debra Winger.
