urban cowboy
So last night I watched the film Urban Cowboy. And I can’t think of a film that I have seen in a long time that is so foreign to my understanding of human interaction. Firstly, why is an Italian-American playing a hick? I have no idea. Secondly, the plot could be summarized as a woman breaking up with an abusive husband for an abusive boyfriend. The end of the story is the abusive husband beating up the abusive boyfriend for abusing his wife? I am so confused. This wins her love back. Really?
Also, the major disagreement of the entire film is that this woman wants to ride a mechanical bull but her husband will not let her. I mean he is really angry about her mechanical bull riding. Has anyone in the history of the world ever broken up a marriage over a mechanical bull disagreement? How was this movie pitched as real-seeming? And at first he seems angry about it because it might hurt her, but then he is sort of angry because she is good at it? Is she supposed to seem like kind of a slut for being good at bull riding?
Also, who puts a punching bag in a bar? That just seems like a recipe for a fight. The climax of the film is an indoor rodeo with a dance contest. Instead of joining a mechanical bullriding contest, why didn’t both of them join the dance contest? Clearly the film shows they are better at dancing than bullriding and they both agree about it. Also, how do you score a mechanical bull for rodeo? I am mystified. If I were from a rural area, I would feel like this movie was my “The Jazz Singer.”
However, any film with a Dolly Parton lookalike contest is not all bad.
6 Comments so far
1. Vanessa wrote on April 13th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
“If I were from a rural area, I would feel like this movie was my ‘The Jazz Singer.”’”
Okay, now I have to see URBAN COWBOY.
Is this film gonna make me feel the same way Cracker Barrel makes me feel (i.e. murderous)? I was reading comments on Shorpy yesterday and someone wrote (in reference to a photo of sharecroppers sitting down to dinner): “Wow, this makes me really hungry for Cracker Barrel.” Several other commenters agreed. I screamed at my computer monitor for a good 5 minutes.
2. jennybento wrote on April 14th, 2008 at 4:57 am
It might be MORE offensive to people from Southern cities. Again, why is it called URBAN? That still makes little sense.
I miss the Cracka. I mean I am too urban even for a cracker barrel to be nearby. Sad.
3. Grace wrote on April 14th, 2008 at 7:34 am
I don’t think Urban Cowboy makes sense to ANYBODY. It’s just a ridiculous film.
4. nanette wrote on April 15th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
you know what is funny? when i first started reading this entry, i thought you were talking about MIDNIGHT cowboy.
5. jennybento wrote on April 15th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Honestly, I can’t say I got Midnight Cowboy either. Nor why it was so popular.
6. Stephanie wrote on April 16th, 2008 at 12:12 am
OH MY GOD! I love Urban Cowboy! Why? Because it is so damn ridiculous. And Debra Winger gets sexy revenge by sexily riding a mechanical bull.
I watched it for the first time a few years back with my old roommates (including Elizabeth Neptune.) We were floored by how random and plotless it was.