89 - "Urban Cowboy" (1980)

    I'm never going to be mistaken for a fan of things country, especially country music, but Urban Cowboy is infectious and I don't see how you can't help but enjoy it. John Travolta stars as Bud Davis, a country boy who is moving to the big city to work at the refinery where his Uncle Bob works. When he arrives in town he is taken to the favorite local night spot, Gilley's, owned by country legend Mickey Gilley who plays himself in the film. Here Bud meets Sissy, played brilliantly by the wonderful underrated actress Debra Winger (see Forget Paris). The two hit it off right away and are married in little time. Things start out well but turn downhill when an escaped convict, Wes Hightower (Scott Glenn), enters the picture and starts hanging around the bar. Sissy is intrigued by Wes's bad boy personality and the fact that he is a "true" cowboy. This leads to a series of showdowns between Bud and Wes which leads us to the climax of the film which revolves around a mechanical bull riding competition. A lot of Urban Cowboy is pretty cheesy stuff, but it's the 80's and that's what the decade is known for. I'm not big on soundtracks and music in movies but this is one that definitely stands out. Country stars Bonnie Raitt, Mickey Gilley, The Charlie Daniels Band, Kenny Rogers, Bozz Scaggs and Johnny Lee, among others, all provide music to this wonderful soundtrack which fits the film perfectly. I know there are some people out there who will argue Grease and Saturday Night Fever or perhaps Pulp Fiction, but to me this is John Travolta's best performance.