Watching Urban Cowboy on HBO Demand

He was pretty but dumb

Debra Winger was great in this, as was Scott Glenn.

Just a few years apart, Travolta starred in two movies that had a major impact on popular culture. The cowboy look was suddenly "in" thanks to Urban Cowboy. It didn't hurt Willie Nelson any, but he was too stoned to notice.

Scott Glenn was hot and not dumb:

John Travolta (in his prime, obviously) just seems like he was one of the last real movie stars (someone you would consider a "real" movie star in the traditional sense).

He had "Saturday Night Fever", "Grease", and "Urban Cowboy" pretty close together.

It's hard to think of a male "star"/famous young movie actor today that's the same age as Travolta was during his most successful period and that has started in that many equally zeitgeisty movies that drove audiences crazy, changed the culture, and brought in tons of cash at the box office...

(Not to even mention that at that time, Travolta also had charisma *for days*--something that a lot of current "stars" are sorely lacking in).

I remember watching it in 1981 and wondering what all the fuss about Travolta was, when white-hot Scott Glenn was all I could see.

But that's just me. Travolta is a good actor, but I just don't get that "Daaammmnn, baby, can we fuck RIGHT NOW" vibe when I see him. Hell, I think Barry Corbin has more raw masculine sex appeal than Travolta in the film. In that Texas oilfield trash good ole boy way.

I thought Scott Glenn was gross looking in this movie.

Debra Winger OWNED that part as Sissy. One of the best castings ever in a film. It's really incredible that Travolta really a run of three great films and the bottom fell out of his career until Look Who's Talking and another Oscar nom for Pulp Fiction. He probably thought everything he touched would turn to gold after Urban Cowboy. Turned out one film was worse than the next for him in the 80s.

Had a run I meant ^^

[quote]He had "Saturday Night Fever", "Grease", and "Urban Cowboy" pretty close together.

Not close enough

It helped my career

LOL. I need more coffee. I read that as "Midnight Cowboy" and said, 'WaitWhat? Travolta wasn't in "Midnight Cowboy!"

"you see this ring, Tattoo? That means she's married!" I thought Glenn was hot in it too, I was grossed out when he drank the worm though. Also hot was Madolyn Whoever, the rich girl who fucked JT and took credit for cleaning their filthy trailer.

The acting was great. They all did an awesome job playing dumbasses.

Plus Travolta was hot on Welcome Back Kotter. I was a little kid when that show was on and I had church group on Thursday nights and all us would be so bummed we were missing the show (that was way before we had a VCR).

Travolta played a mouth breather in Kotter, Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Urban Cowboy.

I wonder why Debra Winger didn't get an Oscar nomination for this. She got a Golden Globe nod.

Debra was difficult to work with

I forget how cute Debra Winger was

Debra Ugly Winger.

r18 She totally was! And she is the originator of the abbreviated, "k" that we all say instead of "okay".

^^^for that alone she deserved to be sent to career Siberia.

Madolyn Smith, r12. She's not acting anymore. Madolyn retired from the business years ago. She is a devout Christian by the way.

Madolyn Smith was pretty, the cleft chin and all..but she looked kinda like a vacuous bimbo. Her eyes were so wide set, she must have 360° peripheral vision.

Debra Winger has always been a great actress, just not a very pretty one. She was laughable when she guest starred on Wonder Woman alongside the gorgeous, statuesque Linda Carter. Winger had the very non athletic running style of a headless chicken..with wings. Omg.. it was bad.

Debra is the modern day version of Bette Davis or Barbara Stanwyck, especially the latter. Not classically beautiful, but lots of sex appeal and raw natural talent.

Great soundtrack in that movie. I remember after UC came out, lots of sprawling country bars like Gilleys opened up and mechanical bull riding riding was all the rage. You can even rent them now, though I'd want no part of that liability.

Yeah the soundtrack with its excellent pop/country tunes is flawless. I was 13 and lived in Houston when it opened down here. HUGE deal in this city. My uncle even took us to Gilleys and I got on the bull albeit slow speed. lol

Perspective on the 35th anniversary of the movie and the whole scene in Houston that inspired the movie. There was even more drama behind the scenes of the club than the movie, looked like Mickey Gilley got too big for his britches and the club burned down under "suspicious circumstances." Then the boom went bust and the whole scene vanished overnight. Classic Texas story, should be the sequel:

Madolyn Smith reminds me of a darker Jessica Simpson, same cleft chin.

Great article, R27!

Debra Winger was terrific in "Urban Cowboy" -- totally a star-making performance. I remember (yes, I'm old) her glam cover and photos in "Interview" magazine around that time. Haven't watched it in years, wonder how it holds up!

"You can't expect a man like me to be faithful to any woman, honey."

Not a huge Travolta fan. I did like Pulp Fiction.

R4 - Just off the top of my head I can think of two other young men who fit your description for "real movie star" post Travolta. Matt Damon and Daniel Radcliffe. Certainly Robert Pattinson also fits the description.

Madolyn Smith always looked Greek to me. She was in one of the best TV movies ever! Deadly intentions where she Matrries a psychopath who likes to take pictures of her as he does all this stuff to scare her. If you can find it on you tube it's a must see!

I developed a major crush on Scott Glenn after I saw this movie, damn he was hot! I found out that he was about ready to quit acting before he got this role, and it seems to have made his career. He's still working, 35 years and a lot of wrinkles later.

And while this movie may have been "zeitgeisty" at the time, it's not a very good movie. Sure it's sexy and the ambiance is interesting, but it's about two immature twerps who you don't root for because they don't seem to care much for each other and they obviously don't make each other happy. Why make a film about them? All they're going to do is keep breaking up until there's a pregnancy, and that may keep them together but it won't stop them fighting all the time.

Jerry Hall and her sister, Cyndy Hall, had small parts in this film. They were the "sexy sisters" in the bar who wanted to take "Bud" home.

From IMDb:

According to Debra Winger's book, she only got the part after Sissy Spacek, who originally was cast, had a falling out with Travolta.

P.J. Soles auditioned for the part of Sissy.

Urban Cowboy came out when I was in 8th grade. By the time I was old enough to watch 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'Urban Cowboy' I was disappointed.

Good lord, I am watching this right now and Travolta never looked hotter. Even better than in Grease and SNF.