Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melodramatic
- earthy
- nostalgic
- country music night
- classic romance viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an engaging but overlong working-class romance with strong performances and vivid country-western atmosphere, tempered by melodrama and dated gender politics.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bud works at an oil refinery while his marriage to Sissy unfolds within Houston's honky-tonk and rodeo culture.
Bud's possessiveness and Sissy's desire for autonomy repeatedly destabilize their marriage.
Gilley's nightclub, country music, mechanical bull riding, and Houston social life define the film's milieu.
Bud enters the mechanical bull-riding contest as a way to reclaim identity and repair his marriage.
Films like Urban Cowboy, and why
The Last Picture Show
blue-collar romance, gender-role conflict, and emotionally volatile marriage
Coal Miner's Daughter
working-class relationship drama shaped by regional culture and masculine expectations
Tender Mercies
romantic melodrama, country music atmosphere, and conflicted working-class characters
Movie Details
- Director
- James Bridges
- Release Date
- 1980-06-06
- Runtime
- 132 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (279)
Cast
- John Travolta
- Debra Winger
- Scott Glenn
- Madolyn Smith Osborne
- Barry Corbin
- Brooke Alderson
- Cooper Huckabee
- James Gammon
- Mickey Gilley
- Johnny Lee
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Urban Cowboy about?
- A transplanted Texas country boy finds love, jealousy, and hard-won maturity amid Houston's honky-tonk and oil-refinery culture.
- What is Urban Cowboy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Urban Cowboy as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Urban Cowboy violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Urban Cowboy as mild.
- What did critics think of Urban Cowboy?
- Critics generally found the film an engaging but overlong working-class romance with strong performances and vivid country-western atmosphere, tempered by melodrama and dated gender politics.
- Which films are like Urban Cowboy?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Picture Show, Coal Miner's Daughter, and Tender Mercies.
- How long is Urban Cowboy?
- Urban Cowboy runs 132 minutes.
- Where can I watch Urban Cowboy?
- In United States, Urban Cowboy is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
