The Greatness Of Urban Cowboy [VIDEO]

I love to turn on the TV and see one of my favorite movies pop up in the cable listings.  Yesterday it was The Aviator, love a Scorsese film!  But tonight, the stakes were raised when I saw Urban Cowboy was coming on.  I was raised on a lot of movies my parents were fond of and this is definitely one of them. Of course I was way too young in 1980 to see an R-rated picture, so I didn't get the full effect until many, many years later.  Back then, I only knew about Johnny Lee's hit "Lookin' For Love", however, the soundtrack, which hit the top of the country charts in August of 1980, included a plethora of good songs from the likes of Anne Murray, Boz Scaggs, The Eagles, Joe Walsh, Jimmy Buffett, Bonnie Raitt, Mickey Gilley (whose bar is a prominent fixture in the film),  and The Charlie Daniels Band ("The Devil Went Down To Georgia" is included in the big Gilley's bull-riding championship scene).

This film is no doubt one of the most quotable.  "Hey Tattoo!" and "You Wanna Get Married?" are just a sampling.  John Travolta, fresh off his Grease success, jumped right in and two-stepped his way into Debra Winger's heart, well, Bud danced his way into Sissy's heart.  They get married within the first 20 minutes!  And as soon as Bud sets his eyes on the mechanical bull, he's captivated and he's determined to master it with the help of his Uncle Bob (good old Barry Corbin).  Scott Glenn plays the sleazy and dangerous Wes Hightower ("Tattoo"); oh and he plays it well.  And yes, both Bud and Sissy aren't the brightest bulbs in the box, but they love each other, they part, then they fall back in love.  All is well.

A little known fact, when I moved to Owensboro the first time, this movie was on a continuous loop on my DVD player until my cable was connected.  That is dedication.