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Actors: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman, Ellen Burstyn
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Last Picture Show |
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The slow death of a movie house in a tiny Texas town mirrors the fortunes of its inhabitants circa 1952-53. Sonny (Bottoms) and Duane (Bridges) play on the losing high school football team. Jacy (Shepherd) nominally dates Duane but flirts with just about everyone. Her mother (Burstyn) has affairs, and Sonny eventually finds himself bedding the coach's lonely and frustrated wife (Leachman). Ben Johnson, the veteran of countless westerns, appears as "Sam the Lion," the owner of the picture show and coffee shop, and father of a slow-witted boy who sweeps the streets and is only sporadically watched by Sonny and the others. Randy Quaid and Eileen Brennan may also be glimpsed among the cast. Johnson and Leachman both won well-deserved supporting actor Oscars for their marvelous performances in this rich, sad 1971 film, whose screenplay debut director Peter Bogdanovich co-wrote with Larry McMurtry based on the latter's novel. The direction is perfectly dry and on target (with cinematography by the great Robert Surtees); the acting superb by all concerned. Bogdanovich, who started out as an actor and film theorist and who appears vocally in this film as a disc jockey, unfortunately never made anything this fine again.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Last Picture Show |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- romance (general)
- love triangle/polygon
- seduction (yum!)
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Kids:
- boozing
- general coming of age story
Ethnic/Regional/Gender story?
Yes
Story of city/rural life?
- Small Town
Culture of surrounding area:
- American Southwest
Lover is...
- of a different social class
Age group
- trouble in high school
Sexing?
- first sexual experience
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Body type
- (man) average
Unclothed?
- Chest
Events of movie makes character more...
- sad
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Texas
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- dumb Rednecks, like Gomer Pyle
Misc setting
- theater
- bar
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- depressed/sad
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
- seeing breasts
- seeing nude female butt
- sex under blankets
Check here if B&W
Yes
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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