The drama The Last Picture Show is directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starred by Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, and Cybill Shepherd. The film takes place the small town of Anarene, Texas during the 1950s.
Sonny Crawford (Bottoms) and Duane Jackson (Bridges) live in the small Texas town of Anarene and are typical teenage boys. The film starts during their senior year of high school and both have girlfriends. The boys spend time at the local pool hall or going to the picture show with their girlfriends until Sonny loses his after the two basically got bored with each other. Duane's girlfriend Jacy (Shepherd) is the prettiest girl in town and at the start of the film she is a good girl but her mother (Burstyn) really wants her to break loose of Duane and explore the other men of the town. The film revolves around Sonny, Duane, and Jacy and how they experience sexuality in many ways from many suitors.
Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich wrote one of the most spectacular screenplays of all time for this film. Never have I seen a film flow so brilliantly throughout and it does not have an ordinary structure of a film, it just continues through the characters' experiences. I find that the majority of great screenplays throughout history are character driven rather than plot driven because if you don't know and care about the character why should you care about the plot? The three lead roles in the film were so comprehensively built it was absolutely wonderful. I loved seeing when Sonny and his father had about a ten second conversation, in those ten seconds I was able to understand Sonny's entire family life. The theme of loss of innocence in this film was also absolutely wonderful, the screenplay was just terrific.
Peter Bogdanovich's direction matched the brilliance of the screenplay that he co-wrote. There were hundreds of shots in this film that were so simply beautiful and were able to get me inside the characters mind and into a deeper level of the film. The scene with Jacy going to the naked pool party was wonderfully shot and will ironically be remembered. It just showed the curiosity of a young person trying to become an adult. Also I really loved the final scene of the film, but I will go into no detail in order to not spoil it for those who have not seen it. Sadly Bogdanovich has not directed another film as wonderful as this one.
Not only did Bogdanovich write and direct a great film, he got two Oscar winning performances from his actors. One is not from Timothy Bottoms, but I thought he gave an amazing performance as an innocent young boy trying to become a man. Some of this best acting would have to be with Cloris Leachman when they are having an affair. His simple expressions are just magnificent in showing his confusion about the world that surrounds him. Jeff Bridges was nominated for an Oscar for playing a simple teenager on the outside but a boy longing for love on the inside. Definitely one of the best performances of his very successful career. Cybill Shepherd's character Jacy was definitely one of the most interesting characters in this film in how she wanted to experience pure lovemaking and bliss, and not end up like her mother. She was absolutely stunning, like the rest of the cast. Ben Johnson won the Oscar for his role as Sam the Lion. The scene in which he showed why he deserved to win was when his son came home with a bloody nose and he told the other boys to leave him alone as a tired old man who was done fighting. That was one of the most effective scenes in the film and will also always remain in my memory. Cloris Leachman won an Oscar as well for her performance as a woman who is depressed with her marriage and has an affair with the young Sonny Crawford. The weakness in her face while performing was just enchanting, everything about her was so real. This film definitely has one of the greatest ensemble performances of all time.
The editing by Donn Cambern was spectacularly done, I really liked how the film was in black and white making the simple town even simpler. If this was in color I could not really see myself liking it as much and that is why this decision was extremely well executed. The film flowed seamlessly going from character to character. I was completely engaged the whole entire film and never was the rhythm broken. Many films with multiple stories don't work out well because the editing makes it like a break in the film and that takes you out of the film experience.
I really loved the country music that was used throughout the film. It added another layer of simplicity to small town and the black and white appearance. Music is key to making a film flow like the editing and this film did it wonderfully letting the songs express the language of the film.
Overall I give this film a 10/10. It is one of the greatest films of all time and is wonderful in every aspect of it. There is nothing I could say that is wrong with this film, I absolutely loved it. I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys extremely powerful dramas about the loss of innocence because this is one of the greatest ever. Ever. Go see it right now.
Sonny Crawford (Bottoms) and Duane Jackson (Bridges) live in the small Texas town of Anarene and are typical teenage boys. The film starts during their senior year of high school and both have girlfriends. The boys spend time at the local pool hall or going to the picture show with their girlfriends until Sonny loses his after the two basically got bored with each other. Duane's girlfriend Jacy (Shepherd) is the prettiest girl in town and at the start of the film she is a good girl but her mother (Burstyn) really wants her to break loose of Duane and explore the other men of the town. The film revolves around Sonny, Duane, and Jacy and how they experience sexuality in many ways from many suitors.
Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich wrote one of the most spectacular screenplays of all time for this film. Never have I seen a film flow so brilliantly throughout and it does not have an ordinary structure of a film, it just continues through the characters' experiences. I find that the majority of great screenplays throughout history are character driven rather than plot driven because if you don't know and care about the character why should you care about the plot? The three lead roles in the film were so comprehensively built it was absolutely wonderful. I loved seeing when Sonny and his father had about a ten second conversation, in those ten seconds I was able to understand Sonny's entire family life. The theme of loss of innocence in this film was also absolutely wonderful, the screenplay was just terrific.
Peter Bogdanovich's direction matched the brilliance of the screenplay that he co-wrote. There were hundreds of shots in this film that were so simply beautiful and were able to get me inside the characters mind and into a deeper level of the film. The scene with Jacy going to the naked pool party was wonderfully shot and will ironically be remembered. It just showed the curiosity of a young person trying to become an adult. Also I really loved the final scene of the film, but I will go into no detail in order to not spoil it for those who have not seen it. Sadly Bogdanovich has not directed another film as wonderful as this one.
Not only did Bogdanovich write and direct a great film, he got two Oscar winning performances from his actors. One is not from Timothy Bottoms, but I thought he gave an amazing performance as an innocent young boy trying to become a man. Some of this best acting would have to be with Cloris Leachman when they are having an affair. His simple expressions are just magnificent in showing his confusion about the world that surrounds him. Jeff Bridges was nominated for an Oscar for playing a simple teenager on the outside but a boy longing for love on the inside. Definitely one of the best performances of his very successful career. Cybill Shepherd's character Jacy was definitely one of the most interesting characters in this film in how she wanted to experience pure lovemaking and bliss, and not end up like her mother. She was absolutely stunning, like the rest of the cast. Ben Johnson won the Oscar for his role as Sam the Lion. The scene in which he showed why he deserved to win was when his son came home with a bloody nose and he told the other boys to leave him alone as a tired old man who was done fighting. That was one of the most effective scenes in the film and will also always remain in my memory. Cloris Leachman won an Oscar as well for her performance as a woman who is depressed with her marriage and has an affair with the young Sonny Crawford. The weakness in her face while performing was just enchanting, everything about her was so real. This film definitely has one of the greatest ensemble performances of all time.
The editing by Donn Cambern was spectacularly done, I really liked how the film was in black and white making the simple town even simpler. If this was in color I could not really see myself liking it as much and that is why this decision was extremely well executed. The film flowed seamlessly going from character to character. I was completely engaged the whole entire film and never was the rhythm broken. Many films with multiple stories don't work out well because the editing makes it like a break in the film and that takes you out of the film experience.
I really loved the country music that was used throughout the film. It added another layer of simplicity to small town and the black and white appearance. Music is key to making a film flow like the editing and this film did it wonderfully letting the songs express the language of the film.
Overall I give this film a 10/10. It is one of the greatest films of all time and is wonderful in every aspect of it. There is nothing I could say that is wrong with this film, I absolutely loved it. I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys extremely powerful dramas about the loss of innocence because this is one of the greatest ever. Ever. Go see it right now.