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The Last Picture Show (1971)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
22 October 1971 (USA) moreTagline:
Anarene, Texas, 1951. Nothing much has changed... morePlot:
The coming of age of a youth named Sonny in a small Texas town in the 1950s. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 16 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(25 articles)
Clooney's 'Men Who Stare at Goats' Fun But Forgettable (From CinemaSpy. 5 November 2009, 9:25 PM, PST)
Jeff Bridges: The Dude Who Stares At Goats
(From Atomic Popcorn. 28 October 2009, 9:01 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
The lost art of American Cinema more (123 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Timothy Bottoms | ... | Sonny Crawford | |
| Jeff Bridges | ... | Duane Jackson | |
| Cybill Shepherd | ... | Jacy Farrow | |
| Ben Johnson | ... | Sam the Lion | |
| Cloris Leachman | ... | Ruth Popper | |
| Ellen Burstyn | ... | Lois Farrow | |
| Eileen Brennan | ... | Genevieve | |
| Clu Gulager | ... | Abilene | |
| Sam Bottoms | ... | Billy | |
| Sharon Ullrick | ... | Charlene Duggs (as Sharon Taggart) | |
| Randy Quaid | ... | Lester Marlow | |
| Joe Heathcock | ... | The Sheriff | |
| Bill Thurman | ... | Coach Popper | |
| Barc Doyle | ... | Joe Bob Blanton | |
| Jessie Lee Fulton | ... | Miss Mosey |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for sexuality, nudity and language.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
118 min | 126 min (director's cut)Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
UK:15 (video rating) (1992) | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:L | Singapore:M18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | West Germany:16 (f) | Brazil:14 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Italy:T | Sweden:11 | USA:R | Argentina:Atp | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:18Fun Stuff
Trivia:
All but one of the shots are at eye-level. moreGoofs:
Anachronisms: Several scenes show television programming, however TV was not introduced to the Wichita Falls area (and Anarene) until 1953. The movie takes place in 1951-52. moreQuotes:
Lois Farrow: I guess if it wasn't for Sam, I'd have missed it, whatever it is. I'd have been one of them amity types that thinks that playin' bridge is about the best thing that life has to offer. moreSoundtrack:
Give Me More, More of Your Kisses moreFAQ
Why did Sam the Lion leave the preacher's boy $1000?more
more (123 total)
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Adapted with director Bogdanovich by Larry McMurtry from his own novel, this film remains true to its source. A modern adaptation would no doubt have adopted the voice-over approach of narrative, but here each scene is played out from a more objective point of view. The book consists of a series of events played out over a protracted period of time, with McMurtry's sparse but effective prose acting as a bridging device between scenes. The translation to the screen loses these links, giving the film a slightly episodic feel which runs counter to modern Hollywood film making practice. This is no bad thing, and in every other aspect the film follows the book almost literally, but watching it now does highlight the difference between the formulaic approach we are now accustomed to, with mise en scene, plot turning points and climaxes crudely and obviously spelt out, as opposed to that of Hollywood's final golden age, where the director was given more of a free reign to stamp his own identity on the film, and audiences were more receptive to different styles. Here the spirit of the novel is captured perfectly; that of the desperation and claustrophobia of small town life, where generation after generation undergo the same rites of passage, living out the same lives of frustration and unrealised dreams. The films strength is that it never forces us to identify with any one character, evenly distributing the amount of screen time over the different generations and, almost like a fly on the wall documentary (though heavily stylised in its powerfully expressive monochrome cinematography). Coupled with some sturdy performances from all of the members of the cast, and some memorable images, The Last Picture' comes across as an enchanting, evocative and accessible portrayal of a lifestyle most of us have never and will never experience. Now surely this is what the art of cinema is all about?