Texasville (1990)

Summer, 1984: 30 years after Duane captained the high school football team and Jacy was homecoming queen, this Texas town near Wichita Falls prepares for its centennial. Oil prices are down... See full summary »

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers:

Larry McMurtry (novel), Peter Bogdanovich (screenplay)

Stars:

Harvey Christiansen, Timothy Bottoms, Cybill Shepherd

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harvey Christiansen	...	Old Man Balt
Pearl Jones	...	Minerva
Loyd Catlett	...	Lee Roy
Jimmy Howell	...	Jack Jackson
Romi Snyder	...	Julie
Kay Pering	...	Lavelle Bates
Allison Marich	...	Billie Anne
Katherine Bongfeldt	...	Nellie
Earl Poole Ball	...	Junior Nolan
Su Hyatt	...	Suzie Nolan
Angie Bolling	...	Marylou Marlow
William McNamara	...	Dickie Jackson
Eileen Brennan	...	Genevieve Morgan
Randy Quaid	...	Lester Marlow
Cloris Leachman	...	Ruth Popper

Storyline

Summer, 1984: 30 years after Duane captained the high school football team and Jacy was homecoming queen, this Texas town near Wichita Falls prepares for its centennial. Oil prices are down, banks are failing, and Duane's $12 million in debt. His wife Karla drinks too much, his children are always in trouble, and he tom-cats around with the wives of friends. Jacy's back in town, after a mildly successful acting career, life in Italy, and the death of her son. Folks assume Duane and Jacy will resume their high school romance. And Sonny is "tired in his mind," causing worries for his safety. Can these friends find equilibrium in middle age?

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Plot Keywords:

debt | texas | old flame | reminiscence | americana | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Texasville - unohduksen maa

Filming Locations:

Archer City, Texas, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$2,268,181 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cine-Source, Nelson Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sal Mineo gave director Peter Bogdanovich the Larry McMurtry book, The Last Picture Show. Sal thought it would be a good movie, but felt he was now too old for a young role. Sal Mineo is given "thanks" in the end credit of this film, Texasville, which is the sequel to "The Last Picture Show".

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Goofs

At the beginning of the centennial parade, a half-built Ferris wheel with no cars attached can be seen in background; several minutes later, it's fully operational.

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Quotes

Karla: Everytime you call me "honey," there's a lie involved.

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Connections

Follows The Last Picture Show (1971)

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Soundtracks

"Stardust"
Music by Hoagy Carmichael
Lyrics by Mitchell Parish
Performed by Willie Nelson

User Reviews

See it, but be realistic

Some worthwhile performances here. The film does suffer from comparisons to "The Last Picture Show". That film was astonishing in its originality and has become iconic. "Texasville" neither aims so high, nor lands so hard. Nonetheless, the whole atmosphere of sadness calls to mind TLPS, as does the lack of a musical score, the only background being radios or whatever that the characters also hear. The adult characters, who were teen-agers in TLPS never seem to have grown up. At all. As Ebert said, I wonder what Sam the Lion would think of all these people. I seem to have missed all the sex going on in the '50's (OK wasn't born yet) and missed it again in the 80's. Maybe I'll catch that train SOMEDAY.

Jeff Bridges put in a great performance here, just as he always does. He never seems to play a character you don't believe. This in films as disparate as this one, "The Fabulous Baker Boys", and, say, "The Big Lebowski". Cybill Shepherd was very good and very beautiful. It probably took some amount of courage for a former model/beauty queen to take this role, that explicitly compares her middle-aged looks to her youthful pulchritude. I thought she still looked great. (But then, I'm middle-aged) Cloris Leachman showed her dramatic talent to wonderful effect. But, saving the best for last, I thought Annie Potts basically stole the show. She was gorgeous, and she so totally nailed her character. Acting doesn't get much better than this.

Anyone who liked TLPS (and that's almost everyone) should see this sequel. But don't carry into it unrealistic expectations.