Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

A pharmacy-robbing dope fiend and his crew pop pills and evade the law.

Director:

Gus Van Sant (as Gus Van Sant Jr.)

Writers:

James Fogle (novel), Gus Van Sant (screenplay) (as Gus Van Sant Jr.)

Stars:

Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, James Le Gros

12 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matt Dillon	...	Bob
Kelly Lynch	...	Dianne
James Le Gros	...	Rick
Heather Graham	...	Nadine
Eric Hull	...	Druggist
Max Perlich	...	David
James Remar	...	Gentry
John Kelly	...	Cop
Grace Zabriskie	...	Bob's Mother
George Catalano	...	Trousinski
Janet Baumhover	...	Neighbor Lady
Ted D'Arms	...	Neighbor Man
Neal Thomas	...	Halamer
Stephen Rutledge	...	Motel Manager
Beah Richards	...	Drug Counselor

Storyline

A group of drug users in the 1970's help finance their habit by robbing drug stores. Matt Dillon's character is very superstitious and eventually his luck runs out.

---

Plot Keywords:

drugs | ambush | amphetamine | ashtray | bed | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

A gyógyszertári cowboy

Filming Locations:

Beacon Rock, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$4,729,352

Company Credits

Production Co:

Avenue Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "hat on a bed" as bad luck idea turns up in the beginning of the noir classic Shield for Murder (1954)

---

Goofs

Bobby's gloves disappear when prising open the metal locker in the hospital.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Bob: I was once a shameless full-time dope fiend.

---

Crazy Credits

Home-video-style footage of the characters plays during almost the entire end credits.

---

Connections

Featured in Cinefile: Made in the USA (1993)

---

Soundtracks

Little Things
Written & Performed by Bobby Goldsboro
Used by permission of SBK Unart Catalog, Inc.
Under license from CEMA Special Markets, EMI Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Matt Dillon's best work

Matt Dillon igives his best performance in this movie, gives an minimalistic, sympathetic portrayal of a junk addict trying to go straight.

The subject matter may be a bit dark for those that like to see life from the "sunny side". It is set after all, in gray, gray, Portland Oregon in the 70's. It deals with a crew of four, two couples, that go around ripping off drugstores for opiates. It does not attempt to judge or condemn this behavior, it just tells the story of a group of junkies, and one of their attempts to go clean and find out what the straight life is like.

Those of you that have experience with any form of substance abuse may find that this movie rings true. I loved the quote by Bob something to the effect of: "In life, you never know one minute to the next how you're going to feel. But a dope fiend just has to look at the labels on the bottles." By no means does this movie glamorize drug use. In fact, it shows it for what it is, a temporary fix that leads nowhere but destruction.