The restored 1992 Director’s Cut version of an American classic! Screening from a 35mm print courtesy of the Sony Archives.
This legendary BBS Production (they’d also bankrolled Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces), director Peter Bogdanovich’s second effort, was perhaps the company’s biggest box-office hit. It received universal acclaim, winning two Oscars: Best Supporting Actor for Ben Johnson and Best Supporting Actress for Cloris Leachman, with six other nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Circa 1951, teenage best friends Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane (Jeff Bridges) have little to do in their dying-on-the-vine town of Anarene, Texas. The two daydream, drink beer, play high school football and chase girls when they’re not patronizing the lone movie house, diner and pool hall. Sam the Lion (Johnson) owns all three and is a surrogate father figure for them both. He tries to dispense a little wisdom when the boys’ knuckleheaded behavior and sexual antics threaten to get them into serious trouble. A slew of great performances punctuate this New Hollywood classic, from both veteran performers and newcomers, including Ellen Burstyn, Cybill Shepherd, Clu Gulager, Eileen Brennan, Randy Quaid and Sam Bottoms. With a stunning score composed entirely of ‘needle drops’ of the era’s most popular country songs, from Hank Williams to Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys.
“The film has an unadorned honesty that came as a jolt after the pyrotechnics of the late 1960s… Bogdanovich went back to the directness and simplicity of Ford, who he admired no less than Welles.” – Roger Ebert
Garret Mathany discusses Ben Johnson and The Last Picture Show on the New Beverly blog.
Kim Morgan discusses The Last Picture Show on the New Beverly blog.
