Urban Cowboy

Urban Cowboy is a 1980 movie starring John Travolta and Debra Winger about the love-hate relationship between Travolta's character Bud and Winger's character Sissy.

Plot summary

The movie starts out with Bud Davis moving to Pasadena, Texas to work at an oil refinery with his uncle Bob (Barry Corbin). Soon after moving, Bud discovers the city's nightlife, which is centered around a bar called Gilley's (a real country bar owned by country singer Mickey Gilley).

Related Topics:
Pasadena, Texas - Refinery - Barry Corbin - Mickey Gilley

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Bud meets Sissy in Gilley's, and after a quick courtship, the two get married. After the wedding, they visit the bar, where Bud learns that a mechanical bull has been installed recently. Bud forbids Sissy from riding it, though he rides it himself.

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The next day while Bud is working at the refinery, Sissy goes back to bar and rides the bull. Bud tries riding the bull, but is thrown off when the man controlling the speed of the bull (Wes Hightower, played by Scott Glenn), seeking to throw him, makes the bull move too fast. The two separate.

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Sissy then tries to go to bed with Wes, but stops before doing anything. Bud, though, really goes to bed with a girl he met at Gilley's, Pam (Madolyn Osborne nee Smith). The next day, Sissy returns to the trailer and finds it empty. She leaves a note for Bud to meet her at Gilley's, but Pam later hides it.

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Bud, not knowing of Sissy's note, starts to train for a upcoming bullriding contest and blows Sissy off when he sees her. Sissy, angry at Bud, starts an affair with Wes, who is also planning to take part in the bullriding contest.

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Finally, the day of the contest arrives, and before it Pam tells Bud that he needs to be with Sissy, and admits to the letter she hid. The contest has Bud pitted against Wes — Bud prevails. Bud and Sissy reconcile.

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