The Last Picture Show (1971)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Coxxie M

  
  From my local magazine review that i wrote: "Director Peter Bogdanovich has seen Anarene, Texas, in the cinematic terms of 1951 -- the languorous dissolves, the strong chiaroscuro, the dialogue that starts with bickering and ends with confessional."

• Chris W

  
  This is, by all accounts, supposed to be Peter Bogdanovich's masterpiece. Since this is the only film of his I've seen, I can't verify that statement for sure, but I did really like it. The story is that of a coming of age tale set in small town Texas during the… More
  This is, by all accounts, supposed to be Peter Bogdanovich's masterpiece. Since this is the only film of his I've seen, I can't verify that statement for sure, but I did really like it. The story is that of a coming of age tale set in small town Texas during the 1950s. The town is a boring and isolated place, where there's really not a whole lot to do, and, even though everyone knows (or seems to know) everyone else's business, there's a lot of iffy stuff going on. The people (especially the youth) are bored, preoccupied with sex, and dying to get the Hell out of town and to some place better ASAP. The film was shot like, and has the look of a film from the 1950s. Aside from some of the content (mostly nudity), this could pass for a 1950s film as well. The landscape are suitably bleak, and everything looks simultaneously stark and beautiful thansk to being shot in black and white. The music is made up entirely of popular stuff, almost all country, and that's just fine. The performances are areally good. Jeff Bridges is fun to watch, and Cybil Shepherd, despite being an angsty tart (hell, everyone is angsty, dissatisfied, and messed up) gives a decent performance as well, and looks quite stunning (naked or otherwise) in just about every scene. Leachman and Bustyn are also quite good. Bottoms is the lead, and he's good, but it was hard for me to get into him as much as the others. For a film about boredom, and the slow rotting effects of it, maybe it's not a surprise that this is also itself a little boring and tedious at times. Not so much so that it truly takes away from things, but it is something to note. Maybe they just need to slightly tighten thigns up here and there. I was watching the Director's Cut though, so maybe that has something to do with it. Though this film is not a part of the time period it depicts, it fits in perfectly with the time period it was made. Maybe that's one of the many reasons I liked it. I love that era of cinema, so I'm automatically sorta biased. Despite that though, I still really dig this. It's not something I wanna watch all the time, but it looks great, the style and formal elements are cool and well done, and I can relate in some ways to the characters and story. Hats off.

• Reid V

  
  A tender yet melancholy coming of age film that looks at the erosion of the American ideal. Set in 1951 and presented in black and white, this film provided viewers with a nostalgic look back into the recent past. A time that was supposed to be wholly unlike the early 1970s of… More
  A tender yet melancholy coming of age film that looks at the erosion of the American ideal. Set in 1951 and presented in black and white, this film provided viewers with a nostalgic look back into the recent past. A time that was supposed to be wholly unlike the early 1970s of America, which was still digesting the uncivil wars of the late 1960s and the subsequent final push of the Vietnam war. Yet, rather than provide viewers with an escape, Bogdanovich strips away the veneer of the tranquil & genteel past and shows viewers instead that, as the tagline suggests, "nothing much has changed." The film shows that even in the 1950s, when America was held together (albeit forcefully) by the spectre of Communism, people felt lost. Some dealt with it through sexual experimentation, escapism, and even going off to fight in an unpopular war. Bogdanovich brilliantly captures this stigma of a wayward national identity. The director also gets brilliant performances out of this young but adroit cast. His camera is seldom invasive and mostly sits back and lets the bucolic pandemonium unfold in the characters eyes. It is a subtle film, but it has a lot to say and says it well. My only regret is that I was not alive to see the premiere of this film.

• Jennifer X

  
  Seeing breasts on camera always unsettles me. This is like American Graffiti but in an alternate universe, where everything goes to crap.

• Conner R

  
  When it comes to ensemble teen period movies, you rarely hear of this. Unlike American Graffiti and Dazed & Confused, this is critical of the time period and setting as much as it is being nostalgic about it. The characters are a little bit more odd and unforgiving than normally… More
  When it comes to ensemble teen period movies, you rarely hear of this. Unlike American Graffiti and Dazed & Confused, this is critical of the time period and setting as much as it is being nostalgic about it. The characters are a little bit more odd and unforgiving than normally expected and the story itself is a lot more tied up in sexuality and self identity rather than the classic set-up of parties and drugs. This really accomplished the feeling of a small town where everyone knows each other's business. If you're looking for star studded casts, they don't come any better than this. The cast contains some of the best that the late 70s/early 60s had to offer. Jeff Bridges and Timothy Bottoms are great at playing straight men in a town full of whacko's like Cybill Shephard and Ellen Burstyn as the mother/daughter duo from hell. It's a landmark in the genre and still one of the best.

• Michael S

  
  Probably the quintessential teen film. Classic.

• Dan S

  
  An appropriately dark, downbeat story concerning a dead-end town in Texas and how the lives of those that reside there intersect in various ways. This thing could have run off the rails, shifted into super melodramatic mode, and become something ultimately distasteful, but due to firm… More
  An appropriately dark, downbeat story concerning a dead-end town in Texas and how the lives of those that reside there intersect in various ways. This thing could have run off the rails, shifted into super melodramatic mode, and become something ultimately distasteful, but due to firm direction by Peter Bogdanovich and a number of stellar performances (especially Cloris Leachman as a lonely housewife), this film stays compelling throughout its many turns. It is not a fun movie to watch per say, but in terms of all those films stripping down the nice American towns and showing the ugly secrets that lie within (like "American Beauty", "The Ice Storm", and "Blue Velvet), this one is the cream of the crop. It has a lot to say about the evolution (or de-evolution) of society, as well as importance of feeling significant in the world despite living in a very remote region. A sure classic, and one that should absolutely be seen by anyone who treasures dramas.

• AJ V

  
  I should re-watch this movie, I only saw the beginning, and I got bored with it so I didn't see the rest, but I'll give it another try.

• Jim H

  
  "He was sweeping you sons of bitches!" If the people of small town Texas are really having this much sex, then I'm hanging out in all the wrong places. And I'm going to show this to any student who tells me that teenage, premarital sex is a new problem; this movie… More
  "He was sweeping you sons of bitches!" If the people of small town Texas are really having this much sex, then I'm hanging out in all the wrong places. And I'm going to show this to any student who tells me that teenage, premarital sex is a new problem; this movie takes place in the 1950s and was made in 1971. This is a truly masterful film in every way. From the first frame to the last, I thought, "This is how it's done. This is how exposition is done. This is how sex scenes are done tastefully and artistically. This is how character development is done. This is <i>acting</i>." The first shot is a slow fade in, and we see a desolate, dusty town in a slight low angle. Immediately, we understand the mood of the place: it is a town where life has stopped. There are no clocks in the first shot; who needs them? For the rest of the film, we remember the low angle. The film keeps looking up to these characters, even as they deserve it less and less. Within the first fifteen minutes, everything is established. We know the precocious town flirt, flawlessly played by Cybill Shepherd in her first film role. We know the sagacious heart and conscience of the film, Sam the Lion, who dispenses criticisms about football and the boys' mistreatment of the town mute with the same hopeless passion. We know that this film is going to be about sexual exploration, as the two male protagonists, Duane and Sonny, move the back of the only movie theater with their girlfriends. And why does the film look up to these characters? Because in a town like this - in a town in which they cannot stay and from which they cannot leave - the only real act left to them is to break as many rules as they can. And the film follows their paths from broken, worthless innocence to plain old broken worthlessness and perhaps to some weak redemption. I also have to compliment the accuracy of its depictions of Texas. Everything is here: the "y'alls," the over-whelming state pride, the love-hate relationship with the rest of the U.S. in general and nearby cities in particular. Overall, this is one of the best films I've seen recently.

• Jon L

  
  Elements of this film were 4 stars. It had great sets and acting and music and made me feel like I was transported in that era more than any other film, but I thought the movie as a whole, combining all those good elements just didn't cut it. I see what the story was taking… More
  Elements of this film were 4 stars. It had great sets and acting and music and made me feel like I was transported in that era more than any other film, but I thought the movie as a whole, combining all those good elements just didn't cut it. I see what the story was taking me through and what it wanted to show me, but it left something to be desired at the end and I was sort of glad it was over. Maybe I just didn't get the story, but I found it was too minimalistic for me and I would find hard watching a second time, much like I did the first time. I do recommend the film if you would like to see some great, talented actors just getting their start in Hollywood as young adults, but I unfortunately can't recommend this being a good 2 hours of time well spent.

• Daniel P

  
  A great movie that I could really relate to, about what it means to grow up in a small town filled with two kinds of people: haves and have-nots. This is a career defining performance from Jeff Bridges, and as a big Springsteen fan I had to laugh at how many times Timothy… More
  A great movie that I could really relate to, about what it means to grow up in a small town filled with two kinds of people: haves and have-nots. This is a career defining performance from Jeff Bridges, and as a big Springsteen fan I had to laugh at how many times Timothy Bottoms' character looked just the cover photo on The River. I'd bet the Boss took at least a little inspiration from this film... . ...at it's core, though, The Last Picture Show is a coming of age story filled with love triangles, some of them more dramatic than others. It comes off as a bit stagey and dated by today's standards, and in a way it's too dark, too melodramatic, to really sink your teeth into. This film is intense, and it's made from dark places in the human spirit. That said, every minute of it feels like a classic. It's something everyone should see once. Like The Deer Hunter, watching it any more often than that might just break a man.

• Steven C

  
  Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" is a tale of sexual warfare in the 50s. It has biting humor, dark characterizations and layered performances. The beautiful black and white cinematography adds so much to the dank proceedings. A loving tribute to John Ford.… More
  Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" is a tale of sexual warfare in the 50s. It has biting humor, dark characterizations and layered performances. The beautiful black and white cinematography adds so much to the dank proceedings. A loving tribute to John Ford. ("The Last Picture Show" is kinda like what would happen if Bret Easton Ellis wrote in the 50s)

• Jennifer D

  
  How have I not rated this before?! I LOVE this movie. I bizarre, but innocent little snap shot in the process of the loss of innocence and the growth of the world. Not an easy movie to watch all the time, but nonetheless an undisputed classic!

• William S

  
  Cloris Leachman's crumpled and forgotten (childless?) housewife steals the show from her adolescent co-stars. Ruth's criminal neglect breaks my heart like that other great 'older woman' - Simone Signoret in 'Room at the Top'. The difference here being… More
  Cloris Leachman's crumpled and forgotten (childless?) housewife steals the show from her adolescent co-stars. Ruth's criminal neglect breaks my heart like that other great 'older woman' - Simone Signoret in 'Room at the Top'. The difference here being that at least poor Ruth gets to vent her rage ("Why am I always apologising to you?!") in the film's emotional climax. But her short-lived anger dissipates into devastating silence, where the real tragedy is revealed to us in all it's desolation with just looks, the caressing of hands and the simple act of turning down a shirt collar.

• Randy T

  
  This just might be the most well-crafted teen angst film ever made. Perfectly cast. *NOTE: Deserving of it's "R" rating, not for the youngsters.

• Nicki M

  
  Interesting. I liked how it was shot in black and white - gave it a bit more of an edge. Cybill Shepherd was also very impressive in this. I think it is a film you would need to watch a few times as I couldn't quite follow who some of the characters were (or maybe that's… More
  Interesting. I liked how it was shot in black and white - gave it a bit more of an edge. Cybill Shepherd was also very impressive in this. I think it is a film you would need to watch a few times as I couldn't quite follow who some of the characters were (or maybe that's just lack of attention span on my part!),

• Saskia D

  
  Although the description might sound boring, this is actually a very nice and fresh (for lack of a better word) movie. Not only the young Cybill Shepherd, Jeff Bridges and Tymothy Bottoms are a joy to watch, the 'older' women (Ellen Burstyn and Cloris Leachman) complete it.… More
  Although the description might sound boring, this is actually a very nice and fresh (for lack of a better word) movie. Not only the young Cybill Shepherd, Jeff Bridges and Tymothy Bottoms are a joy to watch, the 'older' women (Ellen Burstyn and Cloris Leachman) complete it. <div style="width:266px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/cloris-leachman-the-last-picture-show-cloris-leachman-as-ruth-popper-in-the-last-picture-show-1971-10808611"><img src="http://content9.flixster.com/photo/10/80/86/10808611_gal.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com">

• Ken S

  
  Easily goes toe to toe with Dazed and Confused as the best high school film

• Tim S

  
  I know, I know, I probably should have seen this movie a long time ago and the fact that I am just getting around to it is pretty pathetic, but when your first Bogdanovich experience is Noises Off, you kind of wonder what the big deal is about the guy. Now I know. Bridges, Bottoms,… More
  I know, I know, I probably should have seen this movie a long time ago and the fact that I am just getting around to it is pretty pathetic, but when your first Bogdanovich experience is Noises Off, you kind of wonder what the big deal is about the guy. Now I know. Bridges, Bottoms, Leachman, Burstyn (she is hotter than I have ever seen her here), and Shepherd (good, but mainly in this group because she is absolutely gorgeous) are all great, but again one of the side characters played by Ben Johnson really floored me. I think they could have made a whole movie about him. It was a lot darker than I expected and the sexuality in the film also surprised me, but I guess that's why it was so "controversial" at the time. Either way, really liked it and loved the way it was shot. Too bad there are not more modern filmmakers who appreciate black and white.

• Chris G

  
  The Last Picture Show is Peter Bogdonavich's adaptation of Larry McMurtry's novel about life in a small, dried up Texas town in the 1950's. Sam the Lion (Ben Johnson) is the pulse of the town of Anarene, owning the pool hall, the diner, and the picture show as he… More
  The Last Picture Show is Peter Bogdonavich's adaptation of Larry McMurtry's novel about life in a small, dried up Texas town in the 1950's. Sam the Lion (Ben Johnson) is the pulse of the town of Anarene, owning the pool hall, the diner, and the picture show as he bestows fatherly advice on a group of young men who don't seem to have any fathers (none that are of importance enough to appear on screen anyway). If Sam is the center of town then Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) is the focus of the film as he goes through the trials of becoming a man in a town that should have an obituary written for it on its welcome sign. But then you have Duane (Jeff Bridges) who is set to marry his girlfriend Jacy (Cybil Shepherd)whom he believes he was meant to be with only to lose her and end up losing everything he actually cared about in town. Jacy's life isn't a picnic either as she watches her mother whore it up, encouraging her to do the same. This isn't the Donna Reed show or any kind of nostalgic ride back to the 1950's. The Last Picture Show is like the American Grafitti of the poor, middle American kids who could afford the suped up cars that Lucas' creation drove up and down the street all night. These kids had more problems than the adults and no real way to get out of them. The director using black and white only adds to the blah despair of what life was like in this sleepy Texas town. This is a film where you actually feel for all the characters and you just want them to get out of that dreadful town, but it was never meant to be. The Last Picture show is a piece of Americana, painting a picture that the 1950's wasn't the poodle skirt parade that has been depicted adnauseum for all these years.

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