The Last Picture Show

Starring: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman, Ellen Burstyn, Eileen Brennan, Sam Bottoms, Randy Quaid
Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1971

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A small rural town in Texas in 1951 is slowly dying, and two best friends (Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges) are faced with confronting the end of high school and the uncertain future that awaits them.

Review:

Tim: The Last Picture Show is a film that harkens back to a simpler time. The film takes place in 1951, and everything about the movie puts you in that timeframe. The film is shot in black and white, the only music comes from actual sources, like jukeboxes and radios. The film is a slow, beautiful character study. This movie really transports you to a different time and place. For these reasons and many others, this is rightly considered a classic.

This film is beautifully shot, and that is one of the most important elements of it. The decision to shoot in black and white was brilliant, and really adds so much atmosphere and gravitas to the film. You really feel the town dying all around you, as the hopes and dreams of many of the residents die with it. The film is striking and memorable in a very visual sense.

And yet, the film's greatest attribute is the cast and the stunning performances they give. Timothy Bottoms is very good in the lead role of Sonny. I thought he gave a convincing, emotional performance that really made the movie. And yet, unfortunately for him, he is overshadowed a bit by his costars. Interestingly, four of the supporting actors all received Academy Award nominations, with two of them taking home the award. Ben Johnson is terrific as Sam the Lion. He brings so much experience and world-weariness to the role, while also conveying a great deal of heart. His scenes with Bottoms are some of the best of the entire film. He makes you care about his character and the film with his performance. He rightly won Best Supporting Actor. Cloris Leachman won the Best Supporting Actress award, and she is very deserving as well. Leachman was fantastic on screen, giving an emotional, unforgettable performance. There was so much sadness in her character, but also a great deal of untapped strength. She was occasionally mesmerizing, and added great depth to the film. I really enjoyed her performance quite a bit.

These two victors took away Academy Awards from their costars, who were also deserving of praise. Jeff Bridges, in an early role, is quite good as Duane Jackson. He gives a convincing performance, and you can tell he has future greatness in him. I believe he was still very young and raw here, and that shows up a bit in the performance. I was glad he was nominated for an Oscar, but I agree that he wasn't ready to win it yet. Ellen Burstyn was also excellent. I believe she would have had a more compelling case for Best Supporting Actress, but Leachman had a meatier role. Still, Burstyn added a great deal to the film in her own way. I couldn't take my eyes off her in this film- that is the mark of someone giving a realistic, impressive performance. I also really enjoyed Cybill Shepherd in her acting debut. She was obviously very inexperienced, but that only rarely showed up on screen. She embodied that girl everyone knew in high school, and drew attention to herself throughout the film. She held her own against some terrific performances. I thought she was very, very good here.

The performances set this movie apart, but equally as important, this film was actually about something. This movie was about the quieter, simpler time of the early 1950s. It is about innocence lost, about that time in life where you are old enough to be confronted with real problems, yet not quite old enough to know exactly how to handle them. It is about sex, betrayal, friendship, and forgiveness. This is a movie that makes you think about your own life, and the missteps you might have made in your youth. This is a film about endings, but also the hint of new beginnings. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and getting to know these beautiful, flawed characters. This is a great movie, and easily one of the best of the 1970s.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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