Genre: Drama Director(s): Peter Bogdanovich Release Date: 01 January 1971 Movie rating: 8.1

“The Last Picture Show” is a coming of age drama directed by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from a novel of the same name written by Larry McMurtry. It features an ensemble cast of actors, including Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Ben Johnson, Ellen Burstyn and Cloris Leachman. It was filmed in black and white, highly unusual for its time. Sonny Crawford (Bottoms) and Duane Jackson (Bridges) two best friends in small town Texas coming out of high schools and getting their first taste of adult life. Duane is dating Jacy (Cybill Shepherd in her film debut), the town’s prettiest and wealthiest girl, while Sonny has just broken up with his girlfriend and started a relationship with Ruth, a depressed middle aged wife of his high school coach. Jacy, who is looking for an upgrade over Duane, tries to seduce a wealthy young man Bobby Sheen (Gary Brockette), who rebuffs due to her lack of sexual experience. Sonny, Duane and a group of boys take their mentally disabled friend to a prostitute so he could lose his virginity, but everything goes wrong when he ejaculates prematurely, which puts sonny at odds with Sam “the Lion”, a local cinema owner who bans him from his pool hall, cinema and café. However, Sonny later proves to Sam his affection for Billy and endears himself to him. Off screen, Sonny and Duane go to Mexico over a weekend and come back to find out that Sam has died of a stroke and left the pool hall to Sonny. On the other front, Jacy is in a rush to lose her virginity and visits a motel with Duane, and then dumps him the day after they’ve had sex. Eventually she hooks up with Sonny, which enrages Duane.

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