
based on the 1965
novel of the same name
by James Leo Herlihy
. It was written by Waldo Salt
, directed by John Schlesinger
, and stars Dustin Hoffman
and newcomer Jon Voight
in the title role. Notable smaller roles are filled by Sylvia Miles
, John McGiver
, Brenda Vaccaro
, Bob Balaban
, Jennifer Salt
and Barnard Hughes
; M. Emmet Walsh
is an uncredited, pre-fame extra.
The film won three Academy Awards: Best Picture
, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It is the only X rated film ever to win Best Picture.
A young Texan
named Joe Buck (Jon Voight
) works as a dishwasher in a diner.
You know what you can do with them dishes. And if you ain't man enough to do it for yourself, I'd be happy to oblige. I really would.
Lotta rich women back there, Ralph, begging for it, paying for it, too...and the men - they're mostly tutti fruttis. So I'm gonna cash in on some of that, right?...Hell, what do I got to stay around here for? I got places to go, right?
Well, sir, I ain't a for-real cowboy. But I am one helluva stud.
[to himself, in the mirror] You know what you gotta do cowboy.
[to Ratso] You want me to stay here. You're after somethin'. What are you after? You don't look like a fag.
We ain't gonna have to steal no more, that's what I'm tryin' to tell ya. I've got eight bucks in my damn pockets, twenty more come Thursday, boy. We're gonna be ridin' easy before very long, I'm gonna tell ya. She went crazy if you want to know the damn truth of it...She turned into a damn alley cat.
Yours was the only one left with a palm tree on it. The clothes are damn cheap here too, you know that?
Everything we got only set us back ten and some... Hey you know, Ratso. Rico, I mean. I got this damn thing all figured out. When we get to Miami, what we'll do is get some sort of job, you know. Cause hell, I ain't no kind of hustler. I mean, there must be an easier way of makin' a living than that. Some sort of outdoors work. What do ya think? Yeah, that's what I'll do. OK Rico? Rico? Rico? Hey, Rico? Rico?
[to Joe] Terrific shirt.
I'm walkin' here! I'm walkin' here! [bangs hand on car] Actually, that ain't a bad way to pick up insurance, you know.