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Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

R Released May 20, 1994 1h 46m Fantasy List
17% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 28% Audience Score 5,000+ Ratings
A beautiful young woman with unusually big thumbs, Sissy Hankshaw (Uma Thurman) decides, fittingly enough, to become a hitchhiker. After finding work as a model for feminine products, Sissy goes to shoot an ad at the Rubber Rose, a ranch owned by the Countess (John Hurt), the company's flamboyant cross-dressing head. While at the ranch, Sissy meets numerous other eccentric characters, including an outgoing and rebellious cowgirl named Bonanza Jellybean (Rain Phoenix). Read More Read Less

Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Gus Van Sant adapts Tom Robbins's comic, countercultural novel of the 70s... and while the results are both cheerful and occasionally inventive, they can't hold a candle to his previous features. Dec 10, 2018 Full Review Colette Maude Empire Magazine Unlike the book, which retains some humanity amid philosophical digressions and flowery dialogue, Van Sant's film is cold and the gallery of eccentrics merely come across as vulgar caricatures. Rated: 1/5 Dec 10, 2018 Full Review Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times Though the director's sensibility worked extraordinarily well when applied to hard-edged subject matter like "Drugstore Cowboy" and even "My Own Private Idaho," combining it with Robbins' flimsy jokiness has resulted in a film whose tedium is painful. Dec 10, 2018 Full Review Steve Warren Southern Voice (Atlanta) None of the characters or plot elements is sufficiently developed. Even readers of the book may be as confused as they are disappointed. May 9, 2023 Full Review Lawrence Frascella The Advocate You can watch this entire film hunting for its core, but you won't find it, either in Van Sant's shaky themes or in Uma Thurman's drab, self-involved lead performance. Apr 18, 2022 Full Review Jas Keimig The Stranger (Seattle, WA) ...like a pesky sauce, the ingredients of this film frequently break from each other, creating a dissatisfying viewing experience... Dec 8, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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rob d A bunch of bizarre details in search of an engaging story. The source material is not done justice here. A glib, tossed off outline of a movie. A disappointment after My Own Private Idaho and Drugstore Cowboy. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/29/24 Full Review Audience Member This is an epic cinematic error. The frustrating thing is that this should have been a great movie. Instead it is painfully bad on all counts. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member That's so funny. This Is my all time favorite movie. I had no idea it got bad reviews. I think it's incredibly original, it's racey, it's sexy, errrrotic, political, liberal, thought provoking . The acting is great, kinda cheesy, but hilarious and perfect. Great cast, great soundtrack kd Lang. I don't find it boring at all. I have fantasies of being sissy hankshaw, what a life. I love love love this movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie is the worst I heve ever seen, in fact, it almost killed me it was so bad. I made a youTube review explaining how it almost killed me . http://youtu.be/Y4VqXl0BOGM Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!! too good to be true, AN UMA THURMAN LESBIAN MOVIE! One that emphasizes her exotic looking hand shots(to freakish extremes!) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Aimless and pretentious, Gus Van Sant's "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" is a pathetic adaptation of a rather mediocre book. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

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Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A beautiful young woman with unusually big thumbs, Sissy Hankshaw (Uma Thurman) decides, fittingly enough, to become a hitchhiker. After finding work as a model for feminine products, Sissy goes to shoot an ad at the Rubber Rose, a ranch owned by the Countess (John Hurt), the company's flamboyant cross-dressing head. While at the ranch, Sissy meets numerous other eccentric characters, including an outgoing and rebellious cowgirl named Bonanza Jellybean (Rain Phoenix).
Director
Gus Van Sant
Producer
Laurie Parker
Screenwriter
Gus Van Sant, Tom Robbins
Distributor
Fine Line Features, New Line Home Video [us], Laurenfilm S.A.
Production Co
New Line Cinema, Fourth Vision
Rating
R
Genre
Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 20, 1994, Wide
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 24, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.7M
Runtime
1h 46m
Sound Mix
Dolby, Stereo