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Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

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Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

R

Released May 20, 1994

1h 46m

Fantasy

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Popcornmeter

17%

Tomatometer

29 Reviews

28%

Popcornmeter

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).

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Gus Van Sant

Director

Uma Thurman

Sissy Hankshaw

John Hurt

The Countess

Rain Phoenix

Bonanza Jellybean

Lorraine Bracco

Delores Del Ruby

Angie Dickinson

Miss Adrian

Johnny Suede

27%

47%

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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
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