I’m not sure if Drugstore Cowboy hasn’t aged well or if it just wasn’t what I was in the mood for. Either way, I didn’t really enjoy the film. I’ll say I was extremely distracted during large portions of the film, but it never pulled me in. While Gus Van Sant has done some great work and this movie seems to be well regarded, it didn’t work for me. I give Drugstore Cowboy the Not a Total Waste of Time rating.
Drugstore Cowboy didn’t do much for me
Bob (Matt Dillon) and his wife Dianne (Kelly Lynch) are dope fiends who rob pharmacies to feed their habit. The police are on their trail and are forced to take their friend Rick (James Le Gros) and go on the road to evade the law.
The film is heavily focused on Bob. Matt Dillon is very much who he often plays. A lovable bad guy who is street smart and savvy. However, he often makes bad decisions and can be a bit of a jerk. His interactions with Nadine (Heather Graham) really demonstrate how he can be insensitive. She’s a new member to the crew who is dating Rick now. His treatment of her throughout the film culminates in her character’s outcome. She seems to be trying to find her place within the group while also dealing with her existing beliefs.
My favorite sequence is when Bob outsmarts the cops. They’re staking out his house trying to find where he is keeping the drugs. He sets up a situation where they end up on a ladder at his neighbor’s house. He had earlier informed his neighbor that he’d seen a pervert looking through his window. The neighbor ends up shooting the cop as a result of the plans that Bob laid out.
It’s likely that if I’d gone into this film I wouldn’t have found it so bad. However, it’s set in the early 70’s and film in 89. The story didn’t really pull me in, but there was nothing inherently bad. It’s just a film that I never heard of and, having seen it, don’t feel very compelled to watch again.
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