Review of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1994) by Sibusiso Y — 02 Sep 2011
After Gus Van Sant found success with My Own Private Idaho (1991), New Line Cinema gave him freedom to do whatever he wanted for a follow-up. However, he went for a 1976 novel by Tom Robbins that had been branded as unfilmable.
However, Van Sant wanted to prove everyone wrong. He had something to prove alright, but the film is a confusing, dull mess. Set in the 1970's, it has model Sissy Hankshaw (Uma Thurman), with a mutation that has given her gigantic thumbs.
She uses the thumbs to hitch-hike across America. However, she gets a job through her friend friend The Countess (John Hurt, like Quentin Crisp crossed with Julian Clary), which takes her to a ranch out in California to film a commercial amid a load of mating whooping cranes.
However, at the ranch, Sissy befriends Bonanza Jellybean (Rain Phoenix), who leads a rebellion against the the management, and take over the ranch, that's when the police come in, and Sissy has second thoughts about her giant thumbs.
Alot of the film doesn't make sense, and it seems Van Sant bit off more than he could chew with this one, (it was delayed for a year after abysmal advance screenings, so it was re-edited to heck).
Despite having a brilliant score by k.d. lang, the film is colourful but cold, and even it's cast including Pat Morita, Keanu Reeves, Grace Zabriskie, Roseanne Arnold, Heather Graham, Udo Kier, Ed Begley, Jr.
, Sean Young, Buck Henry, Carol Kane and Crispin Glover can't save it. Van Sant was cautious after this.
This review of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1994) was written by Sibusiso Y on 02 Sep 2011.
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues has generally received mixed reviews.
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