Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 American drama film based on the 1965 novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. The film was written by Waldo Salt, directed by John Schlesinger, and stars Jon Voight alongside Dustin Hoffman as the two protagonists.

Synopsis
The film is centered around Texan migrant Joe Buck (Voight) as he tries to live in New York City. It is also the protagonist by Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo (Hoffman), a street con man who lives with Buck and befriends him.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Great acting, especially from Voight and Hoffman
 * 2) It has a very realistic depiction of lowlife in New York
 * 3) Very good character development. This is more evident when comparing Joe's reactions when not being paid.
 * 4) The famous "I'm walkin' here!" scene, which accidentally happened when a taxist, unaware of a film taking place, nearly hit Dustin Hoffman. To avoid ruining the take, he improvised this line.
 * 5) It has the awesome song Everybody's Talkin' At Me by Harry Nilsson.
 * 6) Some funny moments, like the cinema scene.

Reception
The movie was well received by critics and audiences alike, grossing $11 million in rentals at the North American box office and winning three Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay). undefined

Critics particularly praised the acting performances of the protaginist duo, which keeps the viewer interested in the movie despite the disturbing (but accurate) representation of the urban american's low society.

Midnight Cowboy has a RottenTomatoes average critic rating of 8.2/10.

Trivia

 * According to actor Dustin Hoffman, he improvised the iconic line "I'm walking here!". The spontaneous outburst was the result of his anger at a taxi that had interrupted an otherwise perfect take. Hoffman chose to stay in character during the interaction, and director John Schlesinger loved it so much he kept it in the film.
 * For its depiction of adult themes, MIDNIGHT COWBOY was rated 'X" (banning viewers under the age of 17) by the Motion Picture Association of America. The organization had initially offered an R-rating, but the studio had opted for the X-rating in an effort to present the film to the public in a responsible manner.
 * Midnight Cowboy was the first X-rated picture to earn recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences earning seven Academy Award* nominations - including Best Actor for both Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, Best Supporting Actress for Sylvia Miles and Best Editing for Hugh A. Robertson. It took home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (John Schlesinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Waldo Salt).

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