Midnight Cowboy (1969)

I'm writing this post under the assumption that most people reading this blog have already seen Midnight Cowboy, which is now widely considered classic. Although most of our readers have probably seen it, this post is to urge those who haven't to do so in the near future. All of it's praise since 1969 is well deserved. The film's two main characters are Joe Buck (Jon Voight) and Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman). Dustin Hoffman's character name has to be the inspiration for Rizzo the Rat, the muppet storyteller from A Muppet's Christmas Carol. There is no question in my mind about this.

I'm going to say that this is one of the best, if not the best role Dustin Hoffman has ever played. His roles in The Graduate and Rainman give it a run for it's money, but his portrayal of Ratso is top-notch acting. I don't want to give away too much by revealing the plot of this movie. A very very basic overview is this: Joe Buck quits his job as a dishwasher in Texas, dresses up like a cowboy, and moves to New York City. As his money disappears upon his arrival to New York (funny how this happens) he turns to male "escorting" (?) (how else do I say this) as a means to make money. Enter Ratso who cons him out of $20 and disappears. Joe Buck later sees Ratso in a diner and takes whatever money he has on him, but Ratso offers to help Joe by letting him stay in his apartment, which happens to be in an abandoned building. The bulk of Midnight Cowboy centers around the bond of these two characters, and their dependency on one another. On a scale of one to ten, it is definitely among the best movies I've seen. Megan hit the nail on the head with this one. There is a full plot synopsis over at Wikipedia, but if you haven't seen the movie you definitely shouldn't read it. It gives away everything. I'm serious. Don't read it.

Initially rated X for some scenes that were pretty risque in the late 60's, it is the only X-rated film to ever receive an Academy Award. Soon after it's release the film was re-submitting for rating and was lower to a more standard R. Here is a trailor, in case you aren't convinced. The ending scene in the trailor, where Dustin Hoffman says "I'm walkin' here" is a classic among classics. Enjoy!