Drugstore Cowboy

After the critical acclaim of his extremely low budget, and very rarely seen, film Mala Noche (which isn't listed in the epinions database, but which should soon, as it will finally be released on video - and having seen it myself, I can vouch for its gritty and powerful storytelling), Gus Van Sant was in position to direct his very first "real" film. No offense intended towards his earlier work (including several excellent short films), but it was Drugstore Cowboy that truly provided Van Sant's first exposure to much of the mainstream film world.

The film itself is an adaption of an unpublished, purportedly auto-biographical novel by James Fogle. Fiercly independent in nearly every way, Drugstore Cowboy still manages to be much more cohesive than the two films that would follow it (My Own Private Idaho and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues respectively). The film centers around a tight-knit group of four who function quite like a dysfunctional family - only this family is comprised entirely of addicts who get their drugs by ripping off drugstore pharmacies in rather clever, dangerous fashion.

The group has its leader/father (Matt Dillon) as all groups must, who does his best to keep everyone together despite often becoming out of control himself. His partner - and love interest (Kelly Lynch) - stays by his side through thick and thin, to a point, and serves as both enabler and addict. The remaining group is filled out by the duo's sidekick (a fresh-faced James Legros) and his barely legal girlfriend (Heather Graham, in one of her first roles, preceded, of course, by the hit Feldman/Haim movie, License to Drive). The only other character to emerge (discounting the many people that pop up for only a scene or two during the film) is an ex-junkie preacher, played disarmingly brilliant by the legendary beat author, William S. Burroughs. Van Sant has noted many times his admiration and adoration of Burroughs, a homosexual ex-junkie best known for his cult novel, Naked Lunch (itself filmed in the early 1990's by David Croenberg). Thus, it's a great pleasure to see Burroughs in the latter half of the movie (and near the end of his life) embodying a character so completely that you almost wonder if he could have had a separate career as an actor himself.

Drugstore Cowboy is, above all, an intelligent and well-made film. Despite his relative lack of experience in 'mainstream' film, Van Sant demonstrates that he very clearly knows how to tell a story (he also wrote the film). As writer/director, Van Sant captures these characters and their lives with remarkable honesty and ability -- and what's more, he's able to portray them without judging them or preaching to his audience. Though the ultimate message of the film centers around the horrors of drugs and how they can destroy you, Van Sant allows us to come to that conclusion on our own, refusing to throw it in our face. His visuals (especially during the drug scenes) are often very unique, and must be seen rather than explained. However, he is wise to not go over the top with the drug induced hallucinations (the polar opposite of Gilliam's rather recent Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas).

The result of all this effort? An intelligent, exciting exploration of a lifestyle many of us will never experience first hand. And it was indeed quite an achievement for a basically unknown director to burst out of the gates with a film so good (it was very well-received critically, though it took audiences a bit longer to find it). What perhaps makes me happiest about this filmm, though, is that the overwhelming critical success of the film allowed Van Sant to make his next, and most personal film to date, My Own Private Idaho - which just so happens to be one of my favorite movies of all-timeUnforunately, there are very few sites featuring anything on Drugstore Cowboy, so i'm not really able to provide links to other sources. However, if you know of any, please email me (cperman12@hotmail.com).

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