Midnight Cowboy
Midnight Cowboy (in Spain, Cowboy de medianoche; in Mexico, Midnight Cowboy; in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela Lost in the Night) is a 1969 American drama film directed by John Schlesinger and starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman.
Based on the 1965 novel of the same name written by James Leo Herlihy, the film recounts, in an acid and stark way, the friendship of two outsiders trying to survive in New York: the naive gigolo Joe Buck (Voight) and the con man sick "Ratso" Rizzo (Hoffmann). The soundtrack includes the song "Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson.
The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning three: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
In 1994 the film was deemed "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Plot
Naive young Texan Joe Buck quits his job as a dishwasher and heads to New York City. There he tries to work as a gigolo seducing mature women from Manhattan. But, what seemed to be a life of pleasure soon discovers that said world is not as he imagined. He is conned by Rico & # 34;Ratso & # 34; Rizzo, a tubercular con man who dreams of easy money. When Joe finds himself in dire straits, Ratso takes Joe to his doomed apartment and they come together in misery in order to best survive.
Cast
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Jon Voight | Joe Buck |
| Dustin Hoffman | Enrico Salvatore "Ratso" Rizzo |
| Sylvia Miles | Cass |
| John McGiver | Mr. O'Daniel |
| Brenda Vaccaro | Shirley |
| Barnard Hughes | Towny |
| Ruth White | Sally Buck |
| Jennifer Salt | Crazy Annie |
| Gilman Rankin | Woodsy Niles |
| Georgann Johnson | Rich woman |
| Anthony Holland | Bishop of TV |
| Bob Balaban | Young student |
Awards
Oscars
At the 42nd Academy Awards, the film was nominated for seven categories and won three. Midnight Cowboy is the only X-rated film to win an Oscar for Best Picture (although that classification is no longer exists).
| Year | Category | Receptor | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Best movie | Jerome Hellman | Winner |
| Best director | John Schlesinger | Winner | |
| Best actor | Dustin Hoffman | Candidate | |
| Best actor | Jon Voight | Candidate | |
| Best cast actress | Sylvia Miles | Candidate | |
| Best adapted script | Waldo Salt | Winner | |
| Better assembly | Hugh A. Robertson | Candidate |
Golden Globe Awards
| Year | Category | Receptor | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Best dramatic film | Jerome Hellman | Candidate |
| Best director | John Schlesinger | Candidate | |
| Best actor - Drama | Dustin Hoffman | Candidate | |
| Best actor - Drama | Jon Voight | Candidate | |
| Best cast actress | Brenda Vaccaro | Candidate | |
| New star of the year - Actor | Jon Voight | Winner | |
| Better script | Waldo Salt | Candidate |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Category | Receptor | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Best dramatic film | Jerome Hellman | Winner |
| Best director | John Schlesinger | Winner | |
| Best actor | Dustin Hoffman | Winner | |
| Better promise | Jon Voight | Winner | |
| Better script | Waldo Salt | Winner | |
| Better assembly | Hugh A. Robertson | Winner |
Other awards
- Berlin International Film Festival
- Gold Bear (John Schlesinger) — Nominee
- OCIC Award — Winner
David de Donatello Awards
- Best Foreign Director (John Schlesinger) — Winner
- Best foreign actor (Dustin Hoffman) — Winner
National Board of Review
- 10 Most High Films — Winner
New York Film Critics Circle
- Best actor (Jon Voight) — Winner
- Best actor (Dustin Hoffman) — 2nd place
- Best Dealer (Dustin Hoffman) — 3.♪ place
American Film Institute
The film is recognized by the American Film Institute on these lists:
- 1998: AFI's 100 years... 100 films – #36
- 2006: AFI's 100 years... 100 films (tenth anniversary edition) – #43