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Plot

The operative word in Drugstore Cowboy is "drug". Matt Dillon plays the leader of a group of dopeheads who wander around the country robbing pharmacies to feed their habits. Dillon's chums include doltish James Le Gros and teen-age junkie Heather Graham; also along for the ride is Dillon's wife Kelly Lynch. Their nemesis is cop James Remar, whom Dillon takes perverse delight in humiliating. When one of the young addicts dies of an overdose, it promps Dillon to try to go straight, a task complicated by wife Lynch's determination to stay high and by the corrupting presence of an ex-priest, played by Naked Lunch author William Burroughs. Drugstore Cowboy was director Gus Van Sant's breakthrough picture.
MPAA Rating:
R
Genre(s):
Drama,Foreign
Run Time:
100min.
Theatrical Release Date:
10/11/1989
DVD Release Date:
10/26/1999
Distributor(s):
Avenue Pictures
Director(s):
Gus Van Sant
Starring:
Matt Dillon , Kelly Lynch , James LeGros , Heather Graham , James Remar
Themes:
Starting Over,Drug Addiction,Redemption
Tone:
Autumnal,Humorous,Quirky,Compassionate,Understated,Melancholy
Keywords:
abuse,addiction,drugs,overdose,pharmacist,robbery,self-discovery
Country of Origin:
USA (10-06-1989)
Language:
English