Actors
Drama
Midnight Cowboy (1969): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 drama directed by John Schlesinger, starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman. It is based on Midnight Cowboy by James Leo Herlihy. It runs 1 hour 53 minutes and earned $44.8 million worldwide. It won 3 Oscars, including Best Picture and Directing, and 9 awards in all. Critics gave it 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.8/10.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 53m (113 min)
- Director
- John Schlesinger
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- United Artists
- Based on
- Midnight Cowboy by James Leo Herlihy
- After the credits
- Yes Extra scene during or after the credits
The story
What Is Midnight Cowboy About?
The premise of Midnight Cowboy without spoilers, adapted from Midnight Cowboy by James Leo Herlihy. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A charming Texan, Joe Buck, arrives in New York City with dreams of success as a ladies’ man. He unexpectedly encounters Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo, a streetwise hustler with his own struggles. As they navigate the gritty underbelly of the city, an unlikely friendship develops between the naive Joe and the cynical Ratso. Their bond is tested by Ratso’s declining health and Joe’s difficult journey to adapt to urban life, revealing a poignant exploration of loneliness and connection.
Midnight Cowboy Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- new york city
- cowboy hat
- hustler
- texas
- daydream
- quitting a job
- fever
- flashback
- fish out of water
- tuberculosis
- party
- laundromat
+38 more Show fewer
- homelessness
- falling down stairs
- wetting pants
- death of friend
- friendship
- poverty
- florida
- gigolo
- manhattan new york city
- homosexuality
- based on novel
- buddy movie
- trickster
- robbery
- chewing gum
- sexuality
- shivering
- 42nd street manhattan new york city
- blood donation
- theft
- street life
- naivete
- marijuana
- coughing
- shoplifting
- impotence
- hotel
- fantasy sequence
- con artist
- cemetery
- prostitute
- male prostitute
- gay slur
- gay
- male nudity
- male rape
- transistor radio
- gang rape
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Cast & crew
Midnight Cowboy Cast
Jon Voight leads the cast, with Dustin Hoffman. Directed by John Schlesinger.
-
Director John Schlesinger
From the director
More from John Schlesinger
More films directed by John Schlesinger, best-rated first: Cold Comfort Farm, The Falcon and the Snowman, Marathon Man and Far from the Madding Crowd.
Ratings
Midnight Cowboy Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Midnight Cowboy 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.8/10.
-
IMDb 7.8 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 89% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 88%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 79 Metascore
User score 8.2
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 75% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
Midnight Cowboy Plot Summary
What happens in Midnight Cowboy from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
As the film begins, Joe Buck (Jon Voight), a young Texan dishwasher, sets off on a bold adventure dressed in brand-new cowboy attire. He packs his suitcase and walks away from his mundane job, heading to the bustling streets of New York City with aspirations of becoming a male prostitute catering to women. However, his initial attempts at success fall flat. Despite managing to spend the night with a wealthy middle-aged New Yorker, played by Sylvia Miles, Joe surprisingly finds himself giving her money instead.
Full summary
The whole story of Midnight Cowboy, scene by scene
Box office
Midnight Cowboy Box Office
Midnight Cowboy grossed $44.8 million worldwide. $44.8 million came from the US and Canada and $16,511 (0%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$44.8M
- US & Canada
- $44.8M
- International
- $16.5K
US & Canada 100%
Rest of the world 0%
Awards
Midnight Cowboy Awards & Nominations
Midnight Cowboy won 3 Oscars, including Best Picture and Directing, and 9 awards in all. Its biggest night was the BAFTA 1970, with 5 wins from 7 nominations.
9 wins19 nominations4 ceremonies
-
BAFTA 1970 5 wins · 7 nominations- Won Best Direction – John Schlesinger
- Won Best Editing
- Won Best Film – John Schlesinger
- Won Best Screenplay
- Won Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles – Jon Voight
-
Oscars 1970 3 wins · 6 nominations- Won Best Picture
- Won Directing – John Schlesinger
- Won Writing (Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
- Nominated Actor – Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight
- Nominated Actress in a Supporting Role – Sylvia Miles
-
DGA Awards 1970 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Feature Film – John Schlesinger
-
Golden Globes 1970 5 nominations- Nominated Best Director – John Schlesinger
- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Drama
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actor) – Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight
- Nominated Best Screenplay
- Nominated Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Comedy or Musical (Supporting Actress) – Brenda Vaccaro
Videos
Midnight Cowboy Trailers & Videos
7 videos: 2 trailers, 4 clips and 1 featurette.
- Trailer Official Trailer
- Clip “I’m Walkin’ Here!”
- Clip New In Town
- Clip The Hustler Gets Hustled
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Midnight Cowboy?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is Joe Buck's profession when he first arrives in New York City?
Cars
Cars in Midnight Cowboy
39 cars on screen, including the 1968 GM PD 4107 and the 1951 Cadillac Ambulance.
-
1968 GM PD 4107 Important role -
1951 Cadillac Ambulance Minor role -
1968 Chevrolet Biscayne Minor role -
1960 Chevrolet Corvair Minor role
Details
Midnight Cowboy Also Known As
37 alternative titles, including “Vaquero de Medianoche” and “Ο καουμπόι του μεσονυχτίου”.
- Also known as
-
- Vaquero de Medianoche
- Ο καουμπόι του μεσονυχτίου
- Kaboy-e Nimeshab
- Polnocný Kovboj
- Gece Yarısı Kovboyu
- Ponoćni kauboj
- Cowboy de medianoche
- Un uomo da marciapiede
- คาวบอยตกอับย่ำกรุง
- 미드나잇 카우보이
- 미드나이트 카우보이
- Asphalt-Cowboy
+25 more Show fewer
- Macadam Cowboy
- Geceyarısı Kovboyu
- O Cowboy da Meia-Noite
- 午夜牛郎
- Полуночный ковбой
- Ο Καουμπόυ του Μεσονυχτίου
- קאובוי של חצות
- Éjféli cowboy
- Cowboyul de la miezul nopţii
- Půlnoční kovboj
- Perdidos na Noite
- Nocny kowboj
- Среднощен каубой
- Kesköine kauboi
- Cowboy de mitjanit
- Keskiyön cowboy
- کابوی نیمه شب
- 真夜中のカーボーイ
- Vidurnakčio kaubojus
- Perdidos en la noche
- Asfaltcowboy
- Поноћни каубој
- Polnočni kavboj
- Опiвнiчний ковбой
- มิดไนต์ คาวบอย
Seen Midnight Cowboy?
More like this
Movies Like Midnight Cowboy
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Midnight Run, Permanent Midnight and After Midnight.
From the blog
Articles About Midnight Cowboy
2 articles about Midnight Cowboy. The latest: “The Impact of Improvisation in Film Acting”.
FAQ
Midnight Cowboy FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of Midnight Cowboy, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Midnight Cowboy?
Midnight Cowboy runs 1 hour 53 minutes (113 minutes).
When was Midnight Cowboy released?
Midnight Cowboy was released on May 25, 1969.
Who directed Midnight Cowboy?
Midnight Cowboy was directed by John Schlesinger.
More films by John Schlesinger Who is in the cast of Midnight Cowboy?
Midnight Cowboy stars Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman.
How much did Midnight Cowboy make at the box office?
Midnight Cowboy grossed $44.8 million worldwide ($44.8 million domestic, $16,511 international).
How is Midnight Cowboy rated?
Midnight Cowboy has 7.8/10 on IMDb, 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79 on Metacritic and 75% on TMDB.
Is Midnight Cowboy based on a book?
Yes. Midnight Cowboy is adapted from Midnight Cowboy by James Leo Herlihy.
What awards did Midnight Cowboy win?
Midnight Cowboy won 9 awards from 19 nominations, including Best Direction at the BAFTA 1970.
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