Genre: Drama/Western/Romance
Director: Taylor Sheridan
Writer: APJ
Based on the 1980 film
Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Elizabeth Olsen, Orlando Bloom, Alexandra Daddario, Dermot Mulroney, Michael Madsen, Kim Dickens, Paul Walter Hauser, Aimee Teegarden
Plot: Bud Davis (Alden Ehrenreich) is finishing up his workday at an oil pipeline in the outskirts Spur, a small town in northern Texas. Just before the clock hits 5 PM, the foreman comes out and announces that the pipeline has been shut down and they'll all out of a job effective immediately. Bud gives his Uncle Bob (Dermot Mulroney) a call and asks him if he can get him a job out in Houston. Bob says that the refinery he works at could probably use another set of hands. With that, Bud packs his few belongings into a duffel bag and gets into his old pick truck and starts driving.
Bud drives all night and arrives in Pasadena, Texas, just outside Houston, as Bob and his wife Corene (Kim Dickens) are eating breakfast. Corene just got home from her night shift as a nurse at the local hospital. Bob is getting ready for work and tells Bud that he'll talk Bud up to his boss. Bud thanks Bob and passes out on the couch. Bud sleeps through the day and wakes up when Bob is getting back from work at the refinery.
Bob then takes Bud down to Gilley's, the local honky tonk. When they arrive things are just picking up in the club with a group line-dancing, and a handful of patrons lining up to ride the mechanical bull. Bud is taken by the glitz of the place, saying they don't have anything like it in Spur. One of the waitresses, Marshalene (Aimee Teegarden), takes their order as the club's owner, Gill (Michael Madsen), walks around the club meeting and greeting. Bob talks to Bud about the refinery and informs him that his boss said Bud can start right away. Bud thanks his uncle for the help and assures him that he'll be off his couch as soon as he gets his first check. As Bud continues to talk with Bob, his focus is lost as watches the beautiful Celia (Elizabeth Olsen) mount the mechanical bull. Bob leaves some cash on the bar and tells Bud that he'll see him back at the house later. Bud, barely listening, simply nods his head as he continues to watch Celia ride the bull. Bud decides to ride the bull next. The operator Stevie (Paul Walter Hauser) explains the mechanical bull to Bud before he gets on. As Bud rides the bull he looks like a natural. When Bud's turn is over, he is approached by Celia who comments that he must be a real cowboy to ride the mechanical bull that well. After several drinks, Bud and Celia have sex in the restroom.
After a few weeks crashing on Bob and Corene's couch, Bud has saved up enough money working with Bob at the refinery to rent a trailer at a mobile home park. He has also become a regular at Gilley's. On his next after work outing to the honky tonk, Bud is dragged out onto the dance floor by Celia. They dance and drink for hours. They are asked to leave at closing time by Gill himself. Bud and Celia end up back at his trailer where they have sex. In the morning, Bud wakes up and finds Celia making eggs and bacon. Bud smiles and asks Celia if she wants to go steady.
Wes (Orlando Bloom) leaves Huntsville Penitentiary, released on parole. He gets a job at Gilley's bussing tables and helping his buddy Stevie with the mechanical bull. At Gilley's, Wes flirts with Celia as she waits to ride the bull. Celia doesn't turn him down right away, seemingly entertaining Wes' passes much to Bud's annoyance. Bud tells Wes to leave her alone, but Wes comments that it doesn't seem like the lady wants him to leave her alone. Celia tries to calm the situation, but Wes then puts his hand on her shoulder. Bud then shoves Wes into the wall. The two are about to have a full-on fistfight until Gill, Bob and Stevie step in to break it up. Gill tells them that if they want to fight they can do it outside on their own time. He then tells Wes to get back to work and suggests to Bud that he go back to the bar and finish his beer. Back at the bar, Celia goes up to apologize to Bud. He too apologizes for losing his cool. They finish their drinks and take a slow dance on the dance floor.
Celia arrives at her apartment building after a long night at Gilley's to find in engulfed in flames. Police cars and fire trucks surround the complex. She asks a cop what is going on, and he tells her that one of the building tenants was running a meth lab that caught fire. With nowhere to go, Celia finds herself driving over to Bud's trailer and asking to stay with him. Bud agrees, quickly tidies things up and welcomes her to his humble home. They have sex that night, and in the morning Bud wakes up late for work. He hustles out of the trailer and speeds his way to the refinery.
At work, Bud doesn't secure a pipe all the way, which leads to a costly spill of crude oil. Uncle Bob takes him aside and tells him that the boss is going to send him early today once they're done cleaning up the mess Bud's mistake led to. That night, Bud and Celia go to Gilley's to blow off some steam. After several shots and a few beers, Celia rides the mechanical bull. Once again Wes flirts with her as she takes her turn. Bud reminds Wes that Celia is with him so he better stop his flirtations. When Bud takes his turn on the bull, Wes turns up the intensity of the bull, quickly knocking Bud off. Bud is pissed off and stands up to leave, but Wes intentionally has the bull swing around into Bud, breaking his arm.
When Bud shows up for work the next morning, he is informed that he has to take a leave of absence from the refinery until his arm is healed. Bud insists he can do his job despite the injury, but they don't want him to be a liability in what can be a dangerous work environment already.
Bud and Celia end up in a heated argument on their drive to Gilley's after Bud tells Celia that he doesn't want her talking to Wes anymore. Celia says she can talk to whoever she wants to, as she feels Bud isn't her keeper. Bud says he doesn't want to be her keeper, but he doesn't like Wes' advances toward her, and he likes her flattered responses even less. By the time they have pulled into the Gilley's parking lot, Bud and Celia have ended their romantic relationship.
Inside Gilley's, Bud looks around and his eyes stop on the beautiful Pamela (Alexandra Daddario). He goes up to her and asks her if she'd like to dance. Pamela accepts and they are quickly dancing. Celia is talking to Marshalene when she notices that Bud is dancing with Pamela. Celia goes over to Wes and pulls him out onto the dance floor to make Bud jealous. As they dance with their respective partners, Bud and Celia's eyes meet. When the song ends, Pamela and Bud make out in a booth. Celia, clearly jealous, begins kissing Wes. Gill breaks it up though, ordering Wes to help Stevie bring in sme kegs from a delivery truck. Celia watches from the bar as Bud and Pamela leave Gilley's together. She waits until closing and has sex with Wes in a run-down trailer behind Gilley's that he is staying in.
Gill announces a mechanical bull riding contest with a grand prize of $5,000. Bud asks his Uncle Bob to help him train for the contest. Bob points out Bud's healing broken arm. Bud says that he needs the money to make up for the lost work at the refinery since they won't let him work without a clean bill of health. Bob takes him out to a friend's ranch for Bud to train on a real bull. While training out at the ranch, they take a break and have a couple cold beers. Bob asks how things are between Bud and Celia. Bud breaks the news that they got into a fight and broke up. Bob recommends Bud swallow his pride and patch things up with her. Bob then recounts how early in his relationship with his wife Corene they broke up for a spell because he wasn't willing to let go of an argument.
Celia drives over to Bud's trailer to collect her belongings and finds Pamela in front waiting for Bud. Celia bags up her things and tidies the trailer a bit. She writes Bud a note apologizing and asking for a second chance. Celia then leaves, handing the key to Pamela and asking her to give it to Bud for her. Once Celia drives off, Pamela uses the key to enter the trailer. She reads Celia's note, then throws it away. When Bud returns from the ranch he finds Pamela waiting for him inside his trailer. He asks how she got in, and she says she wanted to see him and Celia happened to be getting her stuff and gave her the key. Bud looks around at the trailer and notices it is much cleaner than how he left it. Pamela takes credit for tidying the trailer up for him. Meanwhile, Celia walks into Wes' trailer, finding him having sex with Marshalene. Celia becomes angry. Marshalene apologizes to Celia, insisting she had no clue she and Wes were a thing now. Celia goes and sits outside on the curb. Wes comes outside and explains that he didn't know their situation, but if she wants to date, they can date.
While doing some maintenance work at the refinery, Bob is caught in an explosion - dying instantly. When Bud hears about the refinery accident, he tries calling his uncle but gets no answer. He rushes over to his aunt and uncle's house, only to find his Aunt Corene crying inconsolably. A few days later, a funeral is held for Bob. Bud is surprised to see Celia in attendance. She gives Bud a hug. He asks her how she is doing. Celia comments that Wes was fired by Gill, so Wes is going to win the mechanical bull contest. Celia then adds that once Wes has won the money, she and him are going to head down to Mexico for a while. Bud wishes her best of luck with all of that and walks away.
Bud has decided to skip the mechanical bull contest, but Corene tells him that Bob would have wanted him to still compete after all the time they spent training together. Bud arrives just in time to pay his entrance fee for the start of the competition. Bud watches Wes' turn on the bull. Pamela finds Bud and watches next to him. At first Wes looks strong, but he is drunk and falls off the bull to jeers from the crowd. Bud scans the room until he sees Celia, who slumps down in her booth, clearly embarrassed by Wes' behavior. Celia catches Bud's eyes watching her. Pamela sees how Bud looks at Celia. Pamela tells Bud that she wishes he looked at her like that, but it's clear that he still wants to be with Celia. Bud says Celia doesn't seem to feel the same way. Pamela admits to throwing away Celia's note and apologizes, paraphrasing the note's contents for him. Bud nods his head and gives Pamela a kiss on the cheek as his name is called by Gill for his turn on the mechanical bull.
When Bud begins his turn on the bull, Wes drags Celia out of the bar and tells her to wait in his car. Celia tells Wes that she no longer wants to go to Mexico with him. Wes slaps Celia and orders her to wait for him behind Gilley's. Bud finishes his turn on the bull and Gill proclaims Bud the winner of the contest. Bud looks around the room for Celia, but doesn't see her anywhere. Meanwhile, Wes sneaks into Gill's office and steals the $5,000 cash prize. Pamela tells Bud that Wes forced Celia to leave with him through the back door. Bud goes outside, finding Celia waiting in a car, crying. Bud runs over to her and tells her that he wants to give things another shot with her. Celia gets out of the car and embraces Bud. When Bud sees the slap mark on Celia's face, he rushes back into Gilley's where he spots Wes coming out of Gill's office. Bud tackles Wes, and they begin fighting. They exchange punches until the fight spills out onto the dance floor. During the scuffle, the stolen prize money falls out of Wes' jacket along with a gun. Wes reaches for the gun, but Marshalene kicks it toward Gill, who picks it up. Gill hands the prize money to Bud and tells him to not spend it all in one place. Bud nods and leaves Gilley's with his money. Gill orders the bouncer to grab Wes and take him to the back office so he can teach him a lesson about stealing. Bud and Celia drive away from Gilley's. Celia asks what Bud plans on doing with the prize money. Bud admits that he never really thought much about it and asks Celia if she has any ideas.
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