Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

movie about drug users and thieves in Oregon, based upon a true story

Director: Gus van Sant

 

The film begins with Bob (Matt Dillon) in the back of an ambulance being taken to the hospital. He is thinking back over events of the recent past. Bob is the head of a four-person crew whose task it is to act as decoys so that he can rob drugstores of controlled substances. His “old lady” is Dianne (Kelly Lynch). Their assistants are Rick (James Le Gros) and a young girl named Nadine (Heather Graham). The story is set in Oregon. It is an autobiographical novel of a drug user, named James Fogle. William S. Burroughs makes a cameo appearance as the character Tom.

 

Although the police attempt to entrap him, he and the group are very careful. As Bob and his group travel around the state, he is pursued by the police, led by Gentry (James Remar). There is another ancillary user named David (Max Perlich) who knows that Bob is fairly good in his chosen profession. Bob is very superstitious and he thinks that leaving a hat on the bed will bring about a considerable period of bad luck. After Nadine takes an overdose and dies, Bob is very bothered by the fact that she left a hat on the bed. They hide her body in the attic, and eventually take Nadine and bury her in the forest. Bob tries to go straight and disconnects from Dianne and Bob, but that is a more difficult proposition than he imagined.

 

Music by Elliott Goldenthal is effective in this heart-rending film.