Gus Van Sant

Drugstore Cowboy

Drugstore Cowboy

Gus Van Sant’s dreamy, drifty, deadpan second feature—an addiction drama based on James Fogle’s autobiographical novel—captures the zonked-out textures and almost surreal absurdity of a life lived fix to fix. Swinging between dope-fueled disconnection and edgy paranoia, Matt Dillon plays the leader of a ragtag crew (also featuring Kelly Lynch, Heather Graham, and James Le Gros) that robs pharmacies for pills, coasting across the 1970s Pacific Northwest while trying to outrun sobriety and fate. With a brilliant supporting turn from counterculture high priest William S. Burroughs and a lyrical feeling for the streetscapes of Van Sant’s hometown of Portland, Oregon, Drugstore Cowboy cemented the director’s status as a preeminent poet of outsiderhood.

Film Info

  • United States
  • 1989
  • 102 minutes
  • Color
  • 1.85:1
  • English
  • Spine #1251

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Gus Van Sant and director of photography Robert Yeoman, with uncompressed stereo soundtrack
  • One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
  • Audio commentary featuring Van Sant and actor Matt Dillon
  • The Making of “Drugstore Cowboy,” featuring interviews with Van Sant and members of the cast and crew
  • New interviews with Yeoman and actor Kelly Lynch
  • Deleted scenes
  • Trailer
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by author and screenwriter Jon Raymond

    New cover by F. Ron Miller

Purchase Options

Coming soon, available Feb 18, 2025

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Gus Van Sant and director of photography Robert Yeoman, with uncompressed stereo soundtrack
  • One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
  • Audio commentary featuring Van Sant and actor Matt Dillon
  • The Making of “Drugstore Cowboy,” featuring interviews with Van Sant and members of the cast and crew
  • New interviews with Yeoman and actor Kelly Lynch
  • Deleted scenes
  • Trailer
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by author and screenwriter Jon Raymond

    New cover by F. Ron Miller
Drugstore Cowboy
Cast
Matt Dillon
Bob
Kelly Lynch
Dianne
James Remar
Gentry
James Le Gros
Rick
Heather Graham
Nadine
Beah Richards
Drug counselor
Grace Zabriskie
Bob’s mother
Max Perlich
David
William S. Burroughs
Tom the priest
Credits
Director
Gus Van Sant
Executive producer
Cary Brokaw
Produced by
Nick Wechsler
Produced by
Karen Murphy
Screenplay by
Gus Van Sant
Screenplay by
Dan Yost
Based on the novel by
James Fogel
Director of photography
Robert Yeoman
Editor
Curtiss Clayton
Production designer
David Brisbin
Costume designer
Beatrix Aruna Pastor
Music by
Elliot Goldenthal
Casting by
Richard Pagano
Casting by
Sharon Bialy