Action Cult Classic

A tough trucker drags his soft-hearted son into the wilds of Texas and a honky-tonk bar for a crash course in manhood.

TEXAS LIGHTNING

They're stormin' on the taverns... thunderin' over the roads... and just plain having a good ol' time!

1981 · 1h 31m · R · Action / Comedy / Drama · IMDB TMDB

A tough, macho, truck driver decides to make his soft son more manly by taking him hunting. They vacation and go to a honky tonk bar where the younger man falls in love with a burned out waitress.

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Quick Answer

What is Texas Lightning about?

Texas Lightning is a 1981 American action-comedy-drama directed by Gary Graver about a macho truck driver who tries to toughen up his gentle son by taking him on a hunting trip, where the son falls for a world-wise waitress.

Programmer's Pick

If you like your family drama with a side of spiked coffee and broken dentures, Texas Lightning delivers the goods. Cameron Mitchell steers this hixploitation ride where pickup trucks and coming-of-age collide over Budweiser and barroom blues.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Texas Lightning sets out on the open road with a gruff truck driver determined to put some hair on his gentle son's chest. Hoping a hunting trip will do the trick, the duo instead end up spending much of their vacation holed up in a classic honky-tonk bar, soaking in the beer-soaked ambiance of rural Texas. There, the son catches the eye—and the heart—of a world-weary waitress, leading to a coming-of-age experience that’s equal parts awkward, heartfelt, and laced with the rough edges of hixploitation. With barroom brawls, country music, and a healthy pour of American kitsch, the film teeters between tough love and tender moments.

Details & Specs

Director: Gary Graver
Writer: Gary Graver
Release: 1981
Runtime: 1h 31m
Country: United States of America
Language: English
Genres: Action, Comedy, Drama

Why This Matters

Texas Lightning stands out for its unusual production history, having been re-edited from its original conception as a serious drama, The Boys, into a comedy at the producers' insistence.

— SassyFlix Curator

Cast & Crew

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Director: Gary Graver Writer: Gary Graver

Cameron Mitchell Karl Stover CM Cameron Mitchell Jr. Buddy Owen (as Channing Mitchell)

Maureen McCormick Fay

Peter Jason Frank Whitman JC Jean Clark Leonard Simpson HH Hope Holiday Mrs. Stover

Charles Dierkop Walt

Danone Camden Donna

Lisa De Leeuw Lisa

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