And it's one of those "Classic Scene" features from Premiere Magazine, and, coincidentally, it's a call-back to the first scene we did from it many, many years ago.
It will be the last time we see Texas tease Jacy Farrow, who has been the fulcrum around whom all the younger men in The Last Picture Show prance and stumble like broken horses, but she is not the focus of the scene. She exits here and we never see her again.
No, it's the first extended interaction between Jacy's mother, Lois, and the movie's protagonist, Sonny, both of whom play important parts in the lives of everyone else in the movie. They have little in common except for Jacy, who, both (at the moment) are disappointed with.
But, they have a closer bond, one that neither knows about until this scene—a close relationship with the recently-passed Sam the Lion, who runs the diner, poolhall and movie the-a-ter downtown. The city of Anarene is nothing to get nostalgic about. But, Sam was, being in the heart of the city and, seemingly, the heart of the city, as well.
Tim Bottoms has to play the scene drunk, which he does without losing the sensitivity that the scene requires. But, it's the mercurial Oscar nominated performance of Ellen Burstyn, enacting the many aspects of grief sometimes within frames of each other that's amazing to watch. Burstyn's Lois is a casualty of the loneliness and nothingness in Anarene, once wild, now broken, and wondering what the hell happened to her life and trying to eke something good out of it while she is still capable. But, everyone there is trying to do that.
By this time in the movie, there's been so many people from Anarene, Texas sleeping together that when this scene came up, audiences laughed for the one exercise of restraint in the movie.
It's a laugh that's well-earned.
The Set-up: Jacy Farrow (Cybill Shepherd) is the prettiest girl in Anarene, Texas and daughter of the head of Farrow oil. Who wouldn't want her? She was going steady with Duane (Jeff Bridges) all through High School, but they broke up when he couldn't perform in a motel room—her not wanting to go to college a virgin and all. Then, Duane's best friend Sonny (Timothy Bottoms)—who *psst* has been sleeping with the football coach's 40 year old wife, Ruth Popper (Cloris Leachman)—and him fought over Jacy, blinding Sonny in one eye. That's made gossipy news all over town, which pleases Jacy as she set her sights on Sonny when she heard about his affair with Ruth. She proposes going out of state and getting married to really get tongues wagging, but...one little detail...she left a note for Mom (Ellen Burstyn) and Dad so they wouldn't worry.
Now, the talk will be of their having the shortest marriage in Anarene history...which is saying something.
Action!
Lois comes
over, taps his arm.
LOIS
(drinks)
Here. Have a little bourbon--It'll pick you up.
Sonny sips from it several times.
They get in the car.
150-151 OMITTED 150-151
152
LOIS
He was so pleased.
Looks at Sonny briefly, holding back her tears; a few
spill over. 
LOIS
(continuing)
I'll tell you something, Sonny. 
LOIS
It's
terrible only to find one man your
whole life that knows what you're
worth.
She looks forward again,
Finally:
The Last Picture Show is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Columbia Tristar Home Video as well as 4k UHD from The Criterion Collection.
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