"This new BFI Film Classic on Midnight Cowboy (1969) considers how the film reflects the cultural and political turmoil that was impacting both Hollywood and American society more widely, including the war in Vietnam, the campaign for Civil Rights, and the Gay Liberation movement. James Kendrick examines the film's cultural impact, not only for its ground-breaking portrayal of sexuality and relationships, but also its exploration of themes of urban loneliness and socio-economic disparity"--