The defence The Popcorn Loyalist
“It owes the canon nothing.”
The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.
Back to trending 
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Comedy · 1982
When a Conservative TV crusader threatens to shut down beloved brothel The Chicken Ranch, proprietress Miss Mona Stangley and her girls won't go down without a fight.
Movie details
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
“With Burt and Dolly, this much fun just couldn't be legal!”
1982 Comedy 1h 54m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.2 / 10
Community rating
When a Conservative TV crusader threatens to shut down beloved brothel The Chicken Ranch, proprietress Miss Mona Stangley and her girls won't go down without a fight.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas?
For the defence
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Big-Idea Head
“You watch with your brain, not your gut.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Colin Higgins
Written by
Peter Masterson · Colin Higgins · Larry L. King
Burt Reynolds
Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd
Dolly Parton
Mona Stangley
Dom DeLuise
Melvin P. Thorpe
Charles Durning
Governor of Texas
Jim Nabors
Deputy Fred
Robert Mandan
Senator Wingwood
Lois Nettleton
Dulcie Mae
Court is in session
Put The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Big-Idea Head
“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”
It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.