20

MONDAY

Sure, they may have been willing to take bullets for one another, but would Messrs. Riggs and Murtaugh have followed the final shoot-out sequence of Lethal Weapon 4 with an intense make-out session? Probably not. And—no matter how appropriate it might seem—Midnight Cowboy’s Ratso and Joe never smooch. Why? Because (obviously) these are buddy flicks—not romantic love stories. And though Cowboy—the only X-rated flick to take home the Best Picture Oscar—provides us with a well-crafted commentary on big-city life, the state of modern morality, and the abandonment of childhood dreams, its basic message remains the same as the one screen pals Butch and Sundance delivered that same year: The quest for true friendship and acceptance—not money, hot chicks, or power—is what ultimately propels us along our own bumpy path through life. The film screens at 7:30 p.m. at the American City Diner, 5532 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. (202) 244-1949. (Kelly Manion)