In 1994, New Line Cinema released a film adaptation of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues written and directed by Gus Van Sant, Jr. The film, with Uma Thurman as Sissy Hankshaw, Rain Phoenix as Bonanza Jellybean, Keanu Reeves as Julian Gitchie, and "Pat" Morita as the Chink, despite heavy media promotion and a star-filled cast, did not receive many positive reviews by critics. Robbins's quirky style, with its elaborate metaphors and verbal play, was not transferred to the screen with much success. Additionally, the complex plot was not translated to film clearly, leading one critic to claim that the film version of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues could only be understood by those who had already read the novel.