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Paris, Texas (1984) poster

Paris, Texas

1984 Β· 2h 25m Β· R · Directed by Wim Wenders

The role Harry Dean Stanton waited decades for.

After an absence of 4 years, Travis Henderson suddenly reappears in a deserted part of south Texas. His brother Walt fetches him and he is soon reunited with his son Hunter. He can't really explain why he's been away or why he's suddenly reappeared. Walt has been raising Travis' son Hunter and it takes a while for the two of them to get reacquainted. They eventually set off together to find Jane, Travis' wife and Hunter's mother. She is found working in a peep show in Houston but a happy family reunion isn't in the cards.

IMDb 8.1
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Where to watch Paris, Texas (US)

Checked 15 Oct 2026 · Streaming availability information provided by Streaming Availability API by Movie of the Night

A lead role after decades of small parts

Wim Wenders and writer Sam Shepard built the film around Harry Dean Stanton, who had been a supporting actor for decades. Ry Cooder's slide guitar score became as famous as the film. It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. The peep-show scene, with a one-way mirror, is among the most daring ever filmed.

The guitar that says it all

A man walks out of the Texas desert, silent and lost, and slowly pieces his life back together. It's quiet and slow, but it rewards you with some of the most moving scenes in 1980s cinema. Stanton is extraordinary, and Cooder's music gets inside you.

Stills

Paris, Texas still

Trailer

Cast and crew

Director: Wim Wenders

Cast: Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell

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