The novel places a strong focus on themes of isolation and decay. The town is slowly dying; the affluence of the wealthy exists only in theory; the buildings are old and falling apart; the only source of entertainment, the movie theater, closes its doors; and the pool hall becomes the lone option for any amusement. It's not just the town that's deteriorating; the dreams and aspirations of the characters are also fading. Sam, the novel's only truly virtuous character, shuffles around in slippers, suffering from aching feet and a body worn down by age and life's struggles. Lois Farrow, who was once the most admired girl in school, now seeks comfort in alcohol and affairs. Her daughter Jacy, who is also beautiful and popular, appears to be heading down a similar path. Ruth Popper's life is shattered by her oblivious husband and later by Sonny's careless self-interest.

The novel prominently explores the theme of disappointment. Each character longs for something, but few attain it. Charles Peavy notes that McMurtry illustrates how things once considered important, like popularity and football, eventually lose their value. Both Sonny and Duane are eager to win over Jacy, yet neither manages to keep her for long. Jacy herself longs for popularity, but it quickly fades away. They are all stuck in monotonous lives within a decaying town; the reader senses the town's decline well before the younger characters realize how their humanity conflicts with the limitations of Thalia, Texas. The title acts as a poignant symbol of the town's demise, the fading of hope, and the breakdown of structure—the last movie represents a fleeting trace of civilization, glamour, and hope. With its closure, along with the earlier death of its owner, Sam, who was the final connection to a more adventurous yet nostalgically idealized time, Thalia is left with nothing.

Following the success of The Last Picture Show, Larry McMurtry garnered attention with a trilogy of works—Moving On, All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers (1972), and Terms of Endearment (1975)—that ushered in the "urban Western." This new literary convention delves into the complexities of human relationships amid the burgeoning urbanization and mechanization of the American West. The Last Picture Show itself marks a pivotal shift away from the expansive rural landscapes that characterized McMurtry’s earlier novels. Instead, it captures the essence of a small town like Thalia, where life feels both congested and perpetually in motion.

In this narrative, McMurtry artfully conveys how even the most intimate communities are subject to the relentless churn of modern life. The internal-combustion engine, embodied by cars and pickup trucks, serves as a symbol of potential liberation from this entropic existence. However, McMurtry skillfully subverts this symbol by revealing its inherent illusion. The vehicles that promise freedom instead underscore the instability and transient nature of human connections in a rapidly changing world.

The Last Picture Show sets the tone for Larry McMurtry’s later works with its somber depiction of modern marriage. In this narrative, the concept of marital happiness or even simple compatibility is portrayed as an elusive dream. Among the couples featured prominently, the Farrows are depicted as being fundamentally out of sync, unable to find common ground or understanding. Meanwhile, the Poppers’ relationship is painted as nothing short of a catastrophe, marked by discord and dissatisfaction.

Further compounding this bleak picture is the ill-fated union between Jacy and Sonny, which is built on deceit and seems doomed to failure, offering little hope for a positive future. Sonny, amidst this turmoil, finds scant solace in his extramarital relationship with Ruth Popper, highlighting the transient...