Bud, a young Texan, leaves his family’s rural home to find a job in the Houston oil refinery where his Uncle Bob works. Celebrating his arrival, Bob takes Bud to a honky-tonk owned by Mickey Gilley. Though shy at first, Bud ends up going home with two women from the bar. With help from his uncle, Bud soon gets a job as a “gofer” at the oil plant, on condition that he shave his beard. That night, Bud arrives clean-shaven at Gilley's and attracts the attention of Sissy, who invites him to dance. The two spend the rest of the evening together, talking and dancing. Some time later, Bud and Sissy, now dating, discover a punching bag Gilley has installed in the honky-tonk. As the men of the bar flock to test their strength, Sissy demands to try and cuts her knuckles on the bag. Afterwards, at a diner, Bud tends to Sissy’s cut hand and tells her there are certain things women shouldn’t do. The two women from Gilley’s that Bud slept with show up at the diner, and Sissy becomes angry when Bud returns their glances. She pinches his arm in irritation, and, in response, he slaps her. Upset, Sissy attempts to hitchhike home, but the couple soon make up. Heading home together, Bud asks Sissy to marry him. On their wedding day, the newlyweds pose for pictures at Gilley’s. Bud later surprises Sissy with a double-wide mobile home and installs a vanity plate with her name in the back window of his truck. One day, at a prison rodeo show, Bud points out a convict to Sissy whose skill at riding the bull impresses him. Soon after, Gilley adds a mechanical bull to the attractions at his honky-tonk. Bud tries the bull first, and his visible knack enchants Sissy. When she expresses an interest in riding the bull herself, Bud rejects the idea. The following night, Bud returns to Gilley’s to ride the bull; meanwhile, Sissy grows frustrated at his refusal to let her try. One day, Wes, the convict who impressed Bud at the rodeo, appears at Gilley's. Not recognizing him, Bud dislikes Wes after watching him expertly ride the bull with the settings turned up. After Sissy congratulates Wes, Bud drags her to the dance floor. Later, at a diner, Sissy confides to friends that she plans to secretly practice on the bull during the afternoon. Bud returns to the table, drunk, and notices Wes tip his hat at Sissy from across the room. Bud complains about his food when it arrives and throws it, hitting Wes in the back. Angered, the convict fights Bud in the parking lot. The next morning, Bud snaps at Sissy when she offers him coffee, demanding a beer instead. Later, Sissy shows up at her father’s auto repair shop where she works and asks to leave early. That afternoon, Sissy goes to Gilley’s and finds that Wes has been hired to mind the bull. Sissy eagerly takes direction from Wes as she mounts the bull for the first time. Meanwhile, Bud misses his footing on a scaffold at work and nearly falls to his death. When Sissy comes home late, Bud tells her he almost died and snaps at her for not having prepared dinner. They make up, however, and head to Gilley’s to relax. At the honky-tonk, Sissy rides the mechanical bull, surprising Bud with her new skill. Reacting angrily, Bud turns up the power on the bull, rides it, and challenges Sissy to get back on. Sissy does so and performs well. Unwilling to admit defeat, Bud turns the power up even more but falls off after a short ride. As Bud staggers to his feet, Wes switches the bull back on, causing it to smash into Bud and break his arm. Limping home, Bud accuses Sissy of lying about her whereabouts that afternoon and forbids her riding the bull. She counters that he's just jealous. Enraged, Bud hits her and throws her out of the house. The following day, Bud loses his job due to his broken arm and returns home to drink beer. Looking through old pictures, he finds a brochure from the prison rodeo and recognizes Wes as one of the convicts. That night, Bud finds Sissy at Gilley’s and tells her about Wes; however, Sissy already knows, informing Bud that Wes is now on parole. Piqued, Bud dances with a young woman named Pam. In turn, Wes invites Sissy to the dance floor. Goaded by each other's efforts, Bud and Sissy dance ever more seductively with their partners. Bud eventually leaves with Pam, causing Sissy to throw a bottle at them. On their way out, Bud informs Pam that Sissy is his wife. Later, at her beautiful downtown apartment, Pam seduces Bud. At the same time, Sissy drinks tequila with Wes in his mobile home but refuses to spend the night. The next day, Sissy wakes up on the couch as Bud arrives home. The two share a silent look before Sissy moves out and heads to Wes's mobile home. Bud removes Sissy’s vanity plate from his truck. Later, Bud takes Pam to Uncle Bob's house for pie. There, Bob confesses that he was once a great bull-rider but had to stop after a terrible accident. Bob and his wife, Aunt Corene, take the younger couple to Gilley's where Corene participates in a Dolly Parton lookalike contest. At the bar, Gilley announces a forthcoming dance, mechanical bull and punching bag contest. Bud’s mood sours when Sissy gets on the bull, dancing atop it suggestively to bawdy cheers. After Bob informs Bud that he knows of a mechanical bull he can practice on, Bud decides to train for the contest. One day, when Bud is out, Sissy secretly visits the mobile home and cleans it thoroughly, leaving a letter in which she apologizes and asks him to call. When Pam shows up at the mobile home, Sissy leaves. Later, Pam hides Sissy's letter from Bud and takes credit for the cleaning. He is delighted with his new girlfriend's apparent domesticity. One day, Bud notices Sissy on the side of the road and waves. Angered by his lack of response to her heartfelt overture, she gives him the finger. Returning to Wes's mobile home, Sissy finds he has hidden Marshalene, a Gilley’s employee, in the closet. Sissy and Wes argue, and he physically abuses her. Exasperated with Bud's long hours at work and bull-riding, Pam purposely neglects to wake Bud up in time to watch the bull at Gilley’s before he goes to the plant. At work, Bud confides his dissatisfaction with the relationship with Pam to Bob, who advises him to swallow his pride and return to Sissy. Shortly after, lightning strikes the plant and Bob dies before his nephew's eyes. At Bob's funeral, Sissy arrives late, upset that Bud didn’t tell her about his uncle’s death. Sissy announces that Wes is planning to win the bull-riding contest that night so that they can start a new life in Mexico with the prize money. When Sissy asks if Bud will be there, he tells her no. Outside her house after the funeral, Aunt Corene gives Bud her husband’s old cowboy belt buckle, urging him to carry on Bob’s legacy by riding in the contest. That night, Bud appears at Gilley’s, wearing the belt buckle, and competes in the bull-riding contest. After Wes performs superbly in the first round, earning eighty-one points from the judges, Bud follows him up with another good turn, qualifying for the final round with seventy-nine points. Bud and Sissy glance at each other through the crowd. After the final round, despite Wes's lead, Bud emerges the winner. Wes pushes Sissy back to his mobile home and tells her to pack. When she says she will not go with him, he hits her. Wes secretly loads a gun while Sissy obediently packs. They drive through the Gilley’s parking lot, and, stopping outside the building, Wes orders Sissy to keep the motor running. As Gilley congratulates the winners onstage, Wes pushes into the office with his gun, ties up the staff and stuffs the prize money into his jacket. Meanwhile, Bud expresses disappointment that Sissy isn’t there to see him win, and Pam realizes that he is still in love with his estranged wife. Pam confesses to hiding Sissy's conciliatory visit and encourages Bud to return to her. Running to find Sissy, Bud catches up with her in the parking lot as she waits in Wes's getaway car. Bud apologizes and confesses his love. Bursting into tears, she falls into his arms. When she pulls back, Bud notices a large bruise on her face and swears to kill Wes. Rushing into the club, Bud stops Wes before he can escape and beats him. The stolen money falls out of Wes' jacket and the club patrons seize the bloodied convict. Though a friend offers Bud a drink, he refuses. His arm around Sissy, he takes her to the pickup truck where he re-installs her vanity plate in the rear window. The reunited couple kisses.