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Few actors can say they have found consistent work in major films for over five decades, but Jeff Bridges has been delivering great performances ever since his breakthrough role in Peter Bogdanovich’s coming-of-age masterpiece The Last Picture Show. It was a role that showcased Bridges’ charisma and proved he could play grounded, authentic characters, which led to his casting in Fat City and Bad Company. However, there’s a difference between being a great actor and being a movie star, as not every performer who treats their craft as a form of art becomes the star of major blockbuster titles. Bridges proved he could go toe-to-toe with Clint Eastwood in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, an action comedy that earned him his second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was the debut of legendary director Michael Cimino and starred Bridges as a young ruffian nicknamed “Lightfoot” who attempts to pull off a car heist. It’s in the midst of a surprisingly intense run-in with the gang that Lightfoot is forced to team up with the notorious bank robber known as “Thunderbolt,” played by Eastwood. It was no easy task sharing the screen with Eastwood, who was at the time peaking in popularity thanks to the success of the Dirty Harry franchise. However, Bridges and Eastwood were able to complement each other’s sensibilities, turning Thunderbolt and Lightfoot into a far more exciting, humorous, and occasionally moving film than it would have been otherwise.

Although 48 Hrs. and Lethal Weapon are often thought to have initiated the obsession with “buddy cop” films, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot took advantage of two actors with seemingly opposite sensibilities. If Bridges had succeeded thanks to his nervy, bracingly vulnerable performance in independent dramas, Eastwood was known for taking his work seriously and playing grim, near-silent roles. The roles are perfectly suited to the actors, and the nature of the story forces them both to get outside their comfort zone; Bridges shows how Lightfoot has to reckon with the consequences of life on the run, and Eastwood finds a bemusing, self-aware sensibility within Thunderbolt’s willingness to follow his partner’s schemes. The most necessary component of any effective two-hander is the development of true chemistry between the stars, and by the end of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, it’s believable that these two characters would develop genuine affection for one another.

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Bridges had the comparably more difficult role, as it would have been easy for Lightfoot to just feel like a sidekick who was there to annoy a more established star in Eastwood. However, Bridges succeeded in bringing real depth to the role, as Lightfoot begins to take pride in himself for the first time. Eastwood may have already proven he was believable as an action star, but Bridges got to expand his physical abilities in a multitude of impressive ways; between cross-dressing to rob a bank, doing his own driving during hectic chase scenes, and believably showcasing the strain Lightfoot faces after sustaining a critical injury, Bridges gave a performance that was just as physically demanding as it was emotionally compelling. As fun as Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is, the shift into more dramatic territory towards the end of the story feels consistent with the way that Bridges chose to express Lightfoot’s emotions.

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is ageless because it clearly draws inspiration from the western genre, and not just because of Eastwood’s involvement. The film’s anti-authoritarian themes reflect the apathy towards law enforcement that is common among western anti-heroes, and it became particularly relevant during the 1970s when skepticism about the federal government was at its peak. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot showed a more nuanced understanding of the crime genre because it suggested that there was a difference between “harmless” characters like the two leads and generally vicious gang members, such as the ruthless criminal Red Leary, who was played by George Kennedy in a truly mustache-twirling villainous performance. However, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was also unique in how it introduced a more sensitive portrayal of masculinity, as both characters are allowed to express gratitude for each other’s company. It’s hard to imagine Eastwood would have been comfortable playing a more emotionally vulnerable character if he didn’t have an actor as powerful as Bridges as his co-star.

Even though Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was a critical and commercial success, Bridges’ Oscar nomination came as a surprise because he hadn’t been recognized by any precursors, and the film itself was seen as more of a crowd-pleaser than a serious awards contender. It was a case in which Bridges’ character was too beloved to be denied, as it seemed to announce him as a presence that would be around in the industry for years to come. The production and release of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is somewhat of a miracle when considering the careers of those involved; Cimino would become more combative in subsequent years when he endeavored to direct ambitious epics like The Deer Hunter and Heaven’s Gate, and Eastwood would become more focused on directing vehicles for himself to star in. At the same time, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot could have only been made in the New Hollywood generation of the ‘70s, as the dark ending certainly wouldn’t fly with studio productions today. It may seem like an abnormality to everyone else, but Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was a leap forward for Bridges that solidified his place as one of the most versatile leading men in contemporary cinema.