Goldie Hawn

Ben Johnson

Michael Sacks

William Atherton

Gregory Walcott

Steve Kanaly

Louise Latham

Harrison Zanuck

A.L. Camp

Jessie Lee Fulton

Dean Smith

Ted Grossman

Bill Thurman

Buster Daniels

James N. Harrell

Frank Steggall

Roger Ernest

Guich Koock

Merrill Connally

Gene Rader

Gordon Hurst

George Hagy

Big John Hamilton

Kenneth Crone

Charles Conaway

Robert Golden

Rudy Robbins

Charlie Dobbs

Gene Lively

John L. Quinlan III

Ralph E. Horwedel

Edwin 'Frog' Isbell

James Robert Allen

Marianna Clore Blase

Richard Bright

Dean Jones

Harvey Christiansen

Steven Spielberg

Joe Alves

Richard D. Zanuck

Shari Rhodes

Verna Fields

Hal Barwood

David Brown

John Williams

Edward M. Abroms

Vilmos Zsigmond

Matthew Robbins

Mike Fenton

John R. Carter

William S. Gilmore

Del Armstrong

Nick McLean

Max Balchowsky

Bill Dietz

Dennis C. Salcedo

Robert Ellsworth

James Gilmore

James O. Blair

Jack L. Richards

James Fargo

Ted Duncan

Sven Walnum

Patty Elder

Dale Van Sickel

Robert L. Hoyt

Al Perry

Robert Moore

Toots Thielemans

Ulla Bourne

Tom Joyner

Roy D. Smith

Susan Germaine

John J. Connor

Jeff Gourson

Carey Loftin

Frank Brendel

Crime

Drama

The Sugarland Express

Universal Pictures

Zanuck/Brown Productions

United States of America

English

prison

police

stadium

kidnapping

hostage

texas

adoption

texas ranger

baby-snatching

based on true story

road trip

on the run

vulgarity

convicted felon

runaway couple

fugitive lovers

Steven Spielberg's first proper cinema movie has some great photography from Vilmos Zsigmond.

The tone is uncertain. A road movie, a tragic comedy with car pile ups that is based on true facts.

Lou Jean Sparrow Poplin (Goldie Hawn) takes her husband Clovis (William Atherton) out of a minimum security prison just weeks before his eventual release.

All to save their child who has been taken away and ready to put up for adoption. They kidnap a police officer which leads to them being pursued by the police and the media.

Goldie Hawn is spiky as Lou Jean but she is also stupidly impulsive.

A story that needed more work, Spielberg does make an accomplished film.

CinemaSerf

When "Clovis" (William Atherton) is incarcerated, his wife "Lou Jean" (Goldie Hawn) is facing losing their son to adoption. She's having none of this so decides to spring her husband from jail so they can go collect their bairn and head for Mexico. Things do not go to plan, though, and pretty quickly they are in an hijacked police-car being driven by "Officer Slide" (Michael Sacks). Needless to say, the police - under the shrewd "Capt. Tanner" (Ben Johnson) now up the ante and we are now looking at a chase that involves just about every police vehicle in the country! They are gradually digging themselves deeper with each mile they drive, but equally they begin to befriend their hostage and elicit a degree of sympathy from their pursuer as their predicament starts to tug at heart strings. It's a bit preposterous at times, and is certainly too long - but it does illustrate that Goldie Hawn has a skill - as an actress with a strong narrative to deliver, and as a woman who has expert comedy timing. There is humour here. It doesn't always work and at times is maybe just a little slapstick. It also does introduce and develop some depth to the characters - including Sacks and Johnson - which I found engaging as it trundled along. It's all based on a true story so not too much Steven Spielberg could do with the ending but the journey he takes us along is entertaining enough.

Quality!

<em>'The Sugarland Express'</em> is Steven Spielberg's first theatrical release as director, which is quite something given the movie seems like it was made by a seasoned vet. On a similar note, the look and feel of the film is absolutely outstanding; it has aged remarkably well visually, almost hard to believe it came out in 1974! I also really enjoyed the score, particularly Toots Thielemans on the harmonica, but that's no surprise - John Williams, duh!

As for plot, it is very entertaining. I like how silly everything plays out for the first chunk and the film knows it, but events gradually rise up a notch throughout the 110 minutes. The more serious conclusion would've felt quite sudden and out of place, though it is portrayed and paced perfectly. Cast-wise, Goldie Hawn, William Atherton and Michael Sacks are excellent, though Ben Johnson is probably the one I'd rate highest.

Theatrical Trailer

The Sugarland Express( 1974)

A girl with a great following. Every cop in the state was after her. Everybody else was behind her.

Overview

Top Billed Cast

Social

A review by DanDare

Written by DanDare on Mon Jun 01 2020

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