But things don’t go as planned when they are forced to take a police hostage on the road. It doesn't work. [3] It stars Goldie Hawn, Ben Johnson, William Atherton, and Michael Sacks. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean (Goldie Hawn) and Clovis Poplin (William Atherton) lose their baby to the state of Texas and resolve to do whatever it takes to get him back. This was the first movie to use the Panavision Panaflex camera. [2], The film won the award for Best Screenplay at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival. Nevertheless it has its moments that make it an entertaining movie for adults to watch. But things don't go as planned when they are forced to take a police hostage on the road. The Sugarland Express 1974 Directed by Steven Spielberg Every cop in the state was after her. "Film Reviews: The Sugarland Express". In Hollywood mythology the woman usually is the source of evil. The Sugarland Express is based on the true story of Lou Jean Poplin, who kidnapped a Texas State Trooper and led the police on a wild chase across the state in an effort to save her son from adoption. The Sugarland Express is a 1974 American crime drama film directed by Steven Spielberg in his theatrical feature directorial debut. Rushes: 100 Greatest Korean Films, Arclight Closures, Prismatic Ground, New Jarmusch Short, Anthony Hopkins, Camille Rowe, Madeline Brewer & More Starring In Indie Drama ‘Where Are You’, Mike Fenton Dies: Casting Director On ‘E.T.,’ ‘Godfather: Part 2,’ ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’ And Casting Society Of America Co-Founder Was 85. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. The Sugarland Express, 1974, (c) UniversalA woman attempts to reunite her family by helping her husband escape prison and together kidnapping their son. The main theme from the 1974 movie "The Sugarland Express".Note: I do NOT own the rights to the movie or the music. "[11] Tom Milne of The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote that it "seems peculiarly contrived ... it may have happened this way in real life, but in the film the fugitives are so unequivocally presented as poor, harmless innocents that the veritable army of police cars absurdly queuing up to be in at the kill looks very much as though both they and the film were taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Steven Spielberg's feature-film debut, The Sugarland Express, makes its way for the first time to DVD in a questionably thin package from Universal. As the herd of cars races and heaves and crashes through the landscape, the state's personality surfaces like a sperm whale. Our editors have rounded up their most anticipated horror movies of the year. Charles Kenneth Hall (born December 13, 1935) nicknamed Sugar Land Express is a retired American football player. Steven Spielberg persuaded co-producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown to let him make his big-screen directorial debut with this true story. The 100 Best Shows on TV; Renewed or Canceled? Based on a true story, a woman (Goldie Hawn) helps her husband (William Atherton) escape from prison so they can kidnap their child from the foster family he's been placed with. A black Southern woman struggles to find her identity after suffering abuse from her father and others over four decades. In the film, a woman and her husband take a police officer hostage and flee across Texas as they try to get to their child before he is placed in foster care. Use the HTML below. Starring: Goldie Hawn William Atherton Ben Johnson Michael Sacks Gregory Walcott The actual kidnapped patrolman, James Kenneth Crone, played a small role in the film as a deputy sheriff. "Festival de Cannes: The Sugarland Express", Story from the Tuscaloosa News, May 4 1969, about Robert and Ila Dent, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Sugarland_Express&oldid=1021136049, Films with screenplays by Matthew Robbins, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from November 2009, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2009, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 May 2021, at 02:52. Unlike in the film, Bobby died instantly when he was shot at Ila Fae's parents' house[6] near Wheelock, Texas[7] where they had gone to visit Ila Fae's two children (born from a previous marriage). They plan to kidnap their own child, who was placed with foster parents. Interestingly, the real villain of the story is Lou Jean. Lou Jean Poplin visits her husband, Clovis Michael Poplin, to tell him that their son will soon be placed in the care of foster parents. The courts must decide whether the Mende are slaves or legally free. "[16], The film grossed $6.5 million in the United States and Canada and $5.5 million overseas for a worldwide gross of $12 million. • The hijacked Texas Department of Public Safety patrol car featured in the film is a 1973 Dodge Polara, which Steven Spielberg bought after the filming, bullet holes and all. The Sugarland Express, a gripping drama co-written and directed by a 26-year-old Steven Spielberg, makes its mark as the director’s first theatrical film debut. That’s the story of “The Sugarland Express,” Steven Spielberg ’s first theatrical feature, and, although it’s based on a real incident, like so many things in Texas, it seems like a fantasy anyway. “The Sugarland Express” hit movie theaters in 1974. A clip from the Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoon Whoa, Be-Gone! The film also has some amusing moments - the car being pushed to the petrol station was one such example. Thomas, Kevin (April 5, 1974). The Sugarland Express is a 1974 American crime drama film directed by Steven Spielberg in his second film and theatrical feature directorial debut. Kael, Pauline (March 18, 1974). It's an odyssey you may never forget, and you might as well memorize the names of the young filmmakers responsible for it, the 26-year old director, Steven Spielberg, and the 30-year old screenwriters (and no doubt prospective directors), Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins, because they've made one of the most stunning debuts in Hollywood history. 8 of 9 people found this review helpful. "[9] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune awarded the same two-and-a-half star grade and wrote that "whereas 'Bonnie and Clyde' prompted our sympathy for its heroes because of their winning style, 'The Sugarland Express' asks us to care for Clovis and Lou Jean because they are thick-skulled and because, presumably, every mother has an inherent right to raise her own baby. Especially good are the colorful supporting characters, many of which have an authenticity about them that gives the film some nice flavor. If I knew what this movie was like I would have never rented it. Playing for the Sugar Land High School Gators (Sugar Land, Texas) from 1950 to 1953, Hall established 17 national football records, several of which still stand. Search for "The Sugarland Express" on Amazon.com, Title: Williams has scored all but five of Spielberg-directed films since (Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Color Purple, Bridge of Spies, Ready Player One and West Side Story being the only exceptions); this is the only score he has composed for Spielberg that has never been released as an album, although Williams re-recorded the main theme with Toots Thielemans and the Boston Pops Orchestra for 1991's The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration.[4]. "The Sugarland Express" is a "social statement" whose only commitment is to the box office. Written by title details and video sharing options. The character of Captain Tanner is based on Texas Highway Patrol Captain Jerry Miller. By holding Slide hostage, the pair are able to continually gas up their car, as well as get food via the drive-through. This complex role was enough to lure superstar Goldie Hawn back to the screen after a one-year hiatus following her Oscar-winning performance in Cactus Flower. The nickname Sugar Land Express is worth remembering. "'Sugarland Express': Sad but true". Hysterical Californians prepare for a Japanese invasion in the days after Pearl Harbor. [citation needed] Other scenes for the film were filmed in San Antonio, Live Oak, Floresville, Pleasanton, Converse and Del Rio, Texas. The Sugarland Express Feisty Goldie Hawn and her fugitive husband lead a madcap chase across Texas in Steven Spielberg's feature-film debut. • The Sugarland Express marked the beginning of Steven Spielberg’s friendship and working relationship with composer John Williams. It stars Goldie Hawn, Ben Johnson, William Atherton, and Michael Sacks. The Sugarland Express, Movie, 1974 Pictures provided by: philr , Sunbar , police car fan , andrepa Display options: Display as images Display as list Make and model Make and year Year Category Importance/Role Date added (new ones first) Episode Appearance (ep.+time, if avail.) The film's Lou Jean Poplin and Clovis Michael Poplin are based on the lives of then-21-year-old Ila Fae Holiday/Dent and 22-year-old Robert "Bobby" Dent, respectively. A young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation of China during World War II. Verity Long feels the need to escape Sugarland, Tennessee after an incident with her ex-fiancé, Beau Wydell at the soft opening of Southern Spirits. Patrolman Slide is found unharmed. Directed by (1) Writing credits (5) Cast (66) Produced by (2) Music by (1) Cinematography by (1) Film Editing by (2) Casting By (2) Art Direction by (1) Makeup Department (2) Production Management (1) Second Unit Director or Assistant Director (2) is shown in silence during a scene at a drive-in theater. He could be that rarity among directors a born entertainer—perhaps a new generation's Howard Hawks. Everybody else was behind her. Even though he is four months away from release from prison in Texas, she convinces him to escape to assist her in retrieving their child. "Film: Goldie Hawn on 'The Sugarland Express'". The Sugarland Express. A business commuter is pursued and terrorized by the malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer. "[12], Other reviews, however, were much more positive. Arnold, Gary (April 5, 1974) "It's a Real Movie and The One That Matters". Mr. Spielberg has also made marvelous use of many Texans, some of whom haven't acted before. Murphy, Arthur D. (March 20, 1974). It's a fun dramedy with some great performances from Goldie Hawn, William Atherton, and the rest of the cast. We get to know these three people just enough to want to know them better. The Sugarland Express (1974) Full Cast & Crew. Also his first collaboration with John Williams. The film comes with an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen image and a Dolby Digital 2.0 sound option that compliment it nicely, though it could be said that the studio could have done better with both. What they don't know is that there is an unseen presence in the house, and that it wants to take possession of the wife. A compilation of episodes from the anthology SF/Fantasy TV series. In 1839, the revolt of Mende captives aboard a Spanish owned ship causes a major controversy in the United States when the ship is captured off the coast of Long Island. The Sugarland Express holds an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 7.2 out of 10 from 48 reviews. This FAQ is empty. "[10] Arthur D. Murphy of Variety called Hawn's performance "generally delightful" but found that "something happens to the picture" toward the end as "the story opts for an abrupt series of production number shootouts, as though this was the real purpose in making the film, and all that preceded was introductory filler and vamp. The Sugarland Express isn't all bad and does have a few good points about it; Goldie Hawn once again puts on a good show and is great fun to watch here, the supporting cast are all OK, but Hawn easily outshines everyone. The Poplins bring Slide to the home of the foster parents, where they encounter numerous officers, including the DPS Captain who has been pursuing them, Captain Harlin Tanner. Despite a cast with two Academy Award winners (Goldie Hawn as Ila Fae and Ben Johnson as Capt. 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