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. "[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. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events The Sugarland Express. Now, 2 ACES, can never disappoint? It doesn't work. A TV reporter investigates compromising photographs of a nominee to the Supreme Court. Hysterical Californians prepare for a Japanese invasion in the days after Pearl Harbor. 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. [3] It stars Goldie Hawn, Ben Johnson, William Atherton, and Michael Sacks. 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. As the herd of cars races and heaves and crashes through the landscape, the state's personality surfaces like a sperm whale. 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]. Morgan Freeman attends the screening for The Sugarland Express at the 30th Deauville American Film Festival on September 7, 2004 in Deauville, France. “The Sugarland Express” is a prime example of the new‐style factory movie: slick, cynical, mechanical, empty. 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. Title: 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). 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's 1974 novel of the same name. 1974, U.S., 110m, 35mm . Il personaggio si rivelò abbastanza complesso da riuscire a riportare sugli schermi la superstar Goldie Hawn dopo un anno di pausa successivo alla vincita dell'Oscar®. Lou-Jean, a blonde woman, tells her husband, who is imprisoned, to escape. "[15] Pauline Kael of The New Yorker wrote that "Spielberg uses his gifts in a very free-and-easy, American way—for humor, and for a physical response to action. A young couple moves into a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania. Golden Goldies. They hitch a ride from the prison with a couple, but when Texas Department of Public Safety Patrolman Maxwell Slide stops the car, they take the car and run. [2], The film won the award for Best Screenplay at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival. This one is about February of 1973, just west of Houston, Texas (Sugarland in actuality), Clovis Poplin is serving the remainder of his one year prison sentence in pre-release at the TDC Pre-Release Facility for petty larceny. 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. The escape is partly successful, they take a hostage, who is a policeman and are pursued through to Texas... 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, ‘Fatman’ Exec Producer Kyle Stroud Unveils Debut Slate At Production & Finance Outfit Carte Blanche. From Wings to Parasite, here's a look back at all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in the history of the ceremony. She died in 1992, in her mid-40s.[5]. He contributed to publications such as The Saturday Evening Post, Harper"s, Collier"s, and Cosmopolitan.He married Helen Gurley Brown. Thumbs Up! Lou-Jean, a blonde woman, tells her husband, who is imprisoned, to escape. Career. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. It might have helped ticket sales if the script had stayed true to the real story. CATALOGS. Coming right away to the acting department, Goldie Hawn steals the show with a magnificent performance. Add the first question. Lou-Jean, a blonde woman, tells her husband, who is imprisoned, to escape. A young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation of China during World War II. FEATURED MOVIES. The website's critical consensus reads, "Its plot may ape the countercultural road movies of its era, but Steven Spielberg's feature debut displays many of the crowd-pleasing elements he'd refine in subsequent films. The Sugarland Express marked the first use of a compact Panaflex camera developed by Panavision Corporation. During the lengthy pursuit, Slide and the pair bond and develop mutual respect for one another. Screened May 6–8, 2017. Arnold, Gary (April 5, 1974) "It's a Real Movie and The One That Matters". DOCUMENTARIES. Part of the program. The Sugarland Express is a Cazy story, with Cazy writers, a Crazy cast and a slow one to follow. "[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. Written by Kornel Osvart William Atherton is superb, this is his most mature performance to date. [5] Ila Fae was sentenced to five years in prison, serving only five months. Nevertheless it has its moments that make it an entertaining movie for adults to watch. “The Sugarland Express” hit movie theaters in 1974. [5], In real life, Ila Fae did not break Bobby out of prison – he had been released from prison in April 1969, two weeks before the slow-motion car chase began. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called it "a dazzling, funny, exciting and finally poignant film," and called it "astonishing" what Spielberg, Barwood and Robbins "have managed to accomplish within a simple trek plot. 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. Despite a cast with two Academy Award winners (Goldie Hawn as Ila Fae and Ben Johnson as Capt. 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. He could be that rarity among directors a born entertainer—perhaps a new generation's Howard Hawks. It might have helped ticket sales if the script had stayed true to the real story. Check out our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're excited about this month, like Mortal Kombat, "Them," and Stowaway. 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. An epilogue preceding the closing credits explains that Lou Jean subsequently spent fifteen months of a five-year prison term in a women's correctional facility. CATALOGS. Here's why: It's based on a true story and it is the first theatrical feature film directed by Steven Spielberg. Four horror and science fiction segments, directed by four famous directors, each of them being a new version of a classic story from Rod Serling's landmark television series. "Mother Love Leads a Curious Caravan". This is a trailer I produced years ago for interactive TV network Intertainer. The Poplins and Slide travel through Beaumont, Dayton, Houston, Cleveland, Conroe and finally Wheelock, Texas. Menacing flying saucers attack the citizens of a town. The Sugarland Express, 1974, (c) UniversalA woman attempts to reunite her family by helping her husband escape prison and together kidnapping their son. 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. This was Steven Spielberg's first theatrical film. The Sugarland Express also benefits greatly on Blu-ray. This was the first movie to use the Panavision Panaflex camera. Miller), the first feature film by 30-year-old Steven Spielberg laid an egg at the box office. The Sugarland Express is a 1974 American crime drama film directed by Steven Spielberg in his theatrical feature directorial debut. Others are satisfactory.On the whole, this Superb Piece Of Cinema cannot be missed by Cinema-Devotees. This FAQ is empty. No Hollywood actress in recent memory has come closer than Goldie Hawn to capturing the ebullience and whip-smart comic timing of the great screen comediennes of the ’30s and ’40s, a modern Joan Blondell or Carole Lombard. The spirit of a recently deceased expert pilot mentors a newer pilot while watching him fall in love with the girlfriend that he left behind. Ben Johnson is, as always, terrific. 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. #TFC50 April 3, 1793 | The Sugarland Express used a genuine Texas prison as a filming location to set its stage: Jester State Prison in – where else – Sugarland, Texas. "'Sugarland Express': Sad but true". In terms of the pleasure that technical assurance gives an audience, this is one of the most phenomenal début films in the history of movies. The Sugarland Express succeeds thanks to its energetic and vibrant direction; the camera operations are exciting and lure you into the story even when the characters are not always interesting enough. These included the first tracking shot from front seat to back and the first 360-degree pan within a car in film history. Michael Sacks emotes the helplessness and support remarkably. 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. The film is now regarded as something of an anomaly for both comic actress Hawn and blockbuster director Spielberg as neither have typically been associated with the crime drama genre. "Film: Goldie Hawn on 'The Sugarland Express'". The Legendary Actress delivers a performance of a lifetime! Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. A clip from the Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoon Whoa, Be-Gone! now playing Sugarland Express, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) We've Got A Bad Hombre. The event partially took place, the story is partially set, and the film was partially filmed in Sugar Land, Texas. He attended Stanford University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Alves has designed three features for Steven Spielberg, firstly for The Sugarland Express.He designed the three mechanical sharks for the movie Jaws (1975) with mechanical effects man Bob Mattey supervising their physical construction in Sun Valley CA. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? The smaller, lighter camera made it possible for Spielberg to capture complicated shots from within the police car. 'The Sugarland Express' is a very special film, it stands out. “The Sugarland Express” hit movie theaters in 1974. (1974). "[8], Roger Ebert gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "If the movie finally doesn’t succeed, that’s because Spielberg has paid too much attention to all those police cars (and all the crashes they get into), and not enough to the personalities of his characters. Still, I did dig this film as a decent enough crime-drama even if it isn't entirely refined as it does assuredly … Kornel Osvart . FEATURED MOVIES. They plan to kidnap their own child, who was placed with foster parents. Starting out as a comedy that gradually darkens, 'The Sugarland Express,' which is based on an actual incident, becomes an increasingly disenchanted portrait of contemporary America. Murphy, Arthur D. (March 20, 1974). The added sharpness of HD helps with the many wide shots, and the enhanced contrast range strengthens images with dark figures silhouetted against police lights or sun glare. The Sugarland Express holds an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 7.23 out of 10 from 39 reviews. Patrolman Slide is found unharmed. is shown in silence during a scene at a drive-in theater. [5] The character of Texas Highway Patrolman Slide is based on then-27-year-old Trooper J. Kenneth Crone. We get to know these three people just enough to want to know them better. Too bad, for two-thirds of the film is artful, the rest strident. A compilation of episodes from the anthology SF/Fantasy TV series. DOCUMENTARIES. Golden Goldies After losing their baby son to the state, small-time crooks Hawn and William Atherton snatch him right back and go on the run, pitting them against seemingly every law … 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. Despite a cast with two Academy Award winners (Goldie Hawn as Ila Fae and Ben Johnson as Capt. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. In May 1969, 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. "[13] Nora Sayre of The New York Times wrote, "Spielberg, the 26-year old director, has built up Texas as a major character in his movie. They plan to kidnap their own child, who was placed with foster parents. The courts must decide whether the Mende are slaves or legally free. The Sugarland Express, which is Spielberg's first theatrical feature, boasts a more derivative and predictable plot that unfortunately feels unexciting at times. The real incident took place in May of 1969. The Sugarland Express. A year later, Spielberg's next project for Zanuck and Brown was 1975's blockbuster hit Jaws. [17], For American football player with the nickname "Sugar Land Express", see. The all-time biggest success so far is Steven Spielberg, an unknown who made his debut at the 1974 festival with ''The Sugarland Express,'' starring Goldie Hawn. 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. The actual kidnapped patrolman, James Kenneth Crone, played a small role in the film as a deputy sheriff. "[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 incident has been made with ease, the Legendary Filmmaker never disappoints -- as simple as that! The Sugarland Express $3.99 $14.99 Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime shipping. "The Current Cinema". If I knew what this movie was like I would have never rented it. 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. The Sugarland Express, poster, US … 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. Thomas, Kevin (April 5, 1974). The actual event took place in 1969, and the young couple involved got a lot of sympathy from the folks along their route. title details and video sharing options. Favorite Film Directed by Steven Spielberg? 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.) Roy Neary, an electric lineman, watches how his quiet and ordinary daily life turns upside down after a close encounter with a UFO. A black Southern woman struggles to find her identity after suffering abuse from her father and others over four decades. Mr. Spielberg has also made marvelous use of many Texans, some of whom haven't acted before. Showtimes & Tickets. When the car crashes, the two felons overpower and kidnap Slide, holding him hostage at the head of a slow-moving and growing caravan, initially of police cars but eventually including news vans, private citizens' vehicles, and helicopters. Cleveland, Conroe and finally Wheelock, Texas movie Clip ) We 've got a Bad Hombre Sugarland '. 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