Breakdown (1997)
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A man's desperate search for his wife begins after their car breaks down in the desert and she is kidnapped by a truck driver.
The story
Jeff and Amy Taylor are driving from Boston to San Diego in a new Jeep Grand Cherokee. In the Arizona desert, they nearly collide with a battered pickup. At a gas station, the pickup's driver, Earl, angrily confronts Jeff before departing. On a remote stretch of road, the Jeep stalls. Amy accepts a lift from passing tractor-trailer driver, Red Barr, to reach a nearby diner and seek assistance, while Jeff remains with the vehicle. After Jeff discovers the battery cables were deliberately loosened, he realizes something is wrong. When he reaches the diner, the owner and patrons insist Amy never appeared, leaving Jeff alone to figure out what happened to his wife.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After their car breaks down in the Arizona desert, Amy Taylor accepts a ride from a truck driver, Red Barr, while her husband, Jeff, stays with the vehicle. Jeff discovers the battery was sabotaged and later learns from a local mechanic that Amy left with several men. Jeff is eventually ambushed by Earl and Billy, who take him to Red's hideout. Red demands $90,000 from Jeff's bank account. Jeff manages to escape and eventually captures Earl, but is later taken to Red's farm. There, he finds Amy locked in a cellar freezer. Jeff confronts Red and his accomplices, eventually freeing Amy. A high-speed chase ensues, ending on a bridge where Red rams their truck. After a struggle on the bridge, Jeff hurls Red over the edge, and the falling semi-truck crushes him. The couple survives and waits for the authorities.
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jonathan Mostow
- Writers
- Jonathan Mostow · screenplay; Sam Montgomery · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Kurt Russell · Jeff Taylor; J. T. Walsh · Warren 'Red' Barr; Kathleen Quinlan · Amy Taylor; M. C. Gainey · Earl; Jack Noseworthy · Billy; Ritch Brinkley · Al; Moira Harris · Arleen Barr; Rex Linn · Sheriff Boyd
- Genres
- action; thriller; crime; mystery
- Themes
- survival; kidnapping; desperation
- Tone and mood
- suspenseful; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; action; thriller; kidnapping
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, described as a 'brainy and suspenseful' thriller. It holds a 74 on Metacritic and an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. While some critics praised its pace and acting, others criticized the lead's lack of 'deep rage'.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 7.2 · scale: 10 · review count: 58
- Production trivia
- It is the final film featuring J. T. Walsh to be released in his lifetime.; The film was shot on location in Arizona, Utah, and California.; It was released as a limited edition of 3,000 units by LaLaLand Records in 2011.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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