The Getaway (1972)
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A mastermind robber is released from prison on the condition that he and his wife rob a bank, only to find themselves hunted by both criminals and the law.
The story
Four years into a ten-year sentence for armed robbery, Carter "Doc" McCoy is denied parole from a Texas prison. His wife, Carol, strikes a deal with a corrupt businessman to secure his release, provided Doc plans and executes a bank robbery with two henchmen. The heist initially proceeds as intended, but a violent double-cross by one of the accomplices leaves the McCoys on the run. Forced to flee with the stolen loot, the couple finds themselves in a high-stakes pursuit as they navigate a dangerous path toward the Mexican border, pursued by both the police and vengeful criminals.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After Doc McCoy is released from prison on the condition of a bank robbery, he and his wife Carol team up with henchmen Rudy Butler and Frank Jackson. During the heist, Frank is killed by Rudy, who then attempts to double-cross Doc. Doc anticipates the move and shoots Rudy, allowing him and Carol to escape with $500,000. However, the situation complicates when Carol reveals she had an affair with the corrupt businessman Beynon to secure Doc's release. The couple flees toward the Mexican border, but they are pursued by the injured Rudy (who survived the shooting) and Beynon's brother. Along the way, they face various obstacles, including a con man who steals part of their money and a violent confrontation at a hotel in El Paso. After a series of skirmishes and a final shootout where Doc kills Rudy, the couple hijacks a truck and successfully crosses into Mexico with the remaining loot.
- First release year
- 1972
- Runtime (minutes)
- 122
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sam Peckinpah
- Writers
- Walter Hill · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Steve McQueen · Carter "Doc" McCoy; Ali MacGraw · Carol; Ben Johnson; Al Lettieri; Sally Struthers
- Genres
- action; thriller; crime
- Themes
- betrayal; crime; survival
- Tone and mood
- violent; tense; amoral
- Premise and plot tags
- heist; road movie; neo-Western
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1958 novel by Jim Thompson
- Reception
- Initially met with negative reviews, the film has been positively reevaluated by retrospective critics. It was a significant box-office success, becoming one of the most financially successful productions of Peckinpah's and McQueen's careers.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 84% · review count: 25
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · original score · nomination
- Production trivia
- Steve McQueen had final cut privileges on the film.; The film was rescored by Quincy Jones after McQueen was unhappy with the initial score.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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