The Sugarland Express (1974)
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A woman and her incarcerated husband take a police officer hostage to flee across Texas to retrieve their child from foster care.
The story
In April 1969, Lou Jean Poplin visits her incarcerated husband, Clovis Michael Poplin, to inform him that their son will soon be placed in foster care. She convinces him to escape from prison to help her retrieve their child. After hitching a ride from the prison, they are stopped by Texas Department of Public Safety Patrolman Maxwell Slide. The couple overpowers and kidnaps Slide, holding him hostage as they flee across the Texas landscape. They lead a growing caravan of police cars, news vans, and private citizens' vehicles as they travel through various Texas towns, seeking to reach their son.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In April 1969, Lou Jean Poplin visits her incarcerated husband, Clovis Michael Poplin, to tell him that their son will soon be placed in the care of foster parents. She convinces him to escape from prison to help her retrieve their child. 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. When the car crashes, the two felons overpower and kidnap Slide, holding him hostage at the head of a growing caravan of police cars, news vans, and private citizens' vehicles. The trio travels through Beaumont, Dayton, Houston, Cleveland, Conroe, and finally Wheelock, Texas. By holding Slide hostage, the pair are able to continually gas up their car and obtain food and supplies from locals. During the lengthy pursuit, Slide and the pair bond and develop mutual respect. They attempt to commandeer an RV but are confronted by local vigilantes. They eventually make contact with Captain Tanner, who allows them to depart after bargaining with Clovis. The Poplins reach Sugarland, where Captain Tanner attempts to have Clovis turn himself in, but he refuses. Slide and Clovis recognize something is amiss at the foster parents' home, but Lou Jean insists on retrieving their son. A pair of Texas Rangers shoot and fatally wound Clovis. After another car chase, the Texas Department of Public Safety arrests Lou Jean, while Patrolman Slide is found unharmed. An epilogue reveals that Lou Jean spent fifteen months of a five-year prison term in a women's correctional facility before obtaining the right to live with her son.
- First release year
- 1974
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Spielberg
- Writers
- Hal Barwood · screenplay; Matthew Robbins · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Goldie Hawn · Lou Jean; Ben Johnson · Captain Tanner; Michael Sacks · Slide; William Atherton · Clovis; Gregory Walcott · Mashburn; Steve Kanaly · Jessup; Louise Latham · Mrs. Looby
- Genres
- crime drama; comedy-drama; road movie; chase film
- Themes
- Parental devotion; Bonding between enemies; The American landscape
- Tone and mood
- Funny; Tense; Poignant; Raucous; Feverish
- Premise and plot tags
- True Story; Road Movie; Kidnapping; Prison Break
- Source material / true-story basis
- True events
- Reception
- The film was a commercial disappointment but received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Hawn's performance, Spielberg's direction and the cinematography. It has become a cult classic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 87% · review count: 52; Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: 100 · review count: 4
- Awards and nominations
- Best Screenplay · Cannes Film Festival · 1974 · Won
- Production trivia
- First movie to use the Panavision Panaflex camera.; The film was the lowest-grossing film of Spielberg's career.; Clips from the Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoon Whoa, Be-Gone! are shown in silence during a scene.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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