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The Sugarland Express

PG 1974 1h 49m Comedy Drama List
87% Tomatometer 52 Reviews 66% Audience Score 5,000+ Ratings
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. Lou-Jean gets Clovis out of jail, and the two steal their son from his foster home, in addition to taking a highway patrolman hostage. As a massive dragnet starts to pursue them across Texas, the couple become unlikely folk heroes and even start to bond with the captive policeman. Read More Read Less
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The Sugarland Express

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Critics Reviews

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Rex Reed New York Daily News A highly winning entertainment. Apr 20, 2021 Full Review Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times It is astonishing to contemplate all that director Steven Spielberg and his writers Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins, all of them in their theatrical feature debuts, have managed to accomplish. Apr 20, 2021 Full Review Susan Stark Detroit Free Press Engrossing to watch, it begins to work on you, to declare its claim to greatness, after a while. You'll see. Apr 20, 2021 Full Review Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault Made before Spielberg became a thousand-pound gorilla, "Sugarland" is pleasantly small and unassuming. Rated: B+ Nov 29, 2022 Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies The Sugarland Express has become something of a cult classic mainly because of Steven Spielberg making it his first theatrical release. Rated: 3.5/5 Nov 23, 2022 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Clearly, in Spielberg’s vision of cops and robbers, everyone is an average person, with reasonable motives and expectations and inclinations toward forgiveness, even when circumstances tend to demand more outrageous reactions. Rated: 7/10 Sep 22, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Leaburn O Spielberg made one of his best movies right at the start. Simple plot, excellently executed as he builds the characters over a couple of days. A good story, well told. Watched on DVD. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/02/24 Full Review r96 s Quality! 'The Sugarland Express' is Steven Spielberg's first theatrical release as director, which is quite something given the movie seems like it was made by a seasoned vet. On a similar note, the look and feel of the film is absolutely outstanding; it has aged remarkably well visually, almost hard to believe it came out in 1974! I also really enjoyed the score, particularly Toots Thielemans on the harmonica, but that's no surprise - John Williams, duh! As for plot, it is very entertaining. I like how silly everything plays out for the first chunk and the film knows it, but events gradually rise up a notch throughout the 110 minutes. The more serious conclusion would've felt quite sudden and out of place, though it is portrayed and paced perfectly. Cast-wise, Goldie Hawn, William Atherton and Michael Sacks are excellent, though Ben Johnson is probably the one I'd rate highest. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/09/24 Full Review Alec B It may be derivative but the movie is so tightly controlled by Spielberg and so captivating from start to finish that it just doesn't matter. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/20/24 Full Review Vargtimmen B Spielberg suddenly opens up to me in the best traditions of American classic cinema in the spirit of John Wayne films. Brilliant work, unlike any of his films. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/14/23 Full Review Georgan G 3 & 1/4 stars. I generally liked the movie which had little to do with the real life event. But still, I kept asking myself, who is dumber? The couple who thinks the cops will let them go after all the ruckus? Or the law who chases them endlessly? Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/25/23 Full Review Crom W Goldie Hawn was made for this kind of role, 5 stars to her. Movie 3 stars. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Sugarland Express

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Movie Info

Synopsis 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. Lou-Jean gets Clovis out of jail, and the two steal their son from his foster home, in addition to taking a highway patrolman hostage. As a massive dragnet starts to pursue them across Texas, the couple become unlikely folk heroes and even start to bond with the captive policeman.
Director
Steven Spielberg
Producer
Richard D. Zanuck, David Brown
Screenwriter
Hal Barwood, Matthew Robbins
Production Co
Universal Pictures, Zanuck/Brown Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2015
Runtime
1h 49m
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