The Sugarland Express (1974)

Written by DanDare on June 1, 2020

Steven Spielberg's first proper cinema movie has some great photography from Vilmos Zsigmond.

The tone is uncertain. A road movie, a tragic comedy with car pile ups that is based on true facts.

Lou Jean Sparrow Poplin (Goldie Hawn) takes her husband Clovis (William Atherton) out of a minimum security prison just weeks before his eventual release.

All to save their child who has been taken away and ready to put up for adoption. They kidnap a police officer which leads to them being pursued by the police and the media.

Goldie Hawn is spiky as Lou Jean but she is also stupidly impulsive.

A story that needed more work, Spielberg does make an accomplished film.