Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Breakdown (1997/I)
Breakdown
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Breakdown (1997/I) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 21 | slideshow) Videos
Breakdown (1997) -- A man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert.

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   14,829 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jonathan Mostow
Writers (WGA):
Jonathan Mostow (story)
Jonathan Mostow (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Breakdown on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
2 May 1997 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
No-one is safe from chance more
Plot:
A man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(13 articles)
Fox Searchlight and Lorenzo di Bonaventura Teaming Up!
 (From FirstShowing.net. 3 June 2009, 10:00 AM, PDT)

Trailer for Surrogates online
 (From Twitch. 23 May 2009, 3:51 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Snowballs in the desert... more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Kurt Russell ... Jeffrey 'Jeff' Taylor

J.T. Walsh ... Warren 'Red' Barr

Kathleen Quinlan ... Amy Taylor

M.C. Gainey ... Earl

Jack Noseworthy ... Billy

Rex Linn ... Sheriff Boyd
Ritch Brinkley ... Al
Moira Harris ... Arleen Barr

Kim Robillard ... Deputy Len Carver

Thomas Kopache ... Calhoun

Jack McGee ... Bartender at Belle's Diner
Vincent Berry ... Deke Barr
Helen Duffy ... Flo
Ancel Cook ... Barfly at Belle's Diner
Gene Hartline ... Tow Truck Driver
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for strong violence/terror and language.
Runtime:
95 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Kurt Russell was helicoptered in and out of the areas of shooting so he could be with his family in Los Angeles at night. more
Goofs:
Continuity: For the final chase, it goes from dawn to mid-day (note the shadows) much too quickly. more
Quotes:
Red: You're a tough man to get a hold of, Jeffery.
Jeff: What do you want?
Red: It's not what I want, it's what you want, and how bad you want it. 'Cause it's gonna cost you. Can't show it to you right now, but it's about 5'5", 115 pounds, three or four of that just pure tit. Nice curly brown hair, upstairs and down. Interested?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Road (2002) more
Soundtrack:
Burgers & Fries more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful:-
Snowballs in the desert..., 11 February 2007
10/10
Author: Benjamin Wolfe from USA

Jeff and Amy Taylor are moving (Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan) to a new place and area, to attempt to preserve their work lives and bring some stability to the world they know. Happily chatting along the way, they run into a small 'snag' their vehicle, has a break down. Over heating and somewhat confused by the incident, Jeff and Amy push the vehicle off the road and collect their wits, trying to figure out a workable plan that will keep them moving and allow them to split up to get two things done and save a lot of after hassles. A Peterbuilt semi truck pulls up behind and then over, a kindly middle aged 'good' Samaritan driver asks if they need assistance? Sure enough, the vehicle has overheated and they need to make it into the next town...one of them, the other staying with the vehicle, so nothing will happened to it.

What happens next is terrifying. People, trusting others to help-out in time of need, run desperately amok. Disasterously Jeff makes it into town to find that his lovely little wife, somehow, never arrived?! Kurt Russell is and brings out an award winning performance of a man in terror. As he is back on the road, he sees the kindly old driver who assisted he and his wife! Jeff pulls up beside 'Red' on the highway motioning Red to pull over and Red just looks at him as if he is stranger. Jeff calls in the local Police, though all the while interred into the problem and sympathetic, nothing gets changed, because Red acts as though he has never seen Jeff and tells the officer the same thing. Jeff is emotionally upside down now!! He feels alone and out numbered by professional kidnappers. As he is moving along, he is contacted. Pursued by a big man named Earl, who ends up being the go-between for the ransom and the party that has mysteriously 'snatched' his woman.

Jeff is now insulted, by the transfer and subsequent abduction of himself by the collector, that something inside Jeff that probably has never been used, breaks down. Jeff Taylor is now on the other side of the law, he is just trying to survive In this game.

Russell excels as Jeff Taylor and Kathleen ain't far behind in this who dun-nit, thriller-roller-coaster ride. The late J.T. Walsch is the front-man screw-setter for the other part of the gang that will turn the screws harder to Jeff and Amy.

This one deserves ten of ten for an exhaustingly great mix of emotion, fear, aggressive action and anger, that will set the movie goer on the edge of the seat! I recommend this for those that want to get unhinged by a dramatic pounding thrill packed 2 hours. And the strangest part is, it all started over a package of 'Snow Balls'. (****)

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Breakdown (1997/I)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The Transformers shot harvester
Worst line in a movie EVER zunie75
should anything else have happened in the end yankeefan92383
This movie reminds me of... gtrboy77
Plot hall boo-139
So chilling its hard to watch lonniemac
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Government Agents vs Phantom Legion The Black Widow Radar Patrol vs. Spy King The Spider Returns Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc.
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Action section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.