Breakdown (1997/I)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Jonathan Mostow

Writers (WGA):

Jonathan Mostow (story)
Jonathan Mostow (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

2 May 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

No-one is safe from chance

Plot:

A man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert.

Plot Keywords:

Diner | Desert | Jeep | Ransom | Truck Driver

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

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
Steve Waddington	...	Cowboy In Bank
Rick Sanders	...	Truck Stop Trucker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alitzah	...	Spanish Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Jonathan Mostow

Writing credits (WGA)
Jonathan Mostow		(story)
Jonathan Mostow		(screenplay) and
Sam Montgomery		(screenplay)

Produced by
Harry Colomby	....	executive producer
Dino De Laurentiis	....	producer
Martha De Laurentiis	....	producer
Jonathan Fernandez	....	executive producer
Artist W. Robinson	....	associate producer (as Artist Robinson)
Jeffrey Sudzin	....	line producer

Original Music by
Basil Poledouris

Cinematography by
Douglas Milsome		(director of photography) (as Doug Milsome)

Film Editing by
Derek Brechin
Kevin Stitt

Casting by
Carol Lewis

Production Design by
Victoria Paul

Art Direction by
Lee Mayman

Set Decoration by
Peg Cummings

Costume Design by
Terry Dresbach

Makeup Department
Jeri Baker	....	hair stylist: second unit
Dionne Dana	....	hair stylist
Tom Hoerber	....	makeup artist
Dennis Liddiard	....	key makeup artist (as Dennis Liddiard Jr.)
Susan Mills	....	key hair stylist
Malanie J. Romero	....	hair stylist: second unit (as Malanie Romero)
Malanie J. Romero	....	makeup artist: second unit (as Malanie Romero)

Production Management
Teresa Kelly	....	post-production supervisor
Pearl A. Lucero	....	production supervisor (as Pearl Lucero)
Jeffrey Sudzin	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
M. James Arnett	....	second unit director (as Jim Arnett)
Adam Druxman	....	second assistant director
Artist W. Robinson	....	first assistant director (as Artist Robinson)
Charles Simmers	....	second second assistant director (as Charles Simmers III)
Mark Tobey	....	second assistant director: second unit
John Wildermuth Jr.	....	first assistant director: second unit (as John Wildermuth)
Kevin Duncan	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Richard L. Cowitt	....	property master: second unit (as Richard Cowitt)
Michael Crowley	....	general foreperson
Bryan Duff	....	assistant property master
David Elliott	....	construction coordinator
John N. Graffeo	....	set dresser (as John Graffeo)
Murvel Hanson	....	propmaker
Alex Hill	....	storyboard artist
Jennifer Howard	....	art department coordinator
Paul Iannizzotto	....	property master: second unit
Gerard Jordan	....	set dresser
Robert E. Knight	....	head scenic artist (as Robert Ellison Knight)
Larry Maguire	....	lead person
Mark Mauricio	....	greensperson: second unit
John McCabe	....	propmaker foreperson
Frank McEldowney	....	greensperson
David L. McGuire	....	set dresser (as David McGuire)
Mark Perry	....	paint foreperson
David Pessamato	....	construction foreperson
Jimmy Raitt	....	property master
Reyes Rodriguez	....	propmaker
Mark Sakamoto	....	set dresser
Tristano Solari	....	propmaker
Mark Thie	....	construction foreperson
Gyula Toth	....	set dresser
David Tyrone	....	greensperson: second unit
Chris Alvarez	....	welding foreman (uncredited)
Ron Yates	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Albert Aquino	....	boom operator
Felipe Borrero	....	sound mixer
Michael Chandler	....	sound editor
Gary Coppola	....	foley recordist
Thom 'Coach' Ehle	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Cindy Jo Hinkleman	....	assistant sound editor
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Jaszkowiak	....	foley recordist
Gillian Johnson	....	foley editor
Jon Johnson	....	supervising sound editor
Val Kuklowsky	....	supervising adr editor
Earl Martin	....	foley recordist
Mark McBryde	....	foley artist
Jeffrey Perkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert R. Rutledge	....	foley artist (as Bob Rutledge)
Edward M. Steidele	....	foley artist (as Ed Steidel)
Greg Teall	....	sound editor (as Gregg Teall)
Robert Troy	....	dialogue editor
Ronald L. Wright	....	cable person (as Ron Wright)
Dean St. John	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Guy Faria	....	special effects
Greg Johnson	....	special effects assistant: second unit
Kevin Kern	....	special effects assistant: second unit
David A. Poole	....	special effects assistant (as David Poole)
Robert Ross	....	special effects assistant
Michael Roundy	....	special effects foreperson (as Mike Roundy)
Tom von Badinski	....	special effects
Richard Zarro	....	special effects coordinator (as Rick Zarro)
Ronald Zarro	....	special effects coordinator (as Ron Zarro)

Visual Effects by
Syd Dutton	....	matte painter: Illusion Arts Inc.
Rod Schumacher	....	digital opticals
Bill Taylor	....	matte painter: Illusion Arts Inc.
Mike Wassel	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
M. James Arnett	....	stunt coordinator (as Jim Arnett)
Seth Arnett	....	stunts
John Casino	....	stunts
Norm Compton	....	stunts
Shane Dixon	....	stunts
Eddy Donno	....	stunts
Mark Ginther	....	stunts
James M. Halty	....	stunts (as Jim Halty)
Gene Hartline	....	stunts
Kevin L. Jackson	....	stunts (as Kevin Lemont Jackson)
Keii Johnston	....	stunts
Al Jones	....	stunts
Steve Kelso	....	stunts
Diana R. Lupo	....	stunts (as Diana Lupo)
Hugh Aodh O'Brien	....	stunts (as Hugh O'Brien)
Steve Picerni	....	stunts
Troy Robinson	....	stunts
Jimmy Romano	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunt coordinator
Alexis Scher	....	stunts
Ellen G. Statham	....	stunts (as Ellen C. Statham)
Sven-Ole Thorsen	....	stunts
Michael M. Vendrell	....	stunts (as Michael Vendrell)
Myke Schwartz	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Gavin Alcott	....	second assistant camera
Preston Brown	....	grip: second unit
Ron Cardarelli	....	first company grip: second unit
Doug Chartier	....	grip
Robert Cheung	....	electrician
William Coss	....	first assistant camera: second unit (as Bill Coss)
Larry D. Davis	....	first assistant camera: second unit (as Larry Davis)
Yusef Edmonds	....	camera loader: second unit
Cary Fisher	....	camera operator
Richard Foreman Jr.	....	still photographer (as Richard Foreman)
Heather M. Hillmeyer	....	electrician (as Heather Hillmeyer)
Frank M. Holgate	....	helicopter camera operator: second unit (as Frank Holgate)
Casey Hotchkiss	....	camera operator: second unit
David Jarrell	....	chief lighting technician: second unit
Gary J. Jensen	....	grip: second unit (as Gary Jensen)
Eugene B. Kerry	....	second company grip (as Eugene Kerry)
Lance Layman	....	second assistant camera
Michael Listorti	....	dolly grip (as Michael E. Listorti)
Sid Lucero	....	second company grip: second unit
Niles McElroy	....	electrician
Jeff Milewsky	....	grip: second unit
Lloyd Moriarity	....	first company grip
Richard Mosier	....	first assistant camera
John O'Grady	....	dolly grip: second unit
Dan Owen	....	grip
Jason Poteet	....	underwater camera operator: second unit
Robert Presley	....	camera operator
David 'D.R.' Rhineer	....	second assistant camera
Greg Rhineer	....	first assistant camera
Mark Sadler	....	electrician
Ron Santoyo	....	grip
Raymond Stella	....	director of photography: second unit (as Ray Stella)
Greg St. John	....	first assistant camera: second unit (as Greg St. Johns)
Randy Tepper	....	still photographer: second unit
Paul Theriault	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Eli Thompson	....	electrician
Lon Thompson	....	chief lighting technician
Steve Titus	....	grip: second unit
Don Tomich	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Vincent Torres	....	grip
Pernell Youngblood Tyus	....	camera operator: second unit (as Pernell Tyus)
Jolanda R. Wipfli	....	second assistant camera: second unit (as Jolanda Wipfli)
Glenn Fishel	....	grip (uncredited)
Jim Gordon	....	grip (uncredited)
Jeffrey A. Johnson	....	rigger (uncredited)
Jimi Udel	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Tony Hobbs	....	extras casting
Jory Weitz	....	casting associate
Rick Zieff	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Craig Ames	....	costumer
Tom Houchins	....	costumer: second unit
Jennifer Kouba	....	costume supervisor
Stacy Seeds	....	costumer: second unit
Amy Wetherbee	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Tony Bacigalupi	....	apprentice film editor
Neil Greenberg	....	assistant film editor
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Lisa Romaniw	....	assistant film editor (as Lisa Mozden)
Matvey Shatz	....	color timer
Frank G. Urioste	....	apprentice editor
Frank J. Urioste	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Stuart Boros	....	music supervisor
Tim Boyle	....	scoring mixer (as Timothy Boyle)
Scott Browning	....	assistant to music supervisor
Christine Cholvin	....	assistant music editor
Eric Colvin	....	musician: synthesizers
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor (as Sandy De Crescent)
Daryl B. Kell	....	supervising music editor
Ken Kushnick	....	music consultant
Helena Lea	....	preview music editor
Richard Marvin	....	composer: additional music
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator
Basil Poledouris	....	conductor
Curtis Roush	....	scoring consultant
Steven Scott Smalley	....	orchestrator (as Scott Smalley)
Eric Colvin	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Steve Boyd	....	transportation coordinator: second unit
Ron Hardman	....	transportation coordinator
Rick Sanders	....	transportation captain
Phil Balani	....	driver generator operator (uncredited)
Hugh Kelly	....	transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Dwayne Abernathy	....	craft service
Veronica Alexander	....	assistant: Mr. Mostow
Lawrence Andrews	....	production assistant: second unit
Paul Belenardo	....	production auditor
Torben Bulbring	....	production assistant
Dennis Cavalier	....	assistant auditor
Pamela Chess	....	assistant to producers
Joe Coleman	....	assistant production coordinator: second unit (as Joseph Coleman III)
Robert Dawson	....	title designer
Shirley Delovich	....	production assistant
Linda Emmons-Cunningham	....	location manager
Loris Favaron	....	caterer
Loris Favaron	....	chef
Gigi Ferraiolo	....	caterer
Gigi Ferraiolo	....	chef
Cliff Fleming	....	helicopter pilot: second unit
Alfonso Flores	....	production assistant
Steve Forman	....	speciality percussion
Hector Freeman	....	assistant to producers
Steve Gehrke	....	script supervisor (as Steven Gehrke)
Jennifer A. Giancola	....	production assistant: second unit (as Jennifer Giancola)
Pamela Hilse	....	assistant production coordinator
Kim Horridge	....	assistant production coordinator
Steven E. Housewright	....	location manager (as Steven Housewright)
Gunnar Hunneke	....	production assistant (as Gunner Hunneke)
Sue Jennings	....	production coordinator: second unit
Christopher Jones	....	assistant to producers
Brent Jose	....	assistant to producers
Dale Knight	....	production assistant: second unit
Robert Krywicki	....	payroll auditor (as Bob Krywicki)
Keith Kumamoto	....	assistant auditor
Jim Leabeater	....	river coordinator: second unit
Hal Long	....	production assistant: second unit
Mahnaz Mary Mahdavi	....	assistant auditor
Cynthia Martinez	....	production assistant
Brian Mercado	....	production assistant: second unit
Judd Miller	....	evi soloist
Peter Morales	....	production assistant
Erica Pearce	....	production assistant
Jim Petti	....	assistant: Mr. Russell
Adam Press	....	production assistant
Kenneth Roth	....	production assistant: second unit (as Ken Roth)
Roberta Shintani	....	production auditor
Deanna Stadler	....	production assistant
Cheryl Starbuck	....	script supervisor: second unit
Jeffrey D. Stevens	....	medic (as Jeffrey Stevens)
Cid Swank	....	unit publicist
Molly Weber	....	assistant: Mr. Mostow
Jim Wills	....	craft service: second unit
David Wolf	....	assistant auditor
Phillips Wylly Jr.	....	location manager (as Flip Wylly)
Andrea Zuckerman	....	production assistant: second unit
Bennie Zura	....	production assistant
Edward Hodges	....	production assistant: stunt unit (uncredited)
Johnny Meyer	....	body double: J. Noseworthy (uncredited)
Gianluca Nardulli	....	press officer: Italy (uncredited)
Mike Sudrow	....	weapons specialist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dino De Laurentiis Company (as Dino De Laurentiis Company)
• Paramount Pictures (a Viacom company)
• Spelling Films

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1997) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1999) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (1997) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1997) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• América Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (1998) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
• BMG Video (Germany) (video)
• CIC-Taft Home Video
• Filmes Lusomundo (Portugal)
• Líder Films (Spain)
• Paramount Home Video (video)
• Paris Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Roadshow Entertainment
• Roadshow Film Distributors (NZ) Ltd.
• Tobis Filmkunst (Germany)

Special Effects

• Illusion Arts (matte paintings)
• Slagle Minimotion (live-action miniatures)

Other Companies

• Bureau of Land Management  grateful acknowledgement (as U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management)
• Bureau of Land Management  grateful acknowledgement: Moab District, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada
• California Department of Fish and Game  grateful acknowledgement
• Cenex Casting  extras casting
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies (as Chapman)
• Cinema Research  titles
• City and County of Los Angeles  grateful acknowledgement
• City of Victorville, CA  grateful acknowledgement
• County of Placer, CA  grateful acknowledgement
• El Dorato County, CA  grateful acknowledgement
• Eldorado Craft Services  craft service
• For Stars Catering  catering
• Fury & Grace Digital  sound design
• Great Northern/Reiff & Associates  grateful acknowledgement (as Great Nothern/Reiff & Assoc.)
• Howard A. Anderson Company  opticals (as Howard Anderson Co.)
• Illusion Arts  matte paintings (as Illusion Arts)
• International Catering  catering
• International Recording  sound re-recording (as International Recording Corporation)
• J.L. Fisher  camera dollies (as J.L. Fisher)
• National Park Service, The  grateful acknowledgement (as U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service)
• National Park Service, The  grateful acknowledgement: Mojave Preserve
• Otto Nemenz International  cameras supplied by (as Otto Nemenz)
• RTV Video  video transfer
• Sound Satisfaction  foley facilities
• State of California  grateful acknowledgement
• State of Nevada  grateful acknowledgement
• State of Utah  grateful acknowledgement

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence/terror and language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Australia:M | Germany:16 | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #34949) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

American River, Sacramento, California, USA

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

In the original script, Red talks briefly to Amy in the gas station store at the beginning of the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Earl stops to pick up Jeff after he gets the ransom money, he stops his truck in front of a railroad crossing. When he pulls away, there is no railroad crossing in sight.

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?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Road (2002)

Soundtrack:

Walking Out The Back Door

Snowballs in the desert...

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'. (****)