Breakdown (1997/I)

Director:

Jonathan Mostow

Writers (WGA):

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

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 | Jeep | Desert | 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

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:

Red's truck is a Peterbilt 377.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the final chase scene when the red car rolls over the driver is missing.

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:

Burgers & Fries

A nifty thriller, worthy of your time.

I spent this Christmas 2004 in Hungary, and watched Breakdown on TV the other night. Yes it was dubbed into Hungarian, but I'd already seen the film in the cinema a few years ago. And you know what? I was still as thrilled watching it in Hungarian as when I saw it in the cinema. Why? Because it tells its story mostly in visuals, this for me is the real power of a good film, using the images to tell the tale.

Kurt Russell is outstanding as the bewildered husband seeking his kidnapped wife, and yes while it reminded me of the superb Dutch film The Vanishing (the original 1988 version not the terrible Hollywood remake), and at times Spielberg's Duel, it still has a real freshness about it, with some great photography and direction.

Well worth a look, possibly Russell's best performance. 9/10