Plot: What’s it about?
Lou Jean Poplin (Goldie Hawn) wants to be reunited with her husband Clovis (William Atherton), but that isn’t a simple task. You see, Clovis is in prison and has about a month left on his sentence, but that is too long for Lou Jean to endure. Instead of letting his sentence run out, she visits him in prison and helps him start an escape. Soon enough, he is out of jail and the entire state of Texas is looking out for Lou Jean and Clovis. A hostage situation arises, as the couple kidnaps a State Trooper named Slide (William Sacks) and forces him to drive them wherever they demand, with a specific plan in mind. The reason Lou Jean couldn’t wait on Clovis to be released was that their son was being put into an adoption service. If the month would have passed, the window of getting him back could have closed. Lou Jean doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but she wants to keep her family intact, no matter what that entails. Now the entire Texas police force is behind her in hot pursuit, but the local citizens and the media have mixed reactions. Some feel she has only done what she had to do, an extreme action to be sure, but one that a mother has to do. This complicates matters for the police, who see the situation as only a crime. As time starts to run out on Lou Jean’s run from the law, will she ever see her son again?
After helming the smash hit Duel for television, Steven Spielberg would turn his sights toward the big screen audiences. The Sugarland Express was his feature film debut and of course, we all know what has happened since. This isn’t Spielberg’s usual brand of popcorn cinema however, instead we have a more focused, realistic project. Goldie Hawn (Wildcats, Overboard) took a year off after her Oscar win for Cactus Flower, but soon returned and she is the driving force behind The Sugarland Express. She has a deep, complex character to take on, but she succeeds with flying colors and delivers an excellent performance. In more recent times, she has been limited to mostly comedic roles, but Hawn packs a solid dramatic punch. You’ll see also see Ben Johnson (Terror Train, Cherry 2000) and William Atherton (Ghostbusters, Bio-Dome), the latter of which would be typecast in the future as the asshole in most of his projects. With all of his box office success, this movie has been pushed toward the back of Spielberg’s resume, but that is a shame, as this is a more than solid picture. I do think the story fails to fully connect in some places, but even so, Hawn makes the character work. Universal has done little to primp this movie for DVD, but you’ll still want to check out The Sugarland Express.
Video: How does it look?
The Sugarland Express is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This movie uses a very natural visual style, so while the colors won’t bound off the screen, the image looks very good. As I mentioned, the colors are of a natural spectrum, so while it may seem like the hues are muted, the look is intentional. Again, with this more natural approach, the contrast may seem too bright, but this is the correct visual appearance, so remain calm. While not a perfect transfer, I can say this is the finest visual presentation of the film to date.
Audio: How does it sound?
The disc uses a mono track to replicate the audio, and the track does the best job you’d expect from a mono mix. While the format has its limits, this mix is free from hiss and other annoying mono issues, and the elements remain fluid and separate. The explosions and other high impact audio don’t sound as “in your face” as a surround track would make them sound, but hey, for mono, it all sounds fine. The dialogue is also well done, with no volume issues and very high clarity. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
