Sugarland Express Reviews

Early days

Having just read 'Easy Riders Raging Bulls' I wanted to see a few of the films of the 70s, some of which I'd never seen before. Sugarland Express is one such - I'm not a fan of Spielberg's at all, and his best film in my view is 'Duel', which was originally made for TV anyway. Sugarland Express demonstrates that he could put together a well-made film, although I must admit I didn't have much sympathy for the main characters. Watchable but forgettable. After this he made Jaws, and the rest is history...

A taste of things to come

Your enjoyment of 'Sugarland Express' depends a lot on how much of a film fan you are. If you enjoy purely the story on screen, then this is a more than watchable road movie with great performances from the four main protagonists. If you're at all interested in direction, editing, cinematography - in other words the film-making process - then this film is a great reminder of the genius of Steven Spielberg, and a good companion to his feature-length debut 'Duel'.

It's all there; brilliant camerawork, gorgeous photography, high-tempo car chases with ‘harder than it looks’ camera and sound work (see the scene where Ben Johnson’s sheriff is driving side-by-side William Atherton’s stolen police car whilst negotiating with him over the police radio), and it’s accompanied by a jaunty harmonica-led score by, of course, John Williams.

Oh, and Spielberg was still in his twenties when he made this...

[Highly rated reviewer]

It's Spielberg but not as we know him.

Predictable nonsense.Nothing new.Tired old cliches.

Impossible to believe that this same man brought us E.T.,Close Encounters,Jaws,Schindler's List etc.....still,I suppose we've all got to start somewhere.

Spielberg's first but not his best.....

This is Spielbergs first foray onto the big screen (his first film Duel was made for TV) and unfortunately it's abit of a missfire. Goldie Hawn is excellent as the wife who gets her husband out of jail to get their child back. And their are well executed set pieces from the future great Director. Ultimately though this film is a let down

The Sugarland Express (1974) - Steven Spielberg

An assured debut for Spielberg, his first proper feature after a successful career in TV and the superb 1971TV movie 'Duel'. It's a strange mixture of tragic family drama and goofy Texas road movie, as two petty criminals kidnap a patrolman to drive to collect their young baby son from foster parents, collecting an enormous police, media and public entourage as the chase develops. Spielbergs technical skill is noticeable throughout and he does a good job of keeping such a basic story interesting and entertaining throughout. Hawn was a bit too hysterical for my liking, but it's worth a watch to see just how talented the young Spielberg was.

Early indie for Spielberg

Given that Spielberg can get just about any film idea made with a generous budget to boot, its some what strange to see this early film of his.

But it is a good example of the kind of film he would later make. All the usual amount of sentiment about the family is in place but with the addition of a few darker elements he wouldn't make use of till much later. If you really enjoyed Spielberg's family friendly films this should right up your street.

safe debut

Spielberg has become the worlds greatest director but his first proper film (duel was a T.V movie) is a low key sometimes touching effort

Motherhood and Apple Pie

... the cornerstones of the American right. Except of course when the mother is a convicted felon, and the father no better. She won't take 'No' for an answer when she wants to hear 'Yes' - but this is a threat to the forces of Law and Order in gun-totin Texas and thereby hangs the tale.

Of course, it could never happen here. Our enforcement agencies never over-react. Our children are all safe in their beds. Our mothers are all responsible citizens who understand that they can't necessarily have what they most want.

Spielberg's directorial debut

Based on a true story,this film shows us just how crazy the U.S. is.But apart from that a highly enjoyable film to watch,may look a little dated now but was made 30 years ago.