Breakdown (1997)

reviewed by
Jeff Shooman

                                  BREAKDOWN
                                 [Spoilers]
                       A film review by Jeff Shooman
                        Copyright 1997 Jeff Shooman

Kurt Russell -- Kathleen Quinlan -- J.T. Walsh A Jonathan Mostow Film

------------ At the outset of this film, as soon as I saw Jeff Taylor (Russell) and his wife Amy (Quinlan) in their bright red Jeep Cherokee, cruising down a desolate highway in the middle of absolutely nowhere, I knew what was coming. I knew that soon, something would happen to their car and it would "break down", hence the name of the film. Why did I know this? Unfortunately in the endless tirade to promote movies, the distributors often give away too much of the film. Now, while one could easily deduce that the car would break down because of the name of the film, the showdown between the bad guy (Walsh) and the good guy (Russell) as shown in the trailer to this film immediately tips its hand.

Now, while this is a qualm of mine, it is my only qualm about this slick piece of filmmaking by Jonathan Mostow. Breakdown is a gripping movie and Mostow should be praised. While his ideas for the film aren't original (he borrows elements from THE VANISHING and DUEL, while also using other ALFRED HITCHCOCK devices), he crafts them into a film which doesn't once let up on the thrills and the chills.

J.T. Walsh's character kidnaps Russell's wife, Amy, played with an appealing vulnerability (like Drew Barrymore in SCREAM) by Kathleen Quinlan. He and his other kidnappers then engage in a series of evil doings and Russell must solve the problem by a) getting back his wife and b) maybe knocking off the bad guys while he's at it.

While it does seem a stretch, the film's catch phrase, "It could happen to you" made me think. I thought how nieve Mr. Russell's character was in letting his wife head out alone, with a stranger, in an 18 wheeler, in the middle of absolutely nowhere. This predicament had (and still has) an eerie effect to it. Trust no one, I think. This element of the film is very useful.

What also is hauntingly chilling is the crime itself. Ms. Quinlan is kept in a small compartment of a truck, with only inches of breathing room. I got the chills when I saw the way she was entrapped, and I thought of myself if I were in that situation. It was at that point which I knew Mostow had done a great job of startling the viewer.

All in all, Mostow crafted a great film here. Not quite a "white-knuckler", I left the theatre in a sweat. A //cold// sweat no less. The movie ended very effectively. IT was one of those deals where one thinks the movie will further resolve itself, but it doesn't. Funny, my friend sarcastically remarked to me before the credits, "And that's it...the END." He was obviously expected more. And then when the credits rolled, he sat there stunned. Whoa, it's over? he remarked.

Absolutely, I replied. And what a way to end it.

*** 1/2  out of ****

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