This is the ultimate romantic adventure, complete with a great cast, exotic locations, and measured doses of action, humor, and heart. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner never looked better. They have that ephemeral “chemistry”, the kind that keeps you glued to the screen, rooting for them.
The screenplay by Diane Thomas is well paced and constructed, giving plenty of breathing room to a romantic relationship that evolves naturally and believably. Director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) sprinkles memorable action scenes throughout the journey, including the swing across the gorge, the Bronco chase, and the waterfall. I like the final showdown among all the adversaries, and how a certain alligator figures into the conclusion. I’m also fond of Alan Silvestri’s score. It may not be the traditional big orchestra type, but the contemporary/Caribbean/piano lounge feel (odd as it may be) gives the movie a distinct, appropriate sound.
What an odd, beguiling vigilante road-trip romance this is. Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek star as two oddly unaffected youths who casually pair up and embark on what turns out to be a killing spree through South Dakota. This was director Terrence Malick’s (Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line) first feature film, and much of his trademark style is here — the beautiful scenery, cutaways to flora, fauna, and natural phenomena (including the most beautiful house burning put to film), as well as voice-over narration that begs a more poetic interpretation of the material.
James Dean received the first posthumous acting nomination from the Academy Awards for his performance as the troubled Cal in East of Eden, his first major film role. (He would die tragically just a few months after the film was released.) It’s a riveting performance, one of the most vulnerable and moving I’ve ever seen. The film, directed with style and elegance by Elia Kazan, is based on the last quarter of John Steinbeck’s sprawling novel. Steinbeck believed the power of storytelling was in its ability to remind us of our own humanity, and when I learned that, it helped me understand why I’ve loved this movie for so long.
