Steven Spielberg makes good movies. We’re all in agreement with that, right?
Sure, there are some movies that I would never put on a top ten list ranking his films (Like, I’m not in love with his adaptation of Ready Player One, for instance, and 1941...has its issues). But, when it comes to a reliable director who is going to deliver something worth watching almost every single time, you’d be hard pressed to find a more consistent director than Spielberg. That’s why I’ve seen every single one of his movies.
Except for one, that is, until recently. It was actually his second picture, The Sugarland Express, and can you blame me? Unlike his heavy hitters, you never really hear people talking about it. Not only that, but when I tried to rent it from Netflix’s DVD service (Remember that?), it never came to my mailbox. Thankfully, the movie is now streaming there, so I finally got to watch it, and hoo boy, is it ever good. So, here’s why I’m happy that I finally got to check out Spielberg’s second movie.
I Love Duel, But I Think I Prefer The Sugarland Express For Its Emotional Moments
Spielberg, like a few other directors, made a good movie on his very first try with 1971’s Duel. The story of a salesman who is relentlessly pursued by a giant truck, Duel is just as exciting as you would expect from Spielberg, and it was an early indication of his greatness.
Unlike Ready Player One or 1941, I WOULD put it on a top ten list of his best movies. It’s truly that good. But, here’s the crazy thing. I would also put The Sugarland Express on that list as well, and do you want to know something else? I think I might even like it better than Duel.
It’s all about the emotions. Based around a true story, a mother (played by Goldie Hawn), gets her husband (William Atherton) to escape from prison so that they can get their child back from foster care. But, of course, things go south very quickly, as a police officer (Michael Sacks) stops them, only for the married couple to take him hostage, with the rest of the film being their pursuit by other police officers.
What makes this film work is the wide range of emotions, and mostly from Hawn (who I’ll get to in a few). You already know from the beginning that there won’t be a rosy ending, but she does such a great job of acting hopeful, that you hope right along with her.
It’s these strong emotions that make Sugarland a more personal experience for me than Duel, as the latter just terrified me, whereas the former evoked true empathy from me, which is quite the achievement.
The Acting In This Movie Is Phenomenal, Especially From Goldie Hawn
Here's the thing. While Spielberg has definitely introduced us to several memorable characters over the years (Indiana Jones, Ian Malcolm, Quint, etc), I will say that the acting sometimes gets overshadowed by the characters’ personalities.
Now, of course it takes a great actor to make these personalities pop, but I will say that in the course of Spielberg's career, the acting in only a few films has REALLY stood out for me. I'm talking about performances like Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List, Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln, and Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies.
Well, I want to add one more name to that list, and that's Goldie Hawn. It’s impossible to look away whenever she’s on the screen. As soon as you see her as Lou Jean Poplin, you get a sense that this is a woman who has already lived quite a life before she even persuades her husband to break out of jail.
Lou Jean is a selfish person, but she’s also a loving mother who would do anything to get her child back, even if it means taking a police officer hostage. But, at the same time, Hawn’s portrayal of Lou Jean is infectious, and you get to see that she’s only doing this because she doesn’t know what else to do.
Hawn truly envelops herself in the role. And, as somebody who loves actors who can manage to do that (such as one of my favorite actors, Robert Pattinson), it’s a real treat to watch Hawn do that as well. It’s probably my favorite performance of hers, and that’s saying something, since I’m a huge Private Benjamin fan.
Even This Early In His Career, Spielberg Had A Knack For Quick Pacing
If you ever needed proof that Spielberg is the master of quick pacing, watch Duel.
However, that’s a story about a man being chased by a truck. It’s impressive, sure, but movies with car chase scenes (and this is essentially just one big car chase scene) are likely going to have good pacing.
Really, The Sugarland Express is also a chase movie, of sorts, as the cops are constantly trailing the Poplin family. But, it’s the pacing of this movie that makes it a new “remote dropper” for me (If I should ever see it on TV in the future, that is), as it never lets up.
From the very first scene to the last, the movie is constantly moving. I think it’s the police officers that make it so fascinating, as you get a sense that the police captain (played by Ben Johnson) feels conflicted, in that he feels a need to uphold the law, but also doesn’t want anybody to get killed.
It’s this marriage between the A story of the Poplins, and the B story of the law that keeps the pacing snappy, which is really impressive this early in Spielberg’s career.
By The End Of The Film, I Really Felt Like I Went On A Journey
At 110 minutes, this is not a long movie.
Even so, by the end of it, I really felt like I went on a journey, which I think is a testament to all of the things that I listed earlier, as they combine to make one hell of a story.
One thing I haven’t mentioned yet, though, is the humor. Because even though there’s a lot of tightly wound drama, I think the humor plays a big part in both humanizing our protagonists, but also making us like them to the point that we want to go on this journey with them.
For example, it’s funny when Clovis Poplin tells his wife to go to the bathroom when they’re stopped at a gas station, only for Lou Jean to bite back that she knows when she has to go to the bathroom, and it isn’t now. But, in a later scene, she has to – you guessed it – go to the bathroom, and as part of the Poplin’s hostage demands, the cops have to deliver a portable toilet just so she can go.
It’s these moments in the film – which have both happy and sad scenes – that make you feel like you’ve truly traveled along with these characters by the end, and that they’re real people. It’s great stuff.
Sure, Jaws Made Spielberg A Household Name, But His First Two Films Were Still Excellent
Is Jaws (which is celebrating its anniversary and has a popcorn bucket to go along with it) Spielberg’s best movie? I mean, yeah. Probably. Besides being one of the only horror movies nominated for Best Picture, it’s also just an overall masterful work. In every way, it’s the movie that made him a household name.
That said, it’s interesting to think about a world BEFORE Jaws, and see that Spielberg was already a master filmmaker even before.
Yes, everybody points to Duel, but I honestly think The Sugarland Express is the best example. Because not only did he make a thrilling film, he also created one that is rich with emotion and character dynamics.
Like, you know that great scene in Jaws where Quint shares that story with Brody and Hooper before the shark attacks? Well, I think Sugarland was a great example prior to that film of showcasing that Spielberg knew how to get the most out of a scene involving multiple characters, which we don’t really get in Duel.
So, if you’ve never watched The Sugarland Express, here’s your chance! Watch it while it’s still on Netflix!
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