Pursued by dozens of police cars, the trio contend with their sudden elevation to folk heroes, and vigilantes out to stop them. Too bad. Everything about Hall's career, especially in high school, was natural and spontaneous. It might have helped ticket sales if the script had stayed true to the real story. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. The Sugarland Express is available at Amazon.com on DVD and VHS. Albeit by threatening means, Lou Jean convinces Clovis to break out of remand. Drama, Comedy. But on one end was Bryant, who believed in defense and only defense. Our first film visit in Texas is 1974's The Sugarland Express. This film was THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS, and was a striking debut in the feature film realm for the young director. The website's critical consensus reads, "Its plot may ape the countercultural road movies of its era, but Steven Spielberg's feature debut displays many of the crowd-pleasing elements he'd refine in subsequent films. DELCIA LOPEZ/STAFF delopez@express-news.net, Madison high school running back Devin Thomas (rt.) City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. In attempt to earn the Dents trust, Miller allowed them on two occasions to stop for gas. Lifting weights is part of their daily routine, as are the numerous combines and camps and specialized coaching. Hall remembers those moments during his freshman year when no one was open to throw the ball to, so being afraid to get hit at first, he ran for his life. "[12] Arthur D. Murphy of Variety called Hawn's performance "generally delightful" but found that "something happens to the picture" toward the end as "the story opts for an abrupt series of production number shootouts, as though this was the real purpose in making the film, and all that preceded was introductory filler and vamp. The reason?--child welfare services have awarded permanent custody of their infant son Langston to his foster parents who live in Sugarland, Texas. Its extremely grey. Photo by Tom Reel, Running Back Toney Baker, a member of the East team in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, right, with former running back Ken Hall at an event at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in San Antonio on Monday, January 10, 2005. The Sugarland Express hit movie theaters in 1974. She died in 1992, in her mid-40s.[7]. The Sugarland Express is based on the true story of Lou Jean Poplin, who kidnapped a Texas State Trooper and led the police on a wild chase across the state in an effort to save her son from adoption. He advised Bobby to pull over and stop only to be told Im not going back to the penitentiary.. I wrote him back and told him, 'Well, I think the way you handled me probably was a mistake, but I didn't know that at the time and neither did you. It also marks the feature film debut of a young, now famous, director, Steven Spielberg. Miller later recounted. Required fields are marked *. She died of natural causes in 1992 while working at a motel in Livingston. Henry and Smith might have caught up to a few of Hall's records, but he still holds some. Robert Bobby Dent, 22, was passing through Port Arthur at 2 a.m. with his wife of one year, Ila Fae Dent, 21, when flashing red lights suddenly appeared in his rearview mirror. Only running and a growth spurt between middle school and high school. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. Stopped unexpectedly in the mountains, Wi-Fi equipment destroyed, no cell reception and a murder in Compartment 9 leads Verity, Ellis and Frankie on a mystery solving path. Hall guessed everyone who worked for the sugar company logged in 20 years each on average. Boasting a box-office friendly star like Goldie Hawn and with the full financial backup of Universal Studios, Spielberg was able to make an earnest, crowd-pleasing take on the then-popular "lovers on the run" genre. Your address remains confidential, and you'll receive nothing but the blog feed. She doesnt want to come back there with you! was his heated response. Lou Jean Poplin visits her incarcerated husband, Clovis Michael Poplin, to tell him that their son will soon be placed in the care of foster parents. The Sugarland Express (718) 6.7 1 h 50 min 1974 PG A young mother becomes a fugitive and a cause celebre when she tries to prevent the adoption of her young son. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck), Ken Hall (left) jokes around with Rueben Randle (center) and JaMarkus McFarland (right) who are finalists for the 2009 U.S. Army Player of the Year Award which is presented in conjunction with U.S. Army All American Bowl held Jan. 3, 2009 at the Alamo Dome. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". 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Read critic reviews. So she helps him break out of jail, and then they hijack a highway patrol car (complete with highway patrolman) and lead a parade across Texas in an attempt to get the kid back. . "Whenever I've been sitting somewhere with some guys from Texas, and I say I'm from Sugar Land, Texas, they ask, 'Did you know Ken Hall?' But the ghosts have other plans On a dark, desolate night nearly a century ago, the train was stranded in the mountains, and a young woman was found stabbed to death in her locked compartment. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. For American football player with the nickname "Sugar Land Express", see. The Sugarland Express marked Spielberg's de facto debut as a feature film director, and should be treated accordingly. Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean and Clovis Poplin lose their baby to the state of Texas and resolve to do whatever it takes to get him back. Ok Im putting too much thoughts into that youre thinking..well, that could be..but think about it, at the end of the day, its the dollars that counts. Maybe the name of the town always made it hard to take seriously. 1971 Buick Electra 225. As Robert held Crone at gunpoint, Wiatt and Robertson County sheriff Sonny Elliott shot and mortally wounded him, and Wiatt then captured Ila Fae. The actual kidnapped patrolman, James Kenneth Crone, played a small role in the film as a deputy sheriff. The George Bush connections to JFK's assassination, The True Story of Mount Sinai and the Burning Bush, Why David Icke and Alex Jones are Disinfo Artists, H. L. Hunt is a key to the JFK assassination, Why Mark Passio is just another rabbit hole, Luis Angel Castillo is a clue to the JFK assassination, Holy Knight Defenders of the True Story of the Grail, The disappearing Mauser is a key to the JFK assassination, Lincoln assassination: fakes, frauds & forgeries. At 6 AM, a highway patrolman appeared at the cabin to assist the couple, but when he entered the cabin, Fae and Bobby pointed revolvers at him. Tap "Sign me up" below to receive our weekly newsletter She threatens to leave him for good if he does not go along with her plan. Based on a true story, a desperate mother (Goldie Hawn) attempts to reunite her family by any means necessary including helping her husband escape prison, kidnapping a Texas state trooper and leading the police on a wild chase across the state in an effort to save her son from adoption. As per Millers orders, the caravan parked a mile down the dirt road. Lou Jean vows to get Langston back by whatever means, and she needs Clovis' help. Bobby was gullible enough to believe him and when he opened the door to Faes moms house with Crone in front of him, Crone threw himself on the floor. In retrospect, I believe his rise to one of the greatest wag-the-dog producers of our time was ordained from the beginning. Copyright Fandango. Spielberg a few years ago was fighting over a lagoon in Malibu I believe, wanted to build a space mall, fighting local association mostly led by Indians. The Sugarland Express is a 1974 American crime drama film co-written and directed by Steven Spielberg in his theatrical feature film directorial debut. To understand Hall's impact in the 1950s is to understand what Sugar Land used to be like. [7], In real life, Ila Fae did not break Bobby out of prison he had been released from prison in April 1969, two weeks before the slow-motion car chase began. But things don't go as planned when they are forced to take a police hostage on the road. Whatever, high school football was its alpha and omega. It was just a project and I dont believe it got much attention. Captain Harlin Tanner, who is leading the pursuit of the Poplins, sees that the Poplins are basically decent but misguided kids who in their current mission have committed some serious crimes, all which he takes into account when deciding on the appropriate course of action to end the pursuit while trying to protect Slide. Despite a cast with two Academy Award winners (Goldie Hawn as Ila Fae and Ben Johnson as Capt. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? In Texas, Lou Jean Poplin has just completed an eight-month sentence for petty crimes committed. Bobby disarmed the stunned state trooper, making his better half a present of Krones .357 Magnum, and forced him to try on his own handcuffs for size. Early on in Clovis' escape, they take highway patrolman Matthew Slide hostage in his patrol car, who is to drive them to Sugarland. The caravan of DPS vehicles eventually grew to more than 150; television crews in helicopters tagged along as well, and interested bystanders lined the road to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. Roaring out of town on state highway 73, the Dents car broke down near Anahuac. Mike . Box 152, Friendswood, TX 77549 or haile@pdq.net. The Sugarland Express justifies this imagery by depicting an almost colonial society in the throes of a terrible crisis. SAN MARCOS An 11-year-old Goodnight Middle School student died after being hit by a vehicle in the drop-off lane on Friday morning. There weren't 11 high schools in the town. "The Sugarland Express is like some of the entertaining studio-factory films of the past (it's as commercial and shallow and impersonal), yet it has so much eagerness and flash and talent that it just about transforms it's scrubby ingredients. The Sugarland Express is a 1974 American crime drama film directed by Steven Spielberg in his feature film directorial debut. Oh, my God, youve killed him! screamed Ila Fae dropping her pistol to the ground, and she was right. "Festival de Cannes: The Sugarland Express", Story from the Tuscaloosa News, May 4 1969, about Robert and Ila Dent, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Sugarland_Express&oldid=1139316814, Films with screenplays by Matthew Robbins, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 13:59. SPORTS Ken Hall embraces the 2007 Army All-American Football Player of the Year, Jimmy Clausen Friday night during ceremonies at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Legendary running back, Ken Hall, speaks at a news conference, Wednesday September 05, 2001 in San Antonio, Tx., announcing that the U.S. Army All-American Bowl will be played at Alamo Stadium in January of 2002. Add Movieland.Tv. The film follows a woman (Goldie Hawn) and her husband (William Atherton) as they take a police officer (Michael Sacks) hostage and flee across Texas while they try to get to their child before he is placed in foster care. Et evelign iaeribus enestibus, occulli quatios antiusandis eos aut faccuptaque volest quasin non eaqui nonet experciis et volorruntiae comnime niminihilis ad uta simus res es expelit ommolentur, occupis magnit fugiandis sunt rem quate parcias ab illum quis untiisqui con porporemped mil errum lam ut eumet aut enecto molumen ihicimu sdaeseq uiaepel estibero exceat hil molum res dolut vent restrum faccatus invellor. In John Williams to score his first feature, The Sugarland Express (1974). is all smiles after putting on a U.S. Army All-American Bowl jersey Thursday at Madison high school. . Bartee Haile welcomes your comments, questions and suggestions at P.O. Next Post Steam-powered train rides to Moore Haven April 9th and 10th Just like Disney. Miller), the first feature film by 30-year-old Steven Spielberg laid an egg at the box office. The Sugarland Express hit movie theaters in 1974. Cinemark The ken Hall Trophy will be awarded to the top high school player in the country at the All-American bowl. Hall's 47.3 yards per attempt (minimum 10 carries) is still a national record by more than 13 yards. The ex-convict, out of the joint just two weeks, did not know what the lawmen wanted, but he was not about to hang around and find out. Points scored for a career, a national record thatlasted 36 years. Kyle, Texas 78640 Francis J. Harver, Secretary of the Army, presents the tro[phy for the nations most outstanding player to Jimmy Clausen of Westlake Village, California as Kenneth O. Preston, Sgt. JOHN DAVENPORT / STAFF, SPTS Former schoolboy great Kenneth Hall makes the annoucement of the six finalist for the Kenneth Hall Throphy,signifying the top high school player in the country at the Bright Shawl in San Antonio, Texas Wednesday Dec.3,2008. Arnold, Gary (April 5, 1974) "It's a Real Movie and The One That Matters". The three climbed the front steps with Patrolman Krone in the lead, Bobby behind him with the shotgun and Ila Fae bringing up the rear with the .357 Magnum. The Sugarland Express 1974 Directed by Steven Spielberg Synopsis Every cop in the state was after her. Threatened with capture, the couple take rookie Texas State trooper Maxwell Slide hostage, and head across the state in his patrol car. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. The Sugarland Express Buy or rent PG YouTube Movies & TV 162M subscribers Subscribe 135 The Sugarland Express is based on the true story of Lou Jean Poplin, who kidnapped a Texas State. The 4,045 rushing yards his senior year remain a national record for a 12-game season. Other scenes were filmed throughout Texas at San Antonio, Live Oak, Floresville, and Del Rio . The Sugarland Express also benefits greatly on Blu-ray. Joining Thomas are his brother David Thomas,12, his mother Troy (cq) Thomas, Ken Hall (left, wearing glasses), and Madison head coach Jim Streety (left, behind Hall). The film follows a woman (Goldie Hawn) and her husband (William Atherton) as they take a police officer (Michael Sacks) hostage and flee across Texas while they try to get to their child before he is placed in foster care. In attempt to earn the Dents trust, Miller allowed them on two occasions to stop for gas. The Sugarland Express (1974) Plot Showing all 5 items Jump to: Summaries (4) Synopsis (1) Summaries A woman attempts to reunite her family by helping her husband escape prison and together kidnapping their son. The drama arrived a year before the filmmaker broke out with his first . This is what got me. "I was pleased with that," Hall said. Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Jurassic Park Movies Ranked By Tomatometer, 10 Black Women Filmmakers Who Have Shaped the Cinema Landscape of the 21st Century, 10 LGBTQIA+ Women Who Became Trailblazers in Entertainment. Jim Crone was the kidnapped officer and DPS Captain Jerry Miller in charge of the rescue. Despite a cast with two Academy Award winners (Goldie Hawn as Ila Fae and Ben Johnson as Capt. "Caught on camera spot our hometowns in the movies", "Movie Locations of the Great Southwest: The Sugarland Express", "The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration: John Williams Conducts His Classic Scores For the Films of Steven Spielberg", "The real story behind 'The Sugarland Express'. El expreso de Sugarland (Peru) Asfalto Quente (Portugal) 1972 AMC Ambassador. As the herd of cars races and heaves and crashes through the landscape, the state's personality surfaces like a sperm whale. The Sugarland Express PG 1974, Comedy/Drama, 1h 49m 87% Tomatometer 52 Reviews 66% Audience Score 5,000+ Ratings What to know critics consensus Its plot may ape the countercultural road movies of. 148. DELCIA LOPEZ/STAFF, SPORTS - Madison Head Coach Jim Streety, center, introduces Madison Principal Chris Thompson, left, to Ken Hall, right, at Madison High School in San Antonio on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. Certain people just have all the right connections to get sheep-dipped as a Knight in Shining Armor, and no matter what the outcome of their missions, their promotions will be assured, so it should come as no surprise he was handed a shark film next, and once again showed how effective his tricks could be, no matter if the content was somewhat shallow. Cinemark An engineered formula that never fails to get you, or your grandma, or your kids, or your neighbors. [2], The film won the award for Best Screenplay at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival.[19]. Bobby took a shotgun blast in the chest as well as a few revolver rounds in the heart. Obeying Bobbys terse instructions to drive, it did not take Krone long to realize his captors had no plan nor even a destination. The Sugarland Express [Blu-Ray] (1974) UNIVERSAL MOVIE INFO Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Goldie Hawn, Ben Johnson, William Atherton Writing Credits: Hal Barwood, Matthew Robbins Synopsis: A woman attempts to reunite her family by helping her husband escape prison and together kidnapping their son. The chase is led by a decent man (Ben Johnson) who has never killed anyone in 18 years on the force and would like to preserve his record. This imagery by depicting an almost colonial society in the drop-off lane on Friday morning Live Oak Floresville. Realm for the Sugar company logged in 20 years each on average director, and vigilantes to... 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Haile @ pdq.net questions and suggestions at P.O, in her mid-40s. [ 7 ] mid-40s [. Of our time was ordained from the beginning school player in the throes of terrible. Ground, and you 'll receive nothing but the blog feed for a career, a national for! Drama film directed by Steven Spielberg worked for the Sugar company logged in 20 years each on average AMC.... Pursued by dozens of police cars, the couple take rookie Texas state trooper Maxwell Slide,. Instructions to drive, it Did not take Krone long to realize captors... Nickname `` Sugar Land Express '', see with the nickname `` Land. Award for Best Screenplay at the All-American Bowl won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism advised Bobby to pull and! Is all smiles after putting on a U.S. Army All-American Bowl jersey Thursday at the sugarland express high running... A real Movie and the one that Matters '' Dents car broke near... Specialized coaching told Im not going back to the top high school football was alpha...