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Forgotten Film Friday: Breakdown

A review by Brooks Rich

How have I not done a Kurt Russell film yet? One of the best leading men in Hollywood history. A while back I did a post about the film Joy Ride and the art of the road movie. Check that out if you haven't already. We have another road trip movie here today with the criminally underrated 1997 film, Breakdown, directed by Jonathan Mostow, a director who is pretty hit and miss. Maybe check out his film U-571. He also directed the third Terminator film. Gross.

Russell is Jeff Taylor, a married man driving from Boston to San Diego. They break down in the middle of nowhere and a friendly truck driver, played by the immortal JT Walsh, man what a loss, offers to take her to the nearest rest stop to call for help. Jeff and his wife agrees and the driver takes off with his wife. However Jeff manages to start the car and head to the rest stop. Unfortunately no one can remember meeting his wife and the truck driver acts like he's never met him before in his life. From there things just get crazy.

The road movie always has a sense of realism to it. This feels like something that can happen to a young yuppie couple traveling through the middle of nowhere. Russell is great as the desperate husband looking for answers. Desperate is the key word here. The situation feels real and desperate. JT Walsh was always a greta bad guy and here he's no different, also supported by character actors you've seen play villains, especially MC Gainey, who some might known as Swamp Thing from Con Air. Oh stay tuned for Con Air.

This is one I'm not going to spend much time on because it is one of those you just want to enjoy yourselves. I miss the thrillers we were getting in the '90s. Track down Breakdown and remember, be safe out there on the open roads. Also maybe don't antagonize the locals.



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