Every once and again a thriller arrives that is so… well, thrilling, that even hearing its moniker is enough to get you going. That is absolutely the case with the latest arrival from the Paramount Presents wing of their Paramount Home Entertainment world. Kurt Russell stars in Breakdown, aka every traveler’s worst nightmare.
The 1997 release flick chronicles what occurs when Russell’s Jeff Taylor and his wife Amy Taylor (Kathleen Quinlan) hit the highways of America. The road trip is going swimmingly when the Taylors experience a wee bit of car trouble. Legendary character actor J.T. Walsh (A Few Good Men, Good Morning Vietnam, Sling Blade) portrays Red Barr, a trucker with what appears to be a heart of gold. He offers to help, and the Taylors take him up on it.
That was the last time anyone saw her alive. Amy was last seen climbing up and into that truck and sadly has not been heard from since. Barr had planned on taking Amy to the next rest area/mechanic. Now that his other half is “officially” missing, desperation has set in. Where once was trust, now finds Red Barr in the crosshairs of Russell’s Taylor—not to mention the family still waiting on officer Sheriff Boyd (Rex Linn) to come home.
What is so ingenious about the Breakdown screenplay is that Sam Montgomery has crafted a mystery worthy of being labeled “Hitchcockian.” It is a classic the audience knows all. But there is a caustic cinematic frustration over what we the viewer is aware of, versus how it’s going onscreen for our protagonists and most importantly, antagonist.
One of my favorite making movies quotes comes from Robert Downey Jr. and arose out of what was for one of the first press conferences for a Marvel movie. The legendary comeback kid stated that a film—regardless of its milieu—can live or die based on the quality of the “bad guy.” Look over film history… Downey is not wrong. In fact, for films such as Breakdown, after experiencing the murderous hurricane that is Walsh’s Barr again and again over the decades, that Downey quote is downright prophetic.
Walsh is a trucker whose outward presentation was perhaps a little too polished. Simultaneously, the veteran actor behind so many memorable turns is able to capture a soul whose demons lie right below the surface. The more the FBI and law enforcement look into Mr. Barr, the more it appears they not only have a suspect but a person of interest who holds the key to whether an individual will ever breathe the unforgettable fresh western air….
Russell is Jeff Taylor, a man proudly headed towards a new life in California with his wife, Amy (Kathleen Quinlan). When their car dies on a secluded highway, a seemingly helpful trucker (Walsh) offers Amy a ride to the local diner while Jeff waits with the car. Soon after, Russell’s character discovers his vehicle was deliberately tampered with and by the time he can get himself to the next town… his worst nightmares are about to become repugnantly real.
Moving is already listed by many psychological experts as one of the most stressful things a human can experience. Thus, moving across the country finds that stressor exponentially triggered—repeatedly. For Jeff and Amy Taylor, life is already being lived on a shoestring budget. They’re set to start new jobs in San Diego. Thus, why the frustration meter is bouncing into the red as we meet them. With no other options appearing on the table, Amy accepts the ride to a diner five miles down the road from Red. Things quickly escalate when Jeff learns that their Jeep was tampered with. Jeff fixes the problem and speeds off to collect his wife.
The thing is… Amy never made it to the diner. Desperate and without any help from police, Jeff must track down the men that abducted his wife all on his own.
At just over 90-minutes, the film has a smart deliberate pace to it. Russell has always been a supremely capable performer, but I treasure him in Breakdown as he’s delivering a genuine full-bodied performance. He’s always tensed up, his shoulders are never relaxed, on top of doing some impressive stunt work for the big action beats. He sells the desperate situation in a way I don’t think many actors could without appearing too over-the-top.
Russell’s career has continually ticked upward and onward since this 1997 film. When Quentin Tarantino put him to work in Death Proof in 2007, well then, let’s just say that his career resurgence has felt much more like a trajectory than a steady climb.
When it comes to playing the “opposite” game, at this point in time (1997), the cinematic opposite to a concurrently desperate and heroic Kurt Russell was pushed to the limit J.T. Walsh. He could not have been a better antagonist for Russell. Walsh was a genuine true character actor who could play anyone. He could be a sadistic army Sargent in Good Morning Vietnam, a dopy lawyer in The Client, and then turn around and embody a less than savory soul in the underrated The Negotiator.
The Limited Edition Blu-ray hits retailers on September 21, almost a quarter of a century after it rocked audiences in the cinematic form with its pulse-pounding score by Basil Poledouris (RoboCop) and supremely tight direction by Jonathan Mostow (who also co-wrote the script). Breakdown has landed Blu-ray with never-before-seen Special Features, including an alternative opening sequence that is a brand spanking new and never witnessed before now!
I’m a pretty vocal fan of Alfred Hitchcock. At the time of my first viewing, I didn’t realize how many similarities Breakdown has with the suspense master’s films. I could actually see Hitch directing this film if he were around during this time.
Mostow oversaw the 4K film scan featuring a director-approved remaster from a new 4K film scan. For appreciators of the envelope-pushing flick, even the packaging will be a source of adoration! Breakdown has a triumphant foldout image of the film’s initial theatrical poster, not to mention interior imaging with the film’s cornerstone moments.
Among the highlights of the new bonus content, is the Filmmaker Focus with director Jonathan Mostow, a priceless commentary by Mostow, Russell, and a delightful featurette devoted to the supreme awesomeness that is Kathleen Quinlan. There is also an isolated track from Poledouris’s score which is a supreme surprise.
Breakdown Bonus Features & Commentaries:
Commentary by director Jonathan Mostow and Kurt Russell—NEW!
Filmmaker Focus: Director Jonathan Mostow on Breakdown—NEW!
Victory Is Hers – Kathleen Quinlan on Breakdown—NEW!
A Brilliant Partnership – Martha De Laurentiis on Breakdown—NEW!
Alternate Opening—NEW!
Alternate Opening with commentary by director Jonathan Mostow—NEW!
Isolated Score—NEW!
Theatrical Trailers:
- Breakdown
- Kiss the Girls
- Hard Rain
About Paramount Presents…
The Movie Mensch has had the pleasure of reviewing several of Paramount Presents’ outstanding content, which features some of our favorites making their Blu-ray debut or possessing new-to-us featurettes. Check out our thoughts on:
Fatal Attraction, King Creole, To Catch a Thief, Flashdance, Days of Thunder, Pretty In Pink, Airplane!, Ghost, Roman Holiday, Trading Places, Love Story, Elizabethtown, Mommie Dearest, 48 HRS. and Another 48 HRS., Almost Famous, and Nashville.
Film Grade: A
Bonus Features: A