Freeway
Sleazy, grimy exploitation movies have been a staple of our culture since the silent film days, but those that manage to sneak in a little bit of insight into the human condition are usually the ones that are proudly brought to the front of the line, plus including a little bit of social satire never hurt matters any either. This 1996 release (which actually premiered on HBO in a truncated R rated version) remains possibly the most extreme film of its particular decade, an at times literally warped and depraved portrayal of certain subject matters that Hollywood normally wouldnât touch (which is why it had been produced as a low budget independent film) as written and directed by one Matthew Bright, a guy whom (judging by his resume) seems pretty fascinated by the concept of serial killers in our society and makes his movies as such ones where they always play a prominent role. He was also a childhood friend of Danny Elfman, the brilliant, A list Hollywood movie composer whose twisted chords can be heard over the opening credits of this particular film. In the years since it came out (or rather, premiered), this movie has maintained a cult notoriety not only for its vast array of character acting talent in supporting roles (some in potentially demeaning situations) but also for the performances of its two main stars, one of whom was already well established and the other right about to break through in the Hollywood stratosphere: itâs easy to imagine Kiefer Sutherland looking at the nature of his role and thinking to himself, âoh what the hell, lets give it a shotâ but itâs Reese Witherspoon who takes on the biggest risk here, an unknown young actress at that point who could possibly have blown her chance at stardom if the film (or her performance) had not gone over all that well (something that has happened many times before with capable young actresses who chose the wrong project), but instead Witherspoon attacks the material with such a ferocity that Hollywood was essentially FORCED to notice her and invite her on up to the next level. The filmâs main thrust is derived from its purporting to be an extra scummy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but in reality itâs all about a feature length battle of wills and wits between its two main characters, that being Bob Wolverton (Sutherland), a respectable child psychiatrist who is really a depraved, pedophile, necrophiliac serial killer and Vanessa Lutz (Witherspoon), a foul mouthed, illiterate, 15 year old daughter of a methhead prostitute (Amanda Plummer) who obviously through her motherâs influence has engaged in a little bit of underage streetwalking herself along with having a few other issues at hand. But Vanessaâs saving grace is that she refuses to see herself as being just stereotypical âwhite trashâ and has even managed to develop quite a conscienceness within her own attitude that differentiates right from wrong and good from evil. After a series of events that sees her mother hauled back to the pen and her (black) boyfriend shot down in a driveby, Vanessa steals a car and heads on out to the only place where she might be accepted, a grandmother living in a trailer park whom she has never even met but has definitely heard about in the hopes that it turns out to be a better environment than the various foster homes where she would normally languish in. But the car breaks down on the freeway and along comes Sutherlandâs Bob with a friendly, helpful attitude and a sincere showing of concern for Vanessa and her plight in general. For literally the next 20 to 30 minutes, the movie becomes entirely about these two as they drive along having a conversation. Bob succeeds in getting her to open up about the trauma in her life but at a key crucial point, both the viewer and Vanessa suddenly realize that Bob is really the âI-5 Killerâ, a twisted, malevolent serial murderer who has specialized in preying on runaways and various young girls and he also openly admits to Vanessa his sexual intentions for her AFTER heâs already killed her. This section of the film (with only these two main characters) is the key to the whole story, with its creepy, slow building mood, Witherspoonâs undeniable charisma and the almost voyeuristic feeling that the viewer gets just from watching these two knowing that something isnât right about one or both of them. Even more remarkable is the amazing chemistry between the two, with the irony being that this very troubled young girl has actually formed a legitimate psychological bond with this monstrous excuse for a man without even knowing who or what he really is. And that takes us into the second half of the film and the real metaphor at play here besides the Red Riding Hood references: The greatest weapon of protection that any person of true evil can hold for themselves is in having an unshakable reputation of respectability and integrity to those who know them only in passing regard, a fact that Sutherland reminds her of when Vanessa turns the tables on him, pointing out how he has enough societal brownie points so to speak to make him invulnerable to any accusations which she might make given her low end background. So Vanessa (having little to no faith in âthe systemâ to begin with) becomes so convinced that the only way to bring justice to this monster is to dish it out herself, failing to kill Bob but leaving him instead horribly disfigured, an appropriate punishment given that during a later TV interview that is meant to draw sympathy for him as a victim of a violent crime, his wife (Brooke Shields) points out that he can no longer work with children anymore since they are now frightened by his gruesome appearance (surely a nightmare for any pedo) with the obvious bonus points being that he also cannot lure innocent female victims into his pedophile traps, making him in essence like a Dick Tracy villain who wears his dark soul on his own countenance, his once charming mask ripped away forever. Meanwhile, a now in custody Vanessa is gleefully telling the authorities who he really is (which is obviously met with disbelief) and even openly laughing at Bob in open court, taunting him mercilessly in front of the judge even as he continues to glare at her with those same hungry eyes. All of it is leading up to a confrontation involving Vanessaâs long lost grandmother (ironically played by âmatureâ adult film actress Kitty Fox) but it is the brilliant casting choices of both Sutherland (as adept at playing heroes as he is villains) and Witherspoon (whose foul mouthed antics are equally offset by how irresistibly cute she is) that fuel the filmâs adrenaline rush even during some of the most depraved bits, most of which are through dialogue exchanges (believe it or not) with the occasional bit of gruesome violence whenever the narrative calls for it. Among the other actors onboard for the ride are Dan Hedaya (a fine and well known character actor doing some of the most understated work of his career here), Wolfgang Bodison (best known as the strident black defendant in A Few Good Men), Alanna Ubach, Conchata Ferrell, Sydney (Cheswick from Cuckooâs Nest) Lassick cameoing out of nowhere and perhaps most memorably, Brittany Murphy as Witherspoonâs fellow inmate at the juvenile correctional facility who develops an insatiable attraction towards Vanessa and her devil may care attitude. And indeed (keeping in mind that Witherspoon is second billed below Sutherland but still gets the lionâs share of the screentime), Vanessa Lutz remains one of the most fascinating screen heroines in recent memory, exhibiting the same sad traits as so many girls born into shitty circumstances over which they have no control over but yet through thick and thin still maintaining her own set of VALUES and a personal philosophy that bad people are going to continuously put themselves into the most ideal positions in order to go on victimizing those less fortunate than them. Bringing both swagger and an extremely exaggerated rendition of her native Tennessee accent to the part, itâs easy to see how Witherspoon hit this performance right out of the park, making her Vanessa a fighter who never says die even when sheâs in the most dire of circumstances, whether itâs being threatened by her fellow inmates in the juvi or squaring off against a sick bastard who thinks that heâs holding all the cards simply because of where he is in this world and where sheâs not only to have it all blow up in in his face and deservedly soâŠ
9/10