With the commencement of the Tribeca Film Festival, many talents have already sat down to field a slew of questions, be it about modern or past works. One of these is director Steven Spielberg, looking back on one of his oldest works, Sugarland Express, which saw a screening at the festival.
Sugarland Express follows a woman who breaks her husband out of prison so the two of them can try to get back their young son, but both have to run from the law when their attempts go south.
Starring Goldie Hawn and Ben Johnson in the leading roles, Sugarland Express was the first theatrical excursion from Spielberg, who worked on TV movies and episodes before taking on the project. Since then, he has become one of the most iconic directors in film history, revolutionizing the way movies were made. He is known for projects such as Jaws, Jurassic Park, E.T., Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and countless others.
When talking about Sugarland Express, one of the things Spielberg stressed was how critical Hawn was to the final product. He described her as having a “pure and honest heart,” and even talked about how Hawn was his pick for the film after being told by studios that a big name needed to headline. Goldie Hawn is a very prolific actress, appearing in countless films, such as Death Becomes Her and Shampoo. She’s also starred alongside her husband, Kurt Russell, in movies such as Overboard and The Christmas Chronicles.
Spielberg also looked back at the poor financial performance the film faced upon its release but joked about it in a lighthearted manner. As Hollywood Reporter noted, the film landed with critics, but was a financial failure, leading to just a two-week-long stint in theaters. During the screening, Spielberg made a joke that those audiences were the first “to ever see Sugarland Express in 50 years.”
Leave a Comment