CrimeMysteryThriller

Breakdown

- It could happen to you.

On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff and Amy Taylor, experience car trouble after their SUV breaks down. Stranded in the New Mexico desert, the two catch a break when a passing truck driver offers Amy a ride to a nearby café to call for help. Meanwhile, Jeff is able to fix the car and make his way to the café, but Amy isn't there. He tracks down the trucker -- who tells the police he's never seen Jeff or his wife before. Jeff then begins a desperate, frenzied search for Amy.

Release Date : 1997-05-02

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount PicturesThe De Laurentiis CompanySpelling Films

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Jeff Taylor

Original Name : Kurt Russell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Warren 'Red' Barr

Original Name : J. T. Walsh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Amy Taylor

Original Name : Kathleen Quinlan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Earl

Original Name : M.C. Gainey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Billy

Original Name : Jack Noseworthy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sheriff Boyd

Original Name : Rex Linn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Al

Original Name : Ritch Brinkley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Arleen Barr

Original Name : Moira Sinise

Gender : Female

Character Name : Deputy Len Carver

Original Name : Kim Robillard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Calhoun

Original Name : Thomas Kopache

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bartender

Original Name : Jack McGee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deke Barr

Original Name : Vincent Berry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Flo

Original Name : Helen Duffy

Gender : Female

Character Name : Barfly

Original Name : Ancel Cook

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tow Truck Driver

Original Name : Gene Hartline

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cowboy In Bank

Original Name : Steve Waddington

Gender : Male

Character Name : Truck Stop Trucker

Original Name : Rick Sanders

Gender : Male

Character Name : Spanish Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Alitzah

Gender : Male

Character Name : Producer (uncredited)

Original Name : Rick Zieff

Gender : Male

Reviews

CRCulver

@CRCulver

2021-06-23

In Breakdown, Kurt Russell and Amy Quinlan play a wealthy New England couple who find horror in Iowa. While driving cross-country, their car breaks down. The various local people they meet who initially seem helpful are in fact criminals working together. The wife is kidnapped, the husband is told to pay half a million to get her back alive, and Kurt Russell decides he'd rather fight. I found this a rather lame movie. Its believability goes way down when, for example, Kurt Russell rides on the bottom of a moving truck trailer and easily finds his way up to the cab. There are obvious continuity and other errors here: a villain gets a brutal rifle blast to his shoulder, but a few minutes later he's driving a car with no visible problems; a small child is shown playing video games (so it's early evening), but a few minutes later in the same scene dawn breaks. About the only entertainment here is the acting of J.T. Walsh and M.C. Gainey, who are caricatures but fun ones. Kurt Russell, on the other hand, acts like he's not particularly happy to have taken this role, and is just going through the motions until he gets his paycheck. I must say that the purported message, if any, of this film is intriguing. Breakdown seems to be suggesting that decent people from the coasts shouldn't venture into flyover country, since it is the den of rednecks who lie in wait for them. The forces behind this film clearly weren't interested in fairly portraying the Midwest.

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Super Thriller. Breakdown is directed by Jonathan Mostow and Mostow co-writes the screenplay with Sam Montgomery. It stars Kurt Russell, J.T. Walsh, M.C. Gainey, Kathleen Quinlan, Rex Linn, Jack Noseworthy and Ritch Brinkley. Music is by Basil Poledouris and cinematography by Douglas Milsome. When his SUV breaks down on a remote Southwestern road, Jeff Taylor (Russell) lets his wife, Amy (Quinlan), hitch a ride with a trucker to get help. When she doesn't return, Jeff fixes his SUV and tracks down the trucker -- who tells the police he's never seen Amy... Sometimes all you need is a an unflashy thriller that soars because it keeps it simple. Mostow's thriller is a nail biter, preposterous at times for sure, but with Jeff (Russell superb) frantically trying to find what has happened to his wife - out in the desert landscape of America - we get a guy we can totally root for. As the cards get dealt we come to be aware of scumbag predators in his midst, the suspense gets ramped up and we are never quite sure how it's all going to pan out. This has no ideas above its station, and as the heat gets turned up bit by bit, come the thrilling finale you may find it's time to breath easy again... 8/10

JPV852

@JPV852

2021-09-19

Simple but really solid suspense-thriller with some good sequences especially the finale with great car stunts. Not much to the performances or characters, but Kurt Russell was, as usual, good in the lead and J.T. Walsh sinister as the primary villain. **3.75/5**