Drei auf dem Highway - Three for the Road

I wrote this movie. It was my first major film, and I went to the set to visit while they were shooting it in Arkansas. Charlie Sheen, who had just starred in "Platoon" told me he loved the script, but what they were shooting was .. well, let's just say rewritten. I thought he was exaggerating, until I told my friends to meet me at the Egyptian theater in Hollywood for the opening weekend. 3000 seat theater - and only 8 people attended the 8 p.m. show. I hated it. I hated the reviews it got, it made me decide that if my movie was going to get screwed up, I was going to direct it, and at least I'd be responsible for it. So, for better or worse, that's what I've been doing since then. However, I have some nostalgia for this piece - its genesis was seeing Senator Moynihan's daughter dancing on a bar in Cambridge when I went to college. The original story was about a Senator's daughter who is ruining his re-election bid by staging protests. He decides to send her to a reform school and assigns his young up and coming assistant to do the job. His roommate is a stringer for a Washington rag, and he begs to come along. Along the way the daughter escapes multiple times, but mainly wants to find her mom - who abandoned her father. She thinks its because the mom agrees with her politics; I thought Dabney Coleman would have been the perfect Senator. It runs out her mom was just 'getting high' too much when she was in college, got pregnant and didn't want to have a family. Depressed with the truth, the daughter decides to shape up and take reform school in stride. By the end, she's transformed the Senator's assistant, who's fallen in love with her and won't let her compromise her principles. There's a twist at the end, but basically it was a rip off of my former boss Robert Towne's brilliant take on "The Last Detail." This was my "Last Detail." Sorry it's not better than it is, but now you know the truth. Rich Martini

I remember this movie fondly.A close friend of mine had begged me to see this so I did-it's not bad! Three for the road is actually very funny in parts and most people who like road movies will probebly like this. The humer is there and the cast creates lots of fun antics and cheeky dialogue. If I had one criticism it's that the ovie plays it to safe and doesn't really do anything unique-a couple of times it DID begin to drag. I wouldn't call this any great shakes in the comedy department but it's fun, a light breezy movie that's certainly not awful.

If you're looking for a simple road comedy, this should suit you pretty good. It doesn't lapse too much into road film cliches, aside from getting drunk in hotel rooms and hitching rides with wackos, it covers a little bit of new ground. Sheen is trying to kiss up to a senator, so he agrees to drive his wild-child daughter to a reform school a few states away. Of course, she rebels and takes off at any chance she can get, which is the difference from other road trip films. Green sets in motion most of the laughs when she bolts, causing Sheen and Ruck to chase after and end up having their mishaps. A good cast of veteran actors mix well together, with this an odd choice for Sheen after "Platoon", Ruck following up "Ferris..." and Tefkin nets some chuckles with her spunky southern belle. But unfortunately this is the last we saw of the cute Kerri Green. She had a good hot streak going with "Goonies", "Lucas" (which she ironically did with Sheen) and then this. For whatever reason she disappeared, as did most of the cast because even though this wasn't awful, it didn't make a dime and was mostly forgotten. Some may not be into some of the silliness that occurs (the reform school break was a little far fetched) but there may be enough going on to entertain some. A strange footnote is that the film never addresses that Sheen's 21-year-old character has the hots for Green's 16-year-old one. Can you say jailbait? Nonetheless the film is a pretty good adventure. Also ironic that 13 years after this, Ruck and Sheen will be reuniting on "Spin City" this fall. Strange how things work out sometimes.

I loved this movie..it's one of the funniest movies Charlie Sheen has ever done...I don't know about anyone else...but I laughed really hard. Especially the scene where he finally has had it with Kelli Green's characters shenanigans and handcuffs her to the back of the passenger seat. It kept me in stitches when it was supposed to be funny. It should be kept in mind that they were younger actors and for being that...they pulled it off. I don't know how anyone could get bored...but to each his own. I know I enjoyed it immensely.

Boring, isn't it? Well this movie is no exception. Everyone does a good job, especially Kerri Green (as always), but the story just isn't really there. In fact the movie really isn't too bad before they get in a car. But seeing three people drive just isn't too exciting. Not that bad of a movie but try "Lucas" or "Breakfast Club" or "Goonies" instead.