The Highwayman

A jeweler, desperate to find her father sees the opportunity when "The Highway Men" rob her jewelry store. She tells them where the real goods are and chases them down to join their crew. Meanwhile her father is having a real bad day. he gets laid off, the rents 2 months due, his wife hates him. Now where do I get off bringing the great one into this made for TV drama, well because of its sporadic violence, everybody is violent in this film, and they kill a lot of cops. Then there's several different violent stories that keep overlapping and finally come together. The father attacks his boss, then gets in a knock-down drag out fight with a detective. He teams with the robbers to hunt down his boss. The fathers landlord is a mob boss who burns down houses in font of the firemen as they stand by to put it out. the girlfriends boyfriend is a whiny little sap, who she can't seem to lose. Jason Preistly screams all his dialog and it always ends telling the jeweler we're your family now, not your father.

A plot that lets some excellent actors -- especially McHattie and the astounding Harris -- run wild. And, for good measure, you get Louis Gossett Jr.!! Priestly plays edgy very well. In fact, you'll have a hard time deciding whether this whole movie is funnier than it is edgy, or edgier than it is funny. The comedy is dark, but not off-puttingly so.

"Jason Priestly stars as 'Breakfast', a psychotic jewelry store thief whose grip on reality is frighteningly precarious, according to the DVD sleeve, "With his accomplice 'Panda' (Bernie Coulson), the duo make off with a carload of cash, a result of a tip-off from beautiful cashier 'Ziggy' (Laura Harris). Her reward: to hitch a ride with the out-of-control duo so that she can meet her long-lost father Francis (Stephen McHattie). But he's on a suicidal quest to even a score with his former boss (Louis Gossett, Jr.) and has the cops hot on his trail. Rage, murder and revenge are about to collide!" Stay out of their way!

*** The Highwayman (4/28/00) Keoni Waxman ~ Jason Priestly, Laura Harris, Stephen McHattie

I can't understand the negative reaction this movie has garnered here on IMDb. If you like indie entertainment you should enjoy this movie. Surprisingly fine performances from the leads (Harris, Priestly and McHattie) as well as the rest of the cast, and a story with some mildly original perspectives and twists.

It's absurd that she is billed down in seventh or eighth place. She completely carries the film. She also has the most face time and is what stitches its various threads together. It's about her.

She simply lights up the screen and those around her with the joy of being with her. Considering the situations she gets herself into in this flick, that's something -- and fun.