En route vers le Sud

The critics slammed this movie when it came out, as I recall. Exceedingly lofty expectations for Jack the director or something, I don't know. I just know that 25 years has made this movie better. I liked it from the start, and it seems that the rest of the world is coming around.

There are slow sections of this film, to be sure. But the great lines! "I wouldn't take you to a dog fight if you was the defendin' champion!" "We were just sayin' how much we needed a figurine." "Good mornin', ladies! I SHORE ENJOYED them CANNED APRICOTS LAST NIGHT!!!"

It bears up well to repeated watchings. What higher rating can a movie have?

If you realize that a movie critique represents an INDIVIDUAL'S opinion which may be very different from your own, you probably also don't take these comments too seriously. But - for what it's worth - here's mine re: Goin' South: I found it very entertaining (and I'm probably fussier than most when it comes to movies). That's what I value most in a film: entertainment. Any negative comments about this flick come from the more erudite crowd which knows or looks deeper for such things. I was even able to get past Nicholson's character's need for a good nose-blowin', which usually really bothers me, but, in this case, I found it utterly hilarious. We're gonna leave out recapping the plot - THAT'S pretty well taken care of not too far from here. But I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to write something good about this picture because I think that it richly deserves it.

One can't help but notice how Nicholson eventually gave up on concealing his hilariously obvious coke nose (to the untrained ear it just sounds like "allergies"- this is the usual excuse given, of course....).

Over the counter allergy medicine can help with allergy symptoms. Nothing helps cocaine-blasted sinuses.

Not even Scorsese could direct while coked up. Nicholson's attempt is considerably more disastrous. Take a second look at the cast (see Belushi) and it isn't hard to deduce what happened to this movie.

Note that it gets steadily worse as the film progresses.

I wasn't expecting a "great" movie being that this was Nicholson's only directing effort. I was just curious. I didn't expect something this bad. Yikes.

Released in 1978 and directed by Jack Nicholson, "Goin' South" is a Western comedy/romance starring Nicholson as a two-bit outlaw saved from hanging to marry a prim virgin (Mary Steenburgen) who uses him to (try to) strike gold on the mine located on her remote ranch, inherited from her dad. But the ex-outlaw's former gang might not let him strike it rich, whether with gold or love. The wannabe outlaws are played by Veronica Cartwright, Tracey Walter, Danny DeVito and Jeff Morris.

The tone is akin to 1976's "The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox," but the movie's not as good. It's generally amusing, but sometimes a little boring; the script needed more work to further draw out its potential. Yet it's still worth catching if you like the cast. There are some chuckles. The best parts are the sequences in the town involving two deputies (Christopher Lloyd & John Belushi), the sheriff (Richard Bradford) and others.

This was one of only three films directed by Jack (if you don't count "The Terror," where he got his initial experience). It also marked the film debut of Steenburgen and was one of Belushi's first theatrical films (he did this and "Animal House" around the same time).

The film runs 108 minutes and was shot in Durango, Mexico.

GRADE: Borderline B-/C+

Henry Moon (Jack Nicholson) is captured for a capital offense by a posse when his horse quits while trying to escape to Mexico . Henry saving himself from lynching by marrying a spinster (Mary Steenburgen , though Meryl Streep and Jessica Lange considered the role) . Moon/Nicholson saved from the hangman , for a fate worse than death . There , then appears his refreshingly offbeat Old Gang (Veronica Cartwright , Tracey Walter , Jeff Morris and Danny DeVito)

This Western comedy contains laughters , action , shootouts , brawls and amusement . Lots of attempts at comedy but it falls flat . Entertaining and funny Western , not for all tastes , with touches of humor here and there . Overacting by Jack Nicholson at an outlandish character attempting to like , including jokes and silly laughs , but only a few work . Feature film debut for Mary Steenburgen , whose role Jane Fonda and Anne Bancroft turned down ; furthermore , a small role for John Belushi as a gunfighter Deputy . Very good support cast such as Christopher Lloyd as Deputy Towfield , Veronica Cartwright as Hermine , Richard Bradford as Sheriff Andrew , Jeff Morris as Abe, Moon's Old Gang , Danny DeVito as Hog , Ed Begley Jr as Haber , Anne Ramsey as Spinster , Tracey Walter as Coogan and Luana Anders as Lorette Anderson. Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by the great Spanish cameraman Nestor Almendros .

The motion picture was middlingly directed by Jack Nicholson , though the studio originally intended for Elliott Gould and Candice Bergen to star in the film, with Mike Nichols directing . However , Nicholson didn't want to star in the film , he insisted the movie was logistically too ambitious for him to divide his attention between acting and directing . Nicholson had previously directed his first film in 1971 titled ¨Drive he said¨ played by his friends Bruce Dern and Karen Black ; he subsequently co-produced and semi-directed with Monte Hellman two strange Westerns titled ¨The shooting ¨and ¨Ride in the whirlwind¨ ; after that , he played ¨Missouri¨ another Western directed by Arthur Penn with Marlon Brando . Nicholson's final filmmaking was ¨The two Jakes¨ .¨Goin' South" rating : Mediocre but entertaining . The picture will appeal to Jack Nicholson hardcore fans .