Three for the Road

Maybe I'm just not used to teen comedies, especially those from the eighties. And 'Three for the Road' is one hell of an example.

I wanted to see it because I couldn't think of something better to do. I just had to find a way to spend my afternoon. The first twenty minutes were great, but then you've come to realise that the whole movie is about three people with only one destiny: to get the little freaky girl into the mental institution...

On this trip, a lot of crazy things happen. Robin Kitteredge (Kerri Green) is not fond of this idea, and she does absolutely EVERYTHING to avoid that she and the two men who are assigned the job of delivering her will arrive save and well at Ashcroft Institute. In the middle of this mess, TS (Alan Ruck) falls in love with Missy and Paul (Charlie Sheen) - of course - gets a serious crush on little nasty Robin. Happy end! (Or what did you expect?) My favorite part is where Paul and TS are running in the woods, wearing nothing but their underwear.

I don't think anyone is watching this movie looking for superior writing and acting, but if you want wild and wacky adventures this is pretty good.

We keep moving down the road, crossing state lines. Lots of wild car chases and stunts, with some excellent work by drivers who really have to be careful what they're doing. The best car chase of the entire movie involves Junior's car, and wait until you see how that ends!

It's not all wild action. There are a couple of sweet scenes involving Paul and Robin.

Many laws are broken and one disaster after another gives us a really wild ending. Only in the movies!

Seriously? Charlie Sheen is someone who can be trusted with an important job? Well, at this stage in his career he is quite believable as a proper, professional yuppie. Sheen is totally different from anything else I have ever seen him in, except maybe "Wall Street", but it has been a while so I don't even remember. So proper and responsible. So nice when the situation calls for it. And then he ends up in situations Charlie Harper could have easily found himself in. I'm not sure he's that good when he has to be angry, but he gets the job done.

I've never heard of Kerri Green but it's a shame. She was quite good, really, given the material. Robin is actually a sweet and misunderstood girl, but wait until you see what she gets away with in a fine restaurant just because she's a senator's daughter. And then it's time to spend the night in a motel. That's when the real fun begins, but not before we get to see Robin in her underwear. I assume it's underwear, because why would she have a swimsuit?

I know Alan Ruck best as a womanizing jerk in "Spin City" but he is so different here and much more likable.

Not a great role for James Avery, who was praised so highly in Will Smith's Oscar speech, only a couple of years before he became Uncle Phil. But pretty good. And if you disliked his behavior ... well, Robin is clumsy.

Sally Kellerman is actually pretty good but is this movie truly worthy of someone who starred in one of the greatest of all films?

Is this family friendly? Cleaned up for TV, maybe it's acceptable for older kids. You can't be too mature and still appreciate this. How convenient that some of the worst language in the movie was probably bleeped out by car horns and such.

It's a fun adventure if your expectations aren't too high.

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 saw this film in 1987, or maybe it was 1988, and my friends and I laughed hysterically because this film is so awful! It's one of those movies that are so bad they are hilarious. Favorite line: Sally Kellerman telling her ex-husband, "You so much as breathe a word of this, and I'll have your d*** in a pencil sharpener!" I also found one scene to be disturbing...a black man who is hauling a load of live chickens stops to help, and ends up with his truck @ chickens tumbling down a steep hill. While the main characters speed off, this poor man has lost his truck and his chickens. The main characters then laugh. Alan Ruck ("Spin City") sarcastically declares that he feels sorry for "those chickens." This film is a disaster, directed by the brilliant B.W.L. Norton ("More American Graffiti," "Baby: Secret Of The Lost Legend.") This movie seems to try to recapture the spirit of the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby "road" movies, but fails miserably. When this came out on video, I decided to watch it again, thinking that I might have missed something. I watched the video with my mom. My mom, approaching her sixties, said that this was the kind of movie kids used to watch back in the 40's and 50's. Enough said. NOTE: Alot of people are mistaken. This film was made and shelved BEFORE Charlie Sheen starred in Oliver Stone's "Platoon." It was only released after "Platoon" was a hit.