Pink Cadillac

Like most people I guess, I'd never heard of this movie (it not getting a theatrical release in the UK). But I like Clint so when it came around on late-night TV...

The leads are excellent, the script is witty, but the direction plods. The first third is so slow it almost had me reaching for the off switch. (A Pink Cadillac that runs on Valium, is no fun ride, me thinks.) Still I hung on in there and am not disappointed that I did.

Eastwood's attempt at playing "characters" was vaguely cringe-worthy. Let's face it, his best role is playing Clint Eastwood. Even so, he still has enough charm to get away with trying. Bernadette Peters adds subtlety, humor and integrity to her role. The film is well made. It hangs together. It was just never worth a special trip to the cinema. But fine on DVD or video with wine and a pizza.

"Pink Cadillac" is a fairly dull action comedy (long on runtime, short on laughs), but it's worth a look-see for Clint Eastwood in a comedic role. He really goes all out in those goofy disguises and it's always something to see when he plays against type. Also, for the very cute Bernadette Peters and the curious bit parts (James Cromwell, Jim Carrey and Bryan Adams).

But I don't see myself coming back to this; I don't remember making with any ha-has. If you want to see a movie star in the sick-of-bounty-hunting role, stick with "Midnight Run", no question.

5/10

Pink Cadillac is directed by Buddy Van Horn, written by John Eskow and stars Clint Eastwood, Bernadette Peters & Timothy Carhart. Story sees Peters as Lou Ann McGuinn , who finally has enough of her no good husband Roy (Carhart) and flees off with their baby in his treasured pink Cadillac. Unbeknown to her the car contains a lot of money garnered from illegal means by the white supremacist group that Roy was hanging around with. Bounty hunter Tommy Novak (Eastwood) is then brought in to capture her since she has skipped bail. Once locating her an unusual friendship begins to form as both of them get deeper and deeper into trouble as the gang close in.

Pink Cadillac was a flop on release, and now it's almost forgotten by not only the casual film fan, but also by many of Eastwood's loyal fan club. Yet it's hardly the disaster some have painted it out to be. Yes the plot is a thin one and has been done brilliantly before; notably Midnight Run a year previously. While there's not enough action and comedy to sustain the 2 hour running time. It's also not unfair to say that the villains here-an array of dunderhead white supremacists-are weak and in the case of Carhart ; badly acted. But Pink Cadillac does have its moments and in Eastwood & Peters we have a most engaging, unpredictable odd couple act that is easy to warm too. Peters turns in a fine comedy performance, both psychically and verbally. Her ability to blend cute and needy with spunky feistiness works well off of Eastwood's more rugged charms. It seems that finally having a co-star of some worth is loosening the big man up, for here he enjoys playing comedy with his series of caricature disguises that he uses to catch the bail jumpers that form part of the story.

Perhaps it's a little unsettling to some fans to see Eastwood not being overtly macho, but this does make for a nice change of pace for Eastwood. A return to his days with the Orangutan; which incidentally up to Pink Cadillac's release were his biggest hit movies. But breaking it down it's a neat character that Eastwood has taken on with Tommy Novak. Almost anti-macho yet able to single handedly protect Lou Ann and her baby. You feel that this was a personal and deliberate choice for Eastwwood in a decade that for him mostly consists of diminishing sequels and poorly scripted misfires. Pink Cadillac has been lumped in with the worst of his career, but viewing it now it holds up much better than nearly all of his 80s output. File it along side Bronco Billy as one of his most underrated performances.

Not breaking any rules of the genre, or showing technical prowess and sharp scripting, Pink Cadillac is still the kind of inoffensive fun that knows its limits. Boosted by a relaxed Eastwood and a perky Miss Peters it's just waiting to be reappraised by a new audience. 7/10

Pink Cadillac has Clint Eastwood playing a skip tracer who most assuredly is not Dirty Harry. But he's a guy who's good at his job and is most clever at arresting subjects, catching them off guard with all kinds of cons and disguises.

He also likes a challenge so he's not terribly thrilled with getting an assignment to track down Bernadette Peters who simply has the bad misfortune to be married to a real loser in Timothy Carhart. He's done some jail time and made some real friends with the birth righters, a white supremacist neo Nazi gang who work on the outside as well.

And what they're into is counterfeiting and when Peters walks out on Carhart taking their baby and the Neo Nazi loot with both real and bogus bills, she's got them after her as well.

This film which will please die-hard Clint Eastwood fans didn't rise to any occasion for me. I just could not quite accept the neo-Nazis as even comic villains. And the film seemed to be a one note joke about the Pink Cadillac that hovered over the film. That no one would expect Clint Eastwood to be driving in such a conspicuous and flamingly effeminate ride. Even if it is Peters' car which they have to use out of necessity.

Clint and Bernadette never quite connected either. Funny thing that with a different leading lady and a more serious treatment this might have been an Eastwood classic.

But they would have to get rid of the Pink Cadillac as well.

As mentioned in another comment, this film is very, very similar to the brilliant De Niro movie Midnight Run which came out a year before this one. This one pales in comparison unfortunately. I wouldn't have thought it was a deliberate move by Eastwood to cash in on the success of Midnight Run, because I don't think Clint has to ride on anyone's coat tails, and was Midnight Run a big hit anyway? Actually this must be one of Clints least known films, its very rarely shown on TV here in Great Britain, in fact I think it went straight to video, a Clint Eastwood film straight to video! It must be really bad yeah? well no, not really, but not exactly great either. Its a pleasant enough way to spend a couple of hours, and does show Clint doing different things. He takes on different persona's in his Bounty hunter role to catch the crooks including a DJ and a redneck, which I thought was hilarious, really funny. Bernadette Peters was really good in this I thought as well, bright and quirky. What really let it down was the gang of Nazi redneck bikers (or whatever they were meant to be), they bordered on comedy villains, in fact I kept waiting for Clyde the Orangatun to wander on screen and punch them out and drink all their beer! So one for Clint fans only I'm afraid (like me!) P.S See if you can spot Jim Carrey AND Canadian rocker Bryan Adams in the film.