A man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert.A man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert.A man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert.
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations total
Moira Sinise
- Arleen
- (as Moira Harris)
Alitzah
- Spanish Girl
- (uncredited)
Featured reviews
This is great! The action and intensity never let up for a second. Kurt Russell gives a riveting performance as the hero in search of his missing wife, and JT Walsh is a fine bad guy.
You will keep yourself on the edge of your seat the entire time and will not want to turn it off, even at the end. It's that good. I promise.
If you like intensity and good movies, rent this one. You will not regret it.
*** out of ****
You will keep yourself on the edge of your seat the entire time and will not want to turn it off, even at the end. It's that good. I promise.
If you like intensity and good movies, rent this one. You will not regret it.
*** out of ****
Kurt Russell is excellent in this taunt, thrilling, non-stop action film. Russell plays Jeff, a husband who has to get his wife back after she's abducted by a trucker after their jeep breaks down and she accepts a ride from him. Every actor is almost pitch perfect for the parts they play and the movie was very enjoyable. J.T. Walsh is suitably menacing as Red,in my mind, but this IS Kurt's movie through and through. Mr. Russell has to be one of my favorite actors working today. And this film has to be one of the best 'Chase for family member' type movie in the last decade..HIGHLY recommended
My Grade: A
Where I saw it: HBO plus
My Grade: A
Where I saw it: HBO plus
Jeff Taylor (Kurt Russell) and Amy Taylor (Kathleen Quinlan) are a couple who are moving to San Diego.Their car breaks down in a desert.Amy goes along with a truck driver to call some help from the diner.But she never comes back.Jeff drives all around the desert looking for his wife and he asks some people for his wife, but everybody says they haven't seen her.What has happened to Amy?Watch the movie and find out.Breakdown is totally worth checking out.Kurt Russell's performance is amazing and the other actors are great too. Breakdown is a thrilling action thriller, that keeps the suspense on every second of the movie.
Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan play Jeff & Amy Taylor, who are traveling by car across country to California. After stopping at a gas station, they develop engine trouble in the middle of the desert. Desperate, his wife agrees to a ride with a friendly trucker(played memorably by J.T. Walsh), who promises to get them help. When she doesn't return(and after the car starts working again) Jeff drives back into town, only to find to his dismay that not only isn't his wife there, but that they never showed up at all. He does find the trucker, only to be shocked when told by him that he doesn't know what he's talking about! Thus begins a game of cat and mouse, hunter and hunted between Jeff and a particularly nasty gang of kidnappers, demanding ransom.
Extremely exciting film involves the viewer with the couple's plight right away, and seldom goes wrong. Direction by Jonathan Mostow is efficient and inspired, and the performances really ring true, as does the smart script, leading to a cliffhanging climax.
Cautionary tale about not going along with strangers works well as a variation on "Duel". Not to be missed.
Extremely exciting film involves the viewer with the couple's plight right away, and seldom goes wrong. Direction by Jonathan Mostow is efficient and inspired, and the performances really ring true, as does the smart script, leading to a cliffhanging climax.
Cautionary tale about not going along with strangers works well as a variation on "Duel". Not to be missed.
This is one of the most intense high-octane movies from start to finish that you will see.
Not one single boring moment and the runtime and the pacing are just perfect.
Kurt Russell really shines in this movie and does a really good job in this role. All the actors do a great job honestly, but Russel is the star of the movie.
Though the action is really well-done, especially for the second half, along with some improbable things that happened, I think it kinda made the movie more "Hollywood action"-y and maybe a little less realistic. Though nothing against that, but I kinda expected this movie to take the more realistic approach and not the Hollywood action-hero route. It's not exactly that, but in the second half, it kinda borders on being an unrealistic Hollywood action film.
But nonetheless, this movie is a really good time and you will not get bored. It's intense through and through and a great thriller overall that doesn't overstay its welcome. Definitely check it out, you won't regret it.
Not one single boring moment and the runtime and the pacing are just perfect.
Kurt Russell really shines in this movie and does a really good job in this role. All the actors do a great job honestly, but Russel is the star of the movie.
Though the action is really well-done, especially for the second half, along with some improbable things that happened, I think it kinda made the movie more "Hollywood action"-y and maybe a little less realistic. Though nothing against that, but I kinda expected this movie to take the more realistic approach and not the Hollywood action-hero route. It's not exactly that, but in the second half, it kinda borders on being an unrealistic Hollywood action film.
But nonetheless, this movie is a really good time and you will not get bored. It's intense through and through and a great thriller overall that doesn't overstay its welcome. Definitely check it out, you won't regret it.
Did you know
- TriviaM.C. Gainey said that Earl was the darkest character he ever played in a film and regretted it afterwards.
- GoofsWhen the Jeep quits running, the odometer reads 242 miles. It has already been driven from Massachusetts to the western US desert.
- Alternate versionsThe film originally had a prologue added at the behest of the producers showing Kurt Russell's character as a cameraman in a war zone. He witnesses the death of a young girl and this prompts the cross country trip with his wife to start a new job. Director Jonathan Mostow did not like the opening and asked Paramount to test screen one version with the prologue and one without. After the screenings, the studio executives agreed with Mostow and opted to remove the prologue.
- ConnectionsEdited into Breakdown: Alternate Opening (2021)
- SoundtracksBurgers & Fries
Written by Ben Peters
Performed by Charley Pride
Courtesy of the RCA Records Label of BMG Entertainment
- How long is Breakdown?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $36,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $50,159,144
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $12,307,128
- May 4, 1997
- Gross worldwide
- $50,159,144
- Runtime
- 1h 33m(93 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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