Undescribable Perfection

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

The acting in this movie is really good.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

"Susan Reed" (Ally Sheedy) is having a bad day. First, she gets fried from her job and then when she gets home early she finds her boyfriend with another woman. So she packs her suitcase and heads for New York. Along the way she picks up a female hitchhiker named "Bess" (Jennie Vaughn) who promptly steals her car and the rest of her belongings leaving her stranded in Macon County, Georgia. She immediately heads to a convenience store to make a phone call but the clerk mistakenly thinks she's there to rob him. To make matters even worse they get into a scuffle just as the police happen to arrive and she is subsequently arrested and put in jail over the weekend pending her arraignment Monday morning. If that wasn't bad enough she then gets raped by the deputy that night. Now if any of this plot seems familiar it's because it is almost identical to an earlier film (starring Yvette Mimieux in the lead role) titled "Jackson County Jail" produced in 1976. As far as comparisons go this movie was less intense but on the other hand the acting of Ally Sheedy and David Carradine (as "Coley") seemed a bit more polished in this particular film. Since the similarities were so striking and I enjoyed both movies I have rated this film the same as its predecessor. Slightly above average.

"Jackson County Jail" reigns supreme as one of the all-time great'n'gritty hicksploitation gems from the 70's. This tepid belated entry in the hicksploitation genre starts out awkwardly, but does get slightly better as the story unfolds. Alas, this picture never acquires the powerful harsh edge of the original because of Victoria Muspratt's wildly uneven direction, a pretty sloppy script (the opening scenes that set up the main character's dire predicament are especially clunky and rife with heavy-handed contrivances which strain credibility something fierce), a few ill-advised attempts at goofy humor that don't fit with the generally serious tone, the clumsy use of songs on the soundtrack (the brutal rape in the jail cell would have worked a lot better without a song playing over it), and the fact that the main character's transition from spoiled businesswoman to hardened criminal seems extremely abrupt and hence unconvincing. Fortunately, the action scenes are staged with some competence and the film moves along at a snappy enough pace. Moreover, the three leads do sound and praiseworthy work considering the lackluster material: Ally Sheedy makes for a strong and sympathetic damsel in distress, David Carradine projects a winningly lived-in sense of weary resignation and stoical compassion as a shrewd and resourceful felon who goes on the lam with Sheedy, and always dependable veteran character actor Charles Napier handles the role of a tough no-bull small Southern town sheriff with his customary sturdy professionalism. A strictly so-so flick.

This film was so bad that the content of the movie is not even reviewable. The performances by Ally Sheedy and David Carradine represent their darkest cinematic hour. In their defense, if that's possible, the budget for this film had to have provided for only one take for every scene. I simply can't think of any other reason how a film could be so poorly put together. At one point I really thought that Sheedy and Carradine were intentionally "bad acting", and that the film was intended to be a "quasi" spoof. It wasn't. But here's the interesting thing about this movie. The movie was so bad that it was, in an odd way, fascinating to watch. I'm sure Ally Sheedy blushes anytime she's within earshot of a mention of this film. It's always interesting to see someone with talent do something remarkable, whether good or bad.

Ally Sheedy is a brilliant actress who can always be relied on to play a part really well. Every film I have saw this talented actress is has been good.She made a great team with David Carradine as the pair who go on the run and encounter all kinds of mishaps along the way whilst being pursued by the determined Sherrif Dempsey. It's interesting to see Ally Sheedy's change from a relatively easygoing lady to a criminal on the run-and very believable too. The only criticism I have of this film is that it could have been a bit longer but saying that, it was a great film with good performances from everyone.If you're an Ally Sheedy fan like myself, then watch it and enjoy.