Very well executed

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Sweet Hostage is another excellent example of a seventies made for TV movie. There were a lot of great TV movies made during what is probably the richest decade for great movies, although this one stands out a little from many as it is both feature length and feels every bit like a 'proper' movie, not a made for TV one. The plot focuses on the idea of 'Stockholm Syndrome' and we follow a young girl who is kidnapped by an escaped mental patient but ends up falling in love with him along the way. The film doesn't really appear to have any real point to make, but the way that everything plays out is always interesting and that is mostly thanks to the two lead performances which are excellent throughout. Martin Sheen gives a lively performance as the escaped mental patient and actually manages to make his character realistic in spite of the over the top script. Linda Blair is also very good as the kidnapped young girl and has a good chemistry with Sheen. The film is a little under ambitious and that's a shame as it does feel like more could have been made out of this plot; but what we do end up with is an undoubtedly successful drama and I enjoyed this movie on the whole.

A synopsis has already been provided by another user.I just wanted to comment on the film.Linda Denise Blair and Martin Sheen truly shine in this movie. Based on Welcome to Xandu by Nathaniel Benchley (father of Peter Benchley of Jaws' fame), the movie is funny, cheerful, tense, upsetting, romantic, and tragic.Linda is my favorite actress of all times, and this is her greatest performance. It is also Linda at her most beautiful and charming.Martin puts forth a delightful performance.The character Leonard Hatch is clearly not an insane man.He is in all honesty just misunderstood.Doris Mae is trapped by her narrowed minded parents who aspire to see her remain ignorant and completely uneducated.Leonard opens her mind and provides Doris Mae, a.k.a Christa Bell, with the beginning of an education and buys her her first dress.It is my favorite movie of all times!

I was fortunate to have recorded this film on video many years ago, and it's always a real joy to watch it again.A literate script, a totally involving storyline, Linda Blair's best-ever performance, and an awesome turn from Martin Sheen, all go to make up one of the best films of the 1970s.A pity about the slightly OTT music soundtrack and naff song, and the film could have been a little longer. Also the much better book title of 'Welcome to Xanadu' should never have been dumbed down to 'Sweet Hostage'. But these are minor gripes about what is in any sense of the word a masterpiece.

I saw this movie for the first time as a young teenager and fell "in love" with Martin Sheen. The story was excellent and touching. I loved the "exchanges" between the characters and no matter how many times I saw it, I still cried! This is still probably my all-time favorite movie. It's the one that I will always scan the TV guide for to see if it's playing somewhere! A must see movie for romantics at heart, Martin Sheen or Linda Blair fans.