RUSHING THROUGH JOHN SCHLESINGER'S 'HONKY TONK FREEWAY'

Title: HONKY TONK FREEWAY Year: 1981 Rating: ****

John Schlesinger's HONKY TONK FREEWAY has two composers: Elmer Bernstein doing his usual triumphant march while Beatles producer George Martin's melancholy interludes are thrown in randomly for an offbeat cross-country road-movie with everything...

And while known for having cost and lost tons of money, FREEWAY is both a fast-moving adventure and witty ensemble-comedy with only a few central characters representing both points on the map...

From John Schlesinger's HONKY TONK FREEWAY

William Devane as a Florida small town mayor who, done bargaining with seedy politicians, creates an illegal off-ramp to get his desperate nowhere town Ticlaw back in business as unhappily married Beau Bridges pairs with progressive been-around-the-block Beverly D'Angelo...

Meanwhile retired ad-man Hume Cronyon deals with drink-happy wife Jessica Tandy; Peter Billingsly's an RV-vacationing-family son, who can only pee in public bathrooms, driven by mellow dad Howard Hesseman with semi-nagging wife Teri Garr frowning shotgun...

George Dzundza and Joe Grafisi in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

George Dzundra and Joe Grafisi are scene-stealing one-time bank robbers with a bag of loot, mostly seeking female companionship; Deborah Rush a cute young nun bullied by literal superior Geraldine Page; and Celia Weston's a fish restaurant waitress turned would-be call-girl guided by breezy pimp David Rasche...

All enveloped in a freestyle experience that, although tanking at the box-office, provided the big-screen feel to rudimentary cable-television outlets... from afternoon to after-midnight screenings.... for the same diverse Americans that are equally celebrated and parodied herein.

David Rasche as a pimp in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Howard Hesseman as an RV dad in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Teri Garr as an RV mom in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Peter Billingsly as their RV son in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Beau Bridges in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Beau Bridges and Beverly D'Angelo in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Daniel Stern in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Ann Coleman in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Beverly D'Angelo in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Ann Risley and Ken Lerner in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Beau Bridges  in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Jerry Hardin and James Staley in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Barbara Rush in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Cute young nun Deborah Rush in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Mean old nun Gerandine Page in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Retired couple Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Hooker and Waitress Sondra McCabe and Celia Weston in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

William Devane in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Beau Bridges and Beverly D'Angelo in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

David Rasche and Jack Thibeau in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Ann Coleman with Geraldine Page and Deborah Rush in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Deborah Rush in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Beau Bridges and Beverly D'Angelo in HONKY TONK FREEWAY

Mags Kavanaugh n HONKY TONK FREEWAY