Review: Scarecrow

Gene Hackman is a gruff ex-con with dreams of opening a car wash in Pittsburgh, Al Pacino is an affable returning seaman wanting to see his wife, who had their child not long after he left. The duo team up to go on the road to meet their destinations, making various stops along the way. Ann Wedgeworth is a potential love interest for Hackman, Eileen Brennan plays a tart, Dorothy Tristan is Hackman’s likeable sister, Penny Allen is Pacino’s estranged wife, and Richard Lynch is a ‘prison farm’ heavy who tries to ‘make’ Pacino.

Despite featuring two of the biggest stars of the 70s (if not all-time), here’s one you might’ve missed. This 1973 flick from director Jerry Schatzberg (“The Panic in Needle Park”, “Street Smart”) and writer Garry Michael White (“Sky Riders”, with James Coburn) isn’t as substantial as other films in the careers of Gene Hackman and Al Pacino, in fact it plays like a much less-seedy “Midnight Cowboy” at times (especially towards the end). But it’s a good film that, although not soaring like you want it to, nonetheless wouldn’t be out of place named alongside the likes of “Midnight Cowboy”, “Five Easy Pieces” and “The Last Detail”. I have absolutely no idea why it’s not better known, and definitely think it’s worth a look, so long as you can tolerate spending two hours or so with a couple of (likeable) losers. Apparently this film’s box-office failure is what caused Hackman (who pretty much retired in 2004, I believe) to mostly choose commercial films from thereon after. At any rate, it’s great to see two of the biggest stars and most respected actors doing their thing on screen.

I prefer Hackman to Pacino greatly, but both are good here, Hackman especially (‘Popeye’ was always going to make for a convincing seaman, after all!). They also seem to have a genuine rapport on screen (surprising given I’ve heard Pacino say they didn’t have much chemistry), and for the most part it’s a really likeable film. Terrifically sinister turn by veteran (and late) character actor Richard Lynch, looking quite young but still as evil as ever. Funny small role for Eileen Brennan too, who has nice tits. Hey, these things are important.

For me, the finale doesn’t quite come off, although well-performed. It just seems like too much of a jarring turn with so little time left, though the scene where Pacino calls Allen is pretty incredible, no matter how unconvincing it becomes immediately afterwards. Terrific Midwest scenery captured by cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (“Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “The Deer Hunter”, “Blow Out”) is a definite asset.

 

The two stars have made better and more significant films over the years, but this one’s among the best road movies (also a buddy movie and a character study) you’re likely to see.

Rating: B-