Freeway (1996) – He’ll huff and he’ll puff

‘Freeway’ came out in 1996 and somehow I completely missed it.  Either it never got a particularly promoted theatrical or VHS release, or it just wasn’t very popular in the UK.  So, when I sat down to watch a film that was basically twenty years old, I wondered how it would hold up after all that time.  I was pleased to say that I was actually quite impressed.

‘Freeway’ (believe it or not) is actually based on the fairytale ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’ Now, that’s not just what the critics said about it when they were trying to fish for ‘deeper meaning’ in what is technically a drama/thriller-type film which spans numerous genres.  It’s actually highly prominent that this film is based on the fable right from the start when we see a character watching a retelling of the story on TV.  For the first twenty minutes or so, the two stories almost align completely (albeit in a much more ‘adult’ nature)... We have Reese Witherspoon in a red leather jacket as ‘Vanessa Lutz,’ a teenager who comes from a broken home with a drug addict for a mother and a step-father who’s intentions towards his adopted daughter are hardly benign.  When the pair of them are arrested, she has no one to look after her apart from her grandmother.  Therefore she sets off on a road trip across the state in order to see her relative.

Of course no ‘Red Riding Hood’ tale would be complete without the ‘Big Bad Wolf.’ Here, he’s perfectly played by Kiefer Sutherland as ‘Bob Wolverton’ (do you see the pun there in his name?).  He offers her a ride when her car breaks down and we find that she’s been picked up by the only man who has lower morals than her step-dad.

Like I say, that’s basically the first half.  The second part does tend to start moving away from the source material.  I’m guessing there’s hardly enough to be drawn out into an hour and a half, so the film-makers certainly take even more creative liberties with what they’ve got to work with (the ‘Red Riding Hood’ aspect comes back again towards the end of the film).

‘Freeway’ still stands up today, simply because of the gusto both leads put into their performances.  It’s clear that they’re both enjoying what they’ve got to work with and are giving it their all.  Personally, I found some of the plot (in the latter half) a little bit far-fetched, but when the inspiration is a fairytale, I guess you can hardly expect 100% total realism.  But that’s just a minor grip. ‘Freeway’ spans multiple genres, but if you’re into suspending your disbelief to enjoy a thriller which realise does utilise its stars to the max, give this one a go.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that