FREEWAY

US, 1996, 97 minutes, Colour.
Kiefer Sutherland, Reese Witherspoon, Wolfgang Vodison, Dan Hedaya, Amanda Plummer, Brooke Shields, Bokeem Woodbine, Brittany Murphy, Conchata Farrell.
Directed by Matthew Bright.

Freeway was written and directed by Matthew Bright. Bright had written quite a number of films but this was his direction debut. He followed it up with the rather lurid Confessions of a Trick Baby.

The film draws on the fairy tale of Red Riding Hood but transfers it to contemporary urban Los Angeles. The film focuses on a dysfunctional family, Amanda Plummer acts as a road prostitute and Reese Witherspoon as her illiterate by seemingly good-hearted daughter.

The wolf is in the form of the gentlemanly Kiefer Sutherland who gives the young girl a lift. He employs psychological techniques on her, getting her trust, getting her to open up about her life and then turning on her. It emerges that he is a freeway serial killer. She shoots him, disfigures him. He appears in court, wants revenge and eventually confronts her at her grandmother's house, he in bed in the guise of the grandmother.

Reese Witherspoon was at the beginning of her career although she had appeared in a number of films as a teenager including The Man in the Moon and Wild Flower. She was to continue on a very successful career. Kiefer Sutherland had become expert at portraying sinister characters.

The film is grim, relentless in its portrait of this section of Los Angeles society (including Brooke Shields in a cameo role as the disillusioned wife of Kiefer Sutherland).

1. The use of the Red Riding Hood fairy tale? The cartoon during the opening credits? Vanessa dressed in red, going on a trip, looking for her grandmother? The irony of Bob Wolverton (with the wolf in the name) and his disguising himself as the grandmother? A brutal and 1990s reworking of the fairy tale?

2. The Los Angeles settings, the freeway itself, the prisons? The musical score?

3. The title, overtones, serial killers on the freeway, Vanessa's confrontation with Bob on the freeway?

4. The Lutz household, Ramona and her picking up clients on the streets, her shrill manner, her relationship with her daughter, love-hate, her being caught and arrested, her tantrums, her relationship with Larry? Her being taken to prison? Her daughter's attitude towards her, love for her, ashamed of her? Larry, his being out of work, getting benefits? His love for Ramona? His sexual approaches to Vanessa? His being taken in by the police? Vanessa and her deciding to leave and go to her grandmother's? Her clashes with the police officers, the welfare people, Mrs Sheets and her dealing with her, her persuading Mrs Sheets that she would go to her grandmother's?

5. Vanessa, her age, experience, at school, her difficulties in reading? Her relationship with Chopper? Interracial? The irony of Chopper being killed in the streets as she left?

6. On the road, being picked up by Bob? His seemingly being a gentleman, the friendly conversation, her explaining herself, her opening up, the explanation of her life, attitudes? Bob and his being a school counsellor, using counselling techniques? The meal together? Her trust in him? His asking her more direct sexual questions, explaining that it was therapy? Her reaction, wanting to get out of the car? Her realising that he was dangerous, that he was the serial killer, his getting the razor? Her getting into the back of the car, getting the gun, the confrontation, her shooting him? Her running away?

7. Bob, his character, the killer, his sexual obsessions? The questioning of Vanessa, his being shot, not dying? The disfigurement of his face? The interrogation by the detectives?

8. Vanessa, her arrest, the two detectives questioning her, her speaking very directly, telling the truth? The religious dimension - and her asking Bob whether he believed in Jesus as his saviour before she shot him? Her behaviour in the court, her being tried as an adult and the inquiry, the reaction of the judge, the lawyers?

9. In prison, her being loud, with the other girls, the friendship with Rhonda, their discussions? Her violence towards the other girls? The plan to escape, Mrs Cullins, in the toilet, the killing of Mrs Cullins, the escape?

10. The detective, his being offended by Vanessa's epithets towards him, her making the point about the assault and being sorry? His going back to the scene of the crime, finding the evidence of the cut hair? The visit to the Wolverton household? Confrontation with Mrs Wolverton, her reaction, the pornography in the shed, her killing herself?

11. Mrs Wolverton, her support of her husband, presence in the court? Bob and his going from the therapy, the confrontation with Vanessa, her violence towards him?

12. Her continuing her journey, finding her grandmother, dead? The replay of the fairy tale? Bob disguised as the grandmother, Vanessa's violence and killing him? The arrival of the detectives, their seeming approval of her because she had killed the serial killer?

13. The amoral tone of the film? Contemporary suburban society? Serial killers, violence, sexual obsessions? The law, the courts, justice?