CALIFORNIA KID
US, 1974, 73 minutes, Colour.
Martin Sheen, Vic Morrow, Michelle Phillips, Stuart Margolin, Nick Nolte.
Directed by Richard T. Heffron.
An interesting offbeat telemovie with echoes of Duel. It is also reminiscent of the Australian film The Cars That Ate Paris -a small town preying on travellers with the focus on cars. The film in written by Richard Compton, who wrote Macon County Line and Return to Macon County. There is an interesting atmosphere, a range of background music, interesting performances especially by Martin Sheen and Vic Morrow with a good character sketch by Michelle Phillips.
1. The impact of the film as a telemovie thriller, the focus on cars, police, violence? The fifties setting? A piece of Americana? A blend of ingredients for entertainment and social comment?
2. Response to the telemovie, to action sequences, personal drama? The impact for the home audience?
3. Colour location photography, the atmosphere of the united states, the outback town, the roads and highways, mountains? Cars and special effects? The range of the musical score and its atmosphere?
4. The prologue with the Sheriff destroying the car and killing its occupants? Audience judgments on him? Introduction to the complexities of the plot?
5. The set-up in the town: the Sheriff and his rigorous application of the law, the number of charges and the range of people prosecuted for speeding offences, his rigorous enforcing of the law especially with the youngsters? The later explanation of his wife and child being killed and the sequence of him drinking at hem* reminiscing? The heavy fines? The judge. the assistant, the taxi driver in on the deal? The hostility of the Sheriff towards outsiders, his control of the town, his self-appointed wreaking of vengeance? The challenge by Mike? Reality? Ultimately his death? A credible picture of a man holding to principle and driven insane? An embittered man going too far? A comment on American justice and the West?
6. Mike as hero - his car as the California Kid? The driving through the town? The slight rise above the speed limit and the being charged? Indication of his knowledge of cars? In the court, paying the fines, paying the taxi driver? His observation of the application of justice? The audience not knowing the reasons for his being in the town? His decision to stay? The visit to the diner and his friendship with the girl, the short liaison, their talking together? Revelation of character? The long sequences of his testing the road and speed? His discovery of the truth? His friendship with the kids and letting them drive? Finding his brother's car in the car yard? Knowledge of the truth, assistance at the death? The funeral? His goodbye to the girl and his inability to stay in the town and her inability to leave? Setting up the Sheriff? His death after the pursuit? His waving goodbye?
7. The girl and her work in the diner, the story of her husband in prison and expecting him to come back? any liaison with Mike? The control of the Sheriff? The point of her reflections on him? Her staying in the town?
8. The man at the garage and his callow attitudes about the victims and the cars, his kid brother? The focus on cars, machinery? The Sheriff's car? Mike's car? The group socialising - the girl and her being tipped off by the Sheriff? Her egging the boy on to drive test? His death and her injury?
9. The group in the town and their control: the Sheriff and his imposing the rules? The judge, the assistant, the taxi driver?
10. The sketch of people in the town - the tourist charges at the beginning, the poor family, the people in the diner, the young people in the town?
11. The impact of the film and its plot, quick character delineation within a short time? A picture of a cross-section of Americans? Justice? Violence, the law? Ugly America?
