3000 MILES TO GRACELAND

US, 2001, 125 minutes, Colour.
Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courtney Cox, Christian Slater, Kevin Pollak, David Arquette, John Lovitz, Howie, Thomas Hayden Church, Bokeem Woodbine, Ice-T, David Kaye.
Directed by Demian Lichtenstein.

3000 Miles to Graceland is true pulp fiction, action, violence and brutality, complete villains, thieves betraying thieves, police pursuit, exploitation of woman and child, comeuppance…

This is the story of a group of men, some just out of prison, gathering together to rob a casino at Las Vegas, holding an Elvis lookalike Festival and their disguise as Elvis. The robbery itself is presented quite brutally, with what looks like a complete security guard squad being shot to death. One of the robbers is wounded. They get away with a great deal of money, the leader, Murphy, hastening the wounded man’s death and dispute about dividing up his share. Then Murphy shoots the others. However, one of them, Michael, who seems to be the one with some possible redeeming features, survives.

Michael has encountered a mother and son at a motel, she falling for him, the son stealing the wallet, and a confrontation between Michael and the boy. He then returns with the money and the three drive off to a destination where the stolen money can be exchanged at the going rate for unmarked cash.

The film then becomes a pursuit, the woman betraying Michael and taking the money, going to the rendezvous, encountering Murphy, which leads to some confrontations. In the meantime, the Las Vegas police are tracking down the robbers. It all leads to another big shootout in a warehouse, with Murphy being killed but Michael and the woman and her son, who has always wanted to be a partner with Michael and has helped him, especially getting him out of jail with bail money, finally finishing up with all the money on Michael’s yacht.

Very dubious moral characters, moral tone – in the tradition of American outlaws and someone getting away with the money.

Murphy is played by Kevin Costner in quite a different kind of villain role. Michael, on the other hand, is very much a Kurt Russell role. The associates are played by Christian Slater who turns out to be the greedy one, David Arquette who is the stupid one, Bokeem Woodbine who is the man killed. Courtney Cox, who was appearing in the long-running Friends at the time, gives quite a different performance from her television series. Kevin Pollak and Thomas Hayden Church are the pursuing police. David Kaye is persuasive as the redoubtable young boy.

The final credits are worth looking at, very cheerful, Kurt Russell doing an Elvis impersonation. Actually he had played Elvis in John Carpenter’s 1980s film, Elvis) with all the characters reappearing, joining in the song and Elvis gyrations as well as recapping some of the sequences from the film.

1. A thriller? Robbery? Police pursuit? Falling out among thieves?

2. The desert settings, Nevada, Las Vegas, Idaho, Seattle?

3. The musical score, the range of Elvis songs, the imitators, the commentary with the lyrics, My Way at the end, and Kurt Russell’s impersonation during the final credits?

4. The title, the reference to Elvis, to Graceland, the action taking place on the other side of the country?

5. Michael, out of prison, tough, his manner, meeting Cybil, her son, the attraction, the sexual encounter, the boy stealing his wallet? His return, the confrontation? Cybil and her infatuation?

6. Michael meeting up with Murphy and the rest of the gang, travelling to Las Vegas, the costumes, into the casino, the details of the robbery, the video surveillance, the action of the security men, the ruthless shootings, the massacre of the security guards, one of the thieves being wounded? Their getting away from the roof by helicopter?

7. Dividing up the money, the robber wanting the dead man’s share, the confrontation with Murphy, the doubletalk, Murphy’s ruthlessness, hastening the death of the dead man, shooting the objecter in the leg, killing him? The taking of the body, Murphy shooting at the other three, the deaths, Michael surviving?

8. The police, working together, the leads, the information about Murphy, finding the dead bodies, contacting other police forces, the continued pursuit, the different leads and information, present at the end with the squads?

9. Michael, going back to Cybil, the boy having listened in to the discussions about the division of the money and seeing the shooting? Cybil, fears, ringing 911, cancelling when seeing the money? The police coming, the enquiries, her easy answer that it was a mistake, Michael taking mother and son in the car with the money? Cybil and her still being in love?

10. The diner, going to the ladies’ room, stealing the money, taking the car? The boy wanting to be a partner with Michael? Their stealing the car, going in pursuit?

11. Cybil, the card, the password, Jay and his assistant, the antiques shop, laundering the money? Her phone call? Murphy arriving? The discussions, the jokes about hunting, Murphy not joking? Killing Jay and the assistant? Michael discovering them?

12. Going in pursuit of Murphy, phoning in that the car was stolen, Murphy being arrested and put in jail, Michael in jail? The arguments? The boy posting bail, the lawyer, Michael going before the judge, the boy’s deal? Murphy’s car and Cybil in the boot?

13. Murphy, his contact with John, their past, John rescuing them from the roof of the casino with his helicopter? Getting Hamilton, the hitman?

14. Michael going to the police, doing the deal, going to the warehouse, to exchange the money for the boy, tentative, the bag full of newspaper rather than money, the exchange?

15. The attack of the police, the shootout, the many deaths? John shielding the boy, Murphy giving him the money? Michael being shot and taken by the ambulance? Murphy’s death?

16. Michael taking the ambulance, been padded with the money, not being killed, the three going to his yacht – and a happy ever after?

17. The impact of Kurt Russell doing an Elvis impersonation in the final credits and all the members of the cast reappearing?