
Jim Long
Oddly, when initially released, audiences ignored this debut feature from wunderkind Steven Speilberg but the film demonstrates that by the time he'd graduated from television, he was in full command of the film making process. And, it's also a reminder that Goldie Hawn was a wonderful dramatic actress. One aspect of 'Sugarland' that I find interesting is how Spielberg populated the film with colorful non-actors and locals--something that he abandoned in his later work. But the gentleman who really centers the film and gives it dramatic weight is Ben Johnson who'd already won an Oscar a few years earlier for The Last Picture Show. If you can ignore the fact that the plot has very little to do with the actual events or that the geography of the setting is non-existent, sit back and enjoy the ride
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