The Getaway (1972)

Directed by

Sam Peckinpah

Genre

action film, heist film, prison film, crime thriller film

Country

United States

Runtime

2h 06m

Rated

PG

Rating

7.1 of 10 from 668 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

An imprisoned bank robber is released on the condition that he and his wife pull off a heist. After the job goes south due to a double-cross, the couple must flee across Texas with both law enforcement and criminals chasing them.

tensefast-pacedgrittysuspensefulbleakaction-packedharshrelentless

What happens

The Getaway is a 1972 American action thriller film directed by Sam Peckinpah from a screenplay by Walter Hill, based on the 1958 novel by Jim Thompson. It stars Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, Ben Johnson, Al Lettieri, and Sally Struthers. The plot follows imprisoned mastermind robber Carter "Doc" McCoy (McQueen), whose wife Carol (MacGraw) conspires for his release on the condition they rob a bank in Texas. A double-cross follows the crime, and the McCoys are forced to flee to Mexico with the police and criminals in hot pursuit. Peter Bogdanovich, whose The Last Picture Show impressed McQueen and producer David Foster, was originally hired as the director. Jim Thompson came on board to write the screenplay, but creative differences ensued between him and McQueen, and Thompson was subsequently fired, along with Bogdanovich. Writing and directing duties eventually went to Hill and Peckinpah, respectively. Principal photography commenced February 7, 1972, on location in Texas. The film reunited McQueen and Peckinpah, who had worked together on the relatively unprofitable Junior Bonner, released the same year. The Getaway premiered December 19, 1972. Despite the negative reviews it received upon release, numerous retrospective critics have reevaluated the film positively. A box-office hit earning over $36 million, it was the eighth-highest-grossing film of 1972, and one of the most financially successful productions of Peckinpah's and McQueen's careers. A film remake of the same name starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger was released in 1994. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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