Switchback (1997)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Must See Movie...

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Switchback is one of my favourite 'serial killer vs. cop' thrillers of the 90's, and has seemingly slipped through the cracks these days. It has a special place in my heart, because as a kid my father would take me to his office at work, where I would catch a lot of cool movies on what was back then called 'TBS Superstation'. I once saw a few quick moments of this one, and wondered for years what film it was. A couple years back I tracked this one down because it stars a bunch of actors I really like, and was pleasantly surprised to have my childhood memory jogged, and finally find out what movie I had seen. It's got a solid, able bodied cast that's speckled with both prominent, square jawed leading dudes and some salty character actors as well, to spice things up. The film starts off as jovial Bob Goodall (Danny Glover) picks up mysterious hitchhiker Lane Dixon (Jared Leto) somewhere in the remote northwest. The two strike up a rapport, but we know that one or both will ultimately figure in the other half of the story, where things get decidedly sinister. Many miles away in another state, renegade FBI agent Frank Lacrosse (Dennis Quaid, turning off his smiling charm a quiet, smouldering turn as a guy at the end of his rope) searches for his infant son, who was kidnapped several years before by a dangerous serial killer. His search leads him to Amarillo, Texas, where he's both aided and stymied by local law enforcement. Kind, caring Sheriff Buck Olmstead (R. Lee Ermey, one my favourite character actors) and his deputy Nate Booker (Ted Levine, always reliable) do all they can for him, but in the midst of a reelection, their efforts are somewhat sabotaged by rival candidate Jack McGinnis (William Fichtner), causing delay in the investigation. Meanwhile, Glover and Leto draw closer and closer to a violent conclusion as the tension grows, inevitably tying in with Quaid's story. It's a crisp, no nonsense thriller that wastes no time bounding out of the gate, and yet never feels rushed. As Glover and Leto travel we are treated to some gorgeous, snowy Colorado scenery, captured nicely by DOP Oliver Wood. I revisit this one from time to time and am never let down at its tension, performances and skillful execution. A fair bit overlooked in thriller-ville as well, I might add.

Compared to other serial-killer flicks of the 1990s, director Jeb Stuart's "Switchback" is pretty good. It stars Dennis Quaid as an FBI agent who's busy tracking a murderer across the United States. Assisting him is Buck Olmstead (R. Lee Ermey), a small-town sheriff. The film also finds actors Jard Leto and Danny Glover playing a pair of likable drifters. One of them may also be the killer.More competent as travelogue than thriller, "Switchback" is at its best when its drifting in and out of motels, towns, train-stops, snow-capped roads or hanging out with ancillary characters. Stuart would have done better to delay the revelation of his killer's identity by an extra half hour, but for the most part avoids formula.7.9/10 – Underrated. See "Jennifer Eight", "Flesh and Bone" (1993), "The Pledge", "Memories of Murder", "Night of the Hunter" and "Humanite" (1999).

The extremely well chosen cast raises the value of this thriller a notch, in this tale of a somber FBI agent, Frank LaCrosse (Dennis Quaid) in relentless pursuit of a serial killer. For Frank the pursuit has become personal because this particularly crafty and odious killer has abducted his son. The movie intercuts between Frank's story and that of drifter Lane Dixon (Jared Leto), who's hitched a ride with gregarious character Bob Goodall (Danny Glover). Eventually the two stories are brought together, and a confrontation occurs on a train passing through some mountains.As those who have seen this will tell you, "whodunit" is not at all the hook of the story. Debuting filmmaker Jeb Stuart (who had co-written "Die Hard" and "The Fugitive" for the screen) cares far more about his characters - and telling the tale - than trying to dazzle the audience with elaborate action set pieces. Granted, the movie does eventually head in that direction, but this is one of those rare cases where the action serves the story rather than the other way around.And these characters are people we can actually get to like - even the psycho, who does have a certain charisma about him. You can see how his victims wouldn't feel threatened by him until it was too late. Filling out the rock solid supporting cast are R. Lee Ermey as the small town sheriff who is moved by Franks' predicament, Ted Levine as his loyal deputy, William Fichtner as the smarmy lawman trying to move in on Ermey's job, Leo Burmester as amiable mechanic Shorty, and in small parts, Brent Hinkley, Walton Goggins, Ted Markland, Gregory Scott Cummins, Maggie Roswell, Allison Smith, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Kevin Cooney, Merle Kennedy, and Sandy Ward. Glover is engaging as Bob while Quaid is wonderfully understated.Those aforementioned action scenes are rousing, and there's a great deal of impressive rural vistas well shot in Panavision."Switchback" is lengthy, but worth the effort for fans of the genre.Seven out of 10.

The script weighs us down with an overly convoluted plot filled with too many characters. We know from the get-go there is a serial killer lurking somewhere in this film. But the plot tracks two almost non-overlapping threads that, though they come together at the end more or less, generate confusion and vagueness through most of the film. I would have to ask ... who is the story's protagonist? It's not at all clear, as the plot darts this way, then that, back and forth, with several characters occupying about the same amount of screen time.Except for Sheriff Olmstead (R. Lee Ermey) none of these people are interesting. Dennis Quaid's character is so dull and deadpan as to be inert. And if Quaid's vocal delivery had been any softer I don't think he would have been audible. Baby faced Jared Leto does not convince as a medical student. And, though we learn the identity of the killer way too soon, the killer's manner is such as to make him not the least bit scary, regardless of the too-soon reveal.The two plot lines are set in different geographical locales, one in Texas, the other in the mountains of Colorado; why? Is that really necessary? The Texas setting is preoccupied with local politics, with its attendant chatter, which drains away the suspense of a serial-killer plot. Indeed, the screenplay is filled not only with too many characters, but also too much dialogue.Cinematography is quite good, especially in the second half, with some interesting mountain scenery and camera angles. The visuals are easily the best element of the film. Editing and production design are pretty good, but background music seems irrelevant.The basic problem is a script that needed a re-write or two. It's almost like two separate films. Too bad, because some of the cinematography is quite good. If you skip the first half, the second half makes a decent travelogue through the snowy Colorado mountains.