Eddie Macon's Run

Watching Eddie Macon's Run and seeing what John Schneider had to go through in flashback in what landed him in Huntsville State Prison and his efforts on a second escape attempt, I concluded someone really does not like the great state of Texas. It's important to remember that Schneider moved his family from Florida to Texas because of promised good paying jobs with the oil industry. At that time Texas was booming because of oil, a lot of people went there like Schneider.

But Schneider who needs money badly because his young son has a rare blood disease finds himself working for peanuts because of some kickback scheme. When he protests and gets nasty about it, he gets tossed in jail for a five year rap. On his second attempt to escape he breaks out during the prison rodeo and he's got a good plan.

He's also got like Richard Kimble his own Lieutenant Gerard in Kirk Douglas who is less than impressed with the cowboy mentality of the place. He's from a civilized land called New Jersey and he brought in Schneider before and can do it again if for no other reason than to show the rest of the hicks good investigatory police work.

One of the few people that Schneider gets some sympathy from is heiress Lee Purcell. And she's helping him essentially for the thrill.

Schneider with his devotion to his family was one of the more noble heroes of the Eighties cinema. We the audience hope that he makes it on his run from Huntsville to the Laredo border town. Eddie Macon's Run compares most favorably to those classics from Warner Brothers in the Thirties, The Life Of Jimmy Dolan and They Made Me A Criminal. And if you're familiar with those films you know how Eddie Macon's Run will turn out.

Eddie Macon (John Schneider of 'Dukes of Hazzard' TV fame) is a basically good man, who's ended up in prison on trumped-up charges. Before the movie begins, he's already attempted one escape, and as it opens, he's pulling off another one. If he gets caught again, he's going back in for life. He takes off on foot for Mexico, to reunite with his wife Chris (Leah Ayres) and son Bobby (Matthew Meece). Relentlessly pursuing him is stubborn, over the hill detective Carl Marzack (Kirk Douglas), who wants to prove to himself that he's still got what it takes to be a cop. At least, that's what he tells a friend.

In his first film vehicle, the engaging Schneider does a creditable job, playing a likable enough guy with the odds stacked against him. Among other episodes, Eddie will be threatened by a snake, tormented by redneck ranching family the Potts, and end up in the company of Jilly Buck (lovely Lee Purcell, delivering the movies' most interesting performance), who is willing to provide him assistance for no other reason than that it's a "slow Wednesday". Schneider provides a fair amount of beefcake moments for those that are interested, and also croons two songs on the soundtrack.

Competently shot (by James A. Contner), decently paced (director Jeff Kanew, who adapted the novel by James McLendon, was also the editor), and well acted, "Eddie Macon's Run" is not a great chase picture, but it is an adequate one, although there may be viewers that will wish there was more action. (There's actually only ONE car crash in this whole thing.) Douglas may be a little old for his role, but he's fun to watch. The first rate supporting cast features a respectable amount of familiar faces: Lisa Dunsheath, Tom Noonan, and Jay O. Sanders as the aforementioned Potts family, J.C. Quinn, Gil Rogers, Todd Allen, Nesbitt Blaisdell, Matthew Cowles, Vic Polizos, Dann Florek, J.T. Walsh (in his film debut), John Goodman, and Mark Margolis.

All in all, "Eddie Macon's Run" is not memorable but it IS entertaining.

Seven out of 10.

For a movie labeled chiefly as an action-adventure, some of the dialogue and plot gets quite syrupy (especially that one soundtrack song which airs when Eddie Macon is 'retro-daydreaming' past life events). However, the story line is good without being TOO predictable and the characters are well thawed out. It holds interest well. I first saw it about a year after it's initial release date and it has been a mild favorite of mine ever since. Worth checking out.

Eddie Macon (John Schneider) will do anything for and to be with his wife and young son, Chris and Bobby. It is the reason for Bobby moved from Florida to Texas, but there happens one injustice after another which lands Eddie behind bars at Huntsville and ultimately on a twenty year sentence, being injustly jailed in Texas . The young man , harshly sentenced for a few minor infractions, gets away from a prison in Huntsville, Texas and flees to Laredo, where he hopes to cross into Mexico for a reunion with his wife (Leah Ayres) and small son. Eddie is mercilessly followed by a two-fisted cop (Kirk Douglas) who is determined to catch the fugitive at whatever cost. Eddie Macon is running from a nightmare... running to a dream... and running for his life !.

A run-of-the-mill chase film, including thrills, intrigue, fights, car pursuits and other usual ingredients in the genre. Exciting , suspenseful and thrilling film that results to follow a similar plot to the 60s TV series that starred David Janssen, The Fugitive, (which had a successful film adaptation by Andrew Davis starring Harrison Ford) with the same basic premise : A young wrongly convicted for a crime he didn't commit, escapes custody and plans an escape to run to Mexico must stay ahead of the police, while a tough officer of the law are hot on his trail, and even well-meaning civilians can cause his ruin. Viewers can certainly believe in his innocence and starring John Schneider displays outstandingly good character, frequently putting himself at risk to help another person in need. The main fun and entertainment of the film, in addition to the breathtaking chases, is discovering that secondary characters - many of them unknown at the time - appear here and there, among which the following can be mentioned: Lee Purcell, Tom Noonan, Mark Margolis, Dann Florek, J. T. Walsh J. C. Quinn, Jay O. Sanders, Todd Allen and John Goodman's film debut.

The motion picuture was averagely but professionally directed by Jeff Kanew. His film debut was Black Rodeo (1972) and following: "Natural enemies", "Troop Beverly Hills" , "V. I. Warshawski" , "Adam and Eve", "Babij Jar" . His biggest hits were ¨The revenge of the Nerds¨, "Gotcha!¨ and especially ¨Tough Guys¨(1989) a vehicle of the film myths as Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster. In fact Jeff Kanew was a good friend of Kirk Douglas, with whom he actually worked on three films: ¨Tough Guys¨, ¨Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget¨ and ¨Eddie Macon's Run¨(1983) . Rating: 5.5/10. A mediocre film but acceptable and passable enough. Especially recommended for fans of the sacred monster of cinema, Kirk Douglas.

Did you see that nice guy who made a smallest mistakes and sent to jail overpaying three years and after tries escape got another two years there, having a good wife and a sick little son needing expensive medical treatment, well it happened with Eddie Macon when he decides moves from Florida to Texas due there have a lot of well-paid jobs to raising money to afford his little son treatment and in few years after the boy will be healed, then he saves enough money to buy a boat that he always dreaming for.

Under this far-fetched plot the movie starts, he got escape from there and a headhunter Carl "Buster" Marzack (Kirk Douglas), yes that guy who in the past arrested Eddie at first escape, Marzack does not forget the scar at your face did by Eddie, Marzack offers himself to bring back the convict for personal reasons, he is a sort of old heartless sniffer dog, he usually misleading everyone as countless phony ID, on the run Eddie enters in a desert area always running by night and face a weird farmers Potts family where they figure out as cattle's thief, letting Eddie to the main house to confess, there the crazy Daryl Potts (Tom Noonan) wants hang him there, including his odd and flamboyant wife Kay Potts (Lisa Dunsheath) although his shrewd brother Rudy (Jay O. Sanders) doesn't agree do such unkindness.

The scary Eddie perceives the jeopardy and shooting them with his gun hidden in backpack escaping from there, Marzack already awares of sad happenings in the farm going there and got the backpack left there, inside he found a map where Eddie described his route until the Mexico's border at Laredo, however the unlucked guy will overturn his fortune saving a little girl about to be rapped at your fancy Mercedes at desert road, the grateful and gorgeous girl Jilly Buck (Lee Purcell) actually is escort girl of Texas's governor, the wiser Jilly will drives the jumpy Eddie to Laredo, take a bath and rest for a while, somehow Jilly sees in young Eddie her soulmate wondering with him could be happy as everybody else, too late.

It's a fourth time watching Eddie Macon's run, Kirk even older got a strong performance as a trickster and cunning detective, the highlight are split in two fabulous sequence the hanging at Potts's house-farm and the chase through Laredo streets, also eye-candy Lee Purcell in an outstanding acting as B-girl with golden heart, pay attention on small roles of John Goodman and J. T. Wash as well, aside the lousy premise the movie survives in two robust sequences.

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First watch: 1988 / How many: 5 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 7.