Three for the Road

I saw this film in 1987, or maybe it was 1988, and my friends and I laughed hysterically because this film is so awful! It's one of those movies that are so bad they are hilarious. Favorite line: Sally Kellerman telling her ex-husband, "You so much as breathe a word of this, and I'll have your d*** in a pencil sharpener!" I also found one scene to be disturbing...a black man who is hauling a load of live chickens stops to help, and ends up with his truck @ chickens tumbling down a steep hill. While the main characters speed off, this poor man has lost his truck and his chickens. The main characters then laugh. Alan Ruck ("Spin City") sarcastically declares that he feels sorry for "those chickens." This film is a disaster, directed by the brilliant B.W.L. Norton ("More American Graffiti," "Baby: Secret Of The Lost Legend.") This movie seems to try to recapture the spirit of the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby "road" movies, but fails miserably. When this came out on video, I decided to watch it again, thinking that I might have missed something. I watched the video with my mom. My mom, approaching her sixties, said that this was the kind of movie kids used to watch back in the 40's and 50's. Enough said. NOTE: Alot of people are mistaken. This film was made and shelved BEFORE Charlie Sheen starred in Oliver Stone's "Platoon." It was only released after "Platoon" was a hit.

I don't think anyone is watching this movie looking for superior writing and acting, but if you want wild and wacky adventures this is pretty good.

We keep moving down the road, crossing state lines. Lots of wild car chases and stunts, with some excellent work by drivers who really have to be careful what they're doing. The best car chase of the entire movie involves Junior's car, and wait until you see how that ends!

It's not all wild action. There are a couple of sweet scenes involving Paul and Robin.

Many laws are broken and one disaster after another gives us a really wild ending. Only in the movies!

Seriously? Charlie Sheen is someone who can be trusted with an important job? Well, at this stage in his career he is quite believable as a proper, professional yuppie. Sheen is totally different from anything else I have ever seen him in, except maybe "Wall Street", but it has been a while so I don't even remember. So proper and responsible. So nice when the situation calls for it. And then he ends up in situations Charlie Harper could have easily found himself in. I'm not sure he's that good when he has to be angry, but he gets the job done.

I've never heard of Kerri Green but it's a shame. She was quite good, really, given the material. Robin is actually a sweet and misunderstood girl, but wait until you see what she gets away with in a fine restaurant just because she's a senator's daughter. And then it's time to spend the night in a motel. That's when the real fun begins, but not before we get to see Robin in her underwear. I assume it's underwear, because why would she have a swimsuit?

I know Alan Ruck best as a womanizing jerk in "Spin City" but he is so different here and much more likable.

Not a great role for James Avery, who was praised so highly in Will Smith's Oscar speech, only a couple of years before he became Uncle Phil. But pretty good. And if you disliked his behavior ... well, Robin is clumsy.

Sally Kellerman is actually pretty good but is this movie truly worthy of someone who starred in one of the greatest of all films?

Is this family friendly? Cleaned up for TV, maybe it's acceptable for older kids. You can't be too mature and still appreciate this. How convenient that some of the worst language in the movie was probably bleeped out by car horns and such.

It's a fun adventure if your expectations aren't too high.

If you're looking for a simple road comedy, this should suit you pretty good. It doesn't lapse too much into road film cliches, aside from getting drunk in hotel rooms and hitching rides with wackos, it covers a little bit of new ground. Sheen is trying to kiss up to a senator, so he agrees to drive his wild-child daughter to a reform school a few states away. Of course, she rebels and takes off at any chance she can get, which is the difference from other road trip films. Green sets in motion most of the laughs when she bolts, causing Sheen and Ruck to chase after and end up having their mishaps. A good cast of veteran actors mix well together, with this an odd choice for Sheen after "Platoon", Ruck following up "Ferris..." and Tefkin nets some chuckles with her spunky southern belle. But unfortunately this is the last we saw of the cute Kerri Green. She had a good hot streak going with "Goonies", "Lucas" (which she ironically did with Sheen) and then this. For whatever reason she disappeared, as did most of the cast because even though this wasn't awful, it didn't make a dime and was mostly forgotten. Some may not be into some of the silliness that occurs (the reform school break was a little far fetched) but there may be enough going on to entertain some. A strange footnote is that the film never addresses that Sheen's 21-year-old character has the hots for Green's 16-year-old one. Can you say jailbait? Nonetheless the film is a pretty good adventure. Also ironic that 13 years after this, Ruck and Sheen will be reuniting on "Spin City" this fall. Strange how things work out sometimes.

I loved this movie..it's one of the funniest movies Charlie Sheen has ever done...I don't know about anyone else...but I laughed really hard. Especially the scene where he finally has had it with Kelli Green's characters shenanigans and handcuffs her to the back of the passenger seat. It kept me in stitches when it was supposed to be funny. It should be kept in mind that they were younger actors and for being that...they pulled it off. I don't know how anyone could get bored...but to each his own. I know I enjoyed it immensely.

Paul Tracy (Charlie Sheen) is an aide to his hero Republican US Senator Kitteredge (Raymond J. Barry) who is aiming for the White House. He meets Kitteredge for the first time and is given the task to drive his delinquent daughter Robin (Kerri Green) to be hidden away in an institution. She is sedated and he gets his roommate T.S. (Alan Ruck) to come along. She keeps trying to escape and telling them disturbing stories about the Senator. Robin and Paul fall for each other. She escapes and picks up Missy who is running away from stupid Junior. Robin is trying to find her absent mother Blanche (Sally Kellerman).

It's too bad that Kerri Green fades away after this movie. She had a couple of great movies in the 80s. I wish she got a few more opportunities. She is as cute as ever in this movie even with her crazy hairdo. The three young actors are good. The story is a little bit awkward. It's not all funny since it's a little bit of a kidnapping. The romance works only because of the two young actors.