The Sugarland Express Page #4

Synopsis: Lou-Jean, a blonde woman, tells her husband, who is imprisoned, to escape. They plan to kidnap their own child, who was placed with foster parents. The escape is partly successful, they take a hostage, who is a policeman and are pursued through to Texas...
Genre: Crime, Drama
Director(s): Steven Spielberg
Production: Universal Pictures
  1 win & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.8
Metacritic:
65
Rotten Tomatoes:
91%
PG
Year:
1974
110 min
2,518 Views


(mumbles)

"Nod-Away standard crib. Four positions,

adjustable spring, teething rail."

"16 and a quarter books."

Honey, we could get that.

And "Happy Hoppers push toy

encourages walkin' activity. 1-3 years."

"Colored disc moves, makes poppin'...

s-n-d." What does that mean?

And we've got..."Animal Shop crib

mobile, one and a quarter books."

And, um...

Nod-Away play yard, for one book.

We've got... Honey?

Honey?

I got somethin' to tell ya.

Promise you won't be mad?

Honey?

I got to go pee-pee.

"All-around bumper pad,

one and a half books."

Honey?

Honey!

I gotta pee! Sh*t!

We gotta have ourselves

a little talk.

We gotta quit runnin' around

and start runnin'.

You want me to pee in the back seat?

All this stoppin' and startin'.

We're never gonna get Langston.

- Everything's gonna be fine. Just fine.

- We're in real trouble.

Lou Jean Sparrow Poplin

has two shopliftings

and a conviction on petty larceny,

for which she did eight months.

Clovis Michael Poplin

has four petty larcenies,

two illegal entries

and a conviction on burglary.

He has four months left

on a one-year sentence.

- There's no armed robbery or assault?

- No, sir.

- Did they ever make use of firearms?

- Sure didn't.

Shoot. They're nothin'

but a couple of kids.

Hold it!

You! You in the cab there!

Unhook that thing, get out of here.

Sit down! Sit down!

Come on!

Drive away with her pants down? Nice try.

You're not dealing with a blind man.

Will you turn around and sit down?

Sit down!

Hold it! Hold it!

Now, I just might see what happens

if I shoot a load of buckshot

in that commode!

I said, I just might see what happens

if I put another hole in that thing!

It's only me.

You gonna let him

get away with that, Captain?

Well, I don't know.

They thought their way out of a toilet.

- This old boy's some doer.

- They sure are messin' all over us.

- You got any better ideas?

- Yes, sir. I sure in hell do.

- Hello.

- (all) Howdy, ma'am.

Of course, I know why you're here,

but I have nothing to say.

We'd just like to see the child, Mrs. Looby.

Well, of course, the child board says

that the child is ours to keep now,

and we love him very much,

and I'm his mother.

We understand that.

How old is the little boy?

Oh, he was two in January.

We sure would like to interview him.

Oh, well...

Vern?

Vern?

Langston, you know where your papa is?

Could you wave goodbye

to your real mama and papa?

Are you happy?

He's our boy now.

We give him a good home.

And he has all the love

that he'll ever need right here.

All the love, Baby Langston.

- (baby wails)

- Oh, no, no, baby.

Back! Back up!

Get closer to this thing.

I can't reach over there.

Now, move over here.

Get closer to this thing.

I can't reach it.

All right, stop!

We're the Poplins.

Anybody home?

- Captain?

- Yeah.

- This is Mark Fenno.

- Hi, Captain.

- That's Logan Waters.

- Howdy, Captain.

They're Rangers.

They think they can drop that old boy.

What've you got there?

A 7mm Magnum, four-power scope,

Mauser action.

I'll be shootin' a 148-grain bullet.

At 300 yards, hit a dime.

- Can you guarantee Slide won't be hit?

- At this distance? Absolutely.

- How will I know they'll be killed outright?

- If you're worried about a spasm shot,

I figure to hit the boy in the brain

in the medulla and cut his motors.

- What about the girl?

- Same thing, Captain.

She'll be dead

before the sound gets there.

Sure you don't want none?

(# "When My Blue Moon

Turns To Gold Again")

Well, maybe just one piece.

A small piece. I'm not that hungry.

- Give the man a breast, Lou.

- Clovis!

Could I have more honey, please?

- Want another napkin?

- I just wanna tell you I love you.

This ain't too bad.

Hey, he's got a wishbone!

Come on, Lou.

Come on.

- I won.

- The kid.

I don't know.

I can't tell the boy from a doorpost.

And we've lost our light.

How you gonna score through that glass?

Captain, the glass will be no problem.

- Don't put that on me. Give me a number.

- I'd say it's better than 90%.

I'm gonna have to say no to you boys.

That's a pretty good number. We won't get

a lot of chances as good as this one.

It's not good enough.

It's a long way from here to Sugarland.

There's possibles we haven't tried yet.

I've been on the force 18 years,

and it's been my good fortune

not to have killed anyone in that time.

That's the way I'd like to keep it.

Wouldn't you know it?

How do you like it?

(man on radio)

Got me a flat spot between 85 and 90.

Not me.

- How far to Binney?

- About five or 10 minutes. I don't know.

We didn't pass that cutoff, now, did we?

I don't think so.

# Oh, Louisiana gals,

come and listen to my noise

# Don't ever marry them Texican boys

# If you do, your rations'll be

# Johnny cake and devil's food

and sassafras tea

# Johnny cake and devil's food

and sassafras tea

(singing continues)

(tires screech)

Gonna tell me what you got in mind?

Hold your butter.

I'm gonna 76 'em like you never saw.

That's a great idea, just terrific!

Think you can do it without me?

(Tanner) You know my mind on

the matter. At least you ought to by now.

If your butt ain't sore,

I don't mind tellin' you, mine is!

Aren't you tired?

No, I ain't.

I don't see why we can't

reach some understanding.

Do you trust me?

I'm not sayin' I do

and I'm not sayin' I don't.

You talkin' about not chargin' me?

That I can't do, Clovis. But what I can do

is make it easier on Mrs. Poplin.

If she's worried about her baby,

I can arrange a hearing

with the Department of Public Welfare

so she can tell her side of the story.

I appreciate that, Captain. You're a man

of honor, and you're tryin' your best.

Don't think I don't see that.

But we got other plans.

Well, what are your other plans?

I'd like to know.

(Clovis) We got a secret plan.

Look out!

Keep after 'em! Come on!

Hubert, get after 'em!

(siren)

What's in the road?

(woman) Houston, can you release

those units? We need them back at home.

You crazy son of a b*tch!

You tried to rack us up!

I goddamn didn't! I been to drivin' school.

The proof is you're livin' and squawkin'.

They're gonna be so mad.

So? Gimme some gum

and I'll drive all night.

- Don't stop for nothin'.

- Don't call me no son of a b*tch!

Clovis, it don't do no good

runnin' from a tornado.

- Who else is out there?

- The Lord only knows, Captain.

Call 'em all in. All except

highway patrol out of Region 2.

If I can't call him by his first name,

I don't want him.

Yes, sir.

I want a helicopter.

A helicopter with a searchlight.

And I want some kind of a spot

to hem these old boys up.

Come on now. Move on down here.

That's it. Good. Real fine.

(car honks)

(more cars honking)

Where the hell they all comin' from?

(siren)

(cars honking)

- We heard anything from our unit?

- No, sir.

- They are still out there?

- Yes, sir.

In fact, the whole state of Texas

is on APB alert.

The whole state of Texas is here.

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes

Hal Barwood

Hal Barwood is an American screenwriter, film producer, film director, game designer, game producer, freelancer and novelist best known for his work on LucasArts games based on the Indiana Jones license. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "The Sugarland Express" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 Oct. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_sugarland_express_19064>.

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