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Honky Tonk Freeway

Play trailer Poster for Honky Tonk Freeway PG 1981 1h 50m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 4 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
When a tiny town in Florida is passed over by the new interstate highway, corrupt Mayor Kirby (William Devane) and his cronies plaster the freeway with illegal billboards that draw unsuspecting tourists to the mayor's tacky amusement park. The unwilling visitors include squabbling suburban parents Snapper (Howard Hesseman) and Ericka (Teri Garr), despondent waitress Carmen (Beverly D'Angelo), aspiring children's book author Duane (Beau Bridges) and a drug-addled hitchhiker (Daniel Stern).

Critics Reviews

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Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Jul 15
3/5
…held together by an infectious title song and a rousing Elmer Bernstein score, Honky Tonk Freeway…director John Schlesinger channels his Midnight Cowboy energy of rooting for the hopeless little guy, the results are offbeat but naturalistic and engaging. Go to Full Review
Frank J. Avella Edge Media Network 05/26/2021
B-
One of the assets of the film is also the screenplay and how it tends to be this subversive satire on American life at the time (and today as well) and how it sticks it to religion and politics. And has the chutzpah to be both crude and sweet. Go to Full Review
Chuck O'Leary Fantastica Daily 10/09/2005
3/5
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 06/20/2005
3/5
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Audience Reviews

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I M 11/19/2024 This movie has had some terrible reviews and was a box office disaster, but I've watched it multiple times and love it. There are so many disparate scenes of pure genius that stick in the mind...the robber clearing the actress's welfare cheque...the the search for lost loot in the garbage scow... the Old Fashioned lunch... on and on. 😎😎👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 See more Fox M 02/08/2024 I love this movie. It is chaos all the way - and the bungling bank robbers throwing away the money and then having to find it in the garbage laiden barge. And of course blowing up the freeway, wow! I loved the soundtrack to this movie. My only downer on this movie is Beau Bridges stupid book. It was a bit of a let down in some parts and a little confusing in others. But it still is worth seeing. See more jon c 08/21/2021 Beau Bridges, Beverly D' Angelo, Daniel Stern, and several others in a wacky comedy 'tour' de force directed by John Schlesinger Ticlaw is a small town in Florida barely known to most in fact it's just a tiny blip on the map A freeway is scheduled to be built on top of it thereby getting rid of the tourism the town thrives on So the residents decide to take matters into their own hands by demolishing the freeway making drivers stop by their home It might be the only way they can earn enough money to keep business afloat and from shutting down What follows is over-the-top town politics that include painting the town pink, dynamite, water-skiing elephants, free gas and food, and more The movie acts as a satire of American excess as well as the American way of life You can tell how desperate these people are with this town being so down its luck hoping for a miracle This actually reminded me a lot of 'Cold Turkey' with a similar thing of a town struggling to be put back on the map The characters here get into all kinds of shenanigans but aren't as memorable Still Schlesinger tries his best to put in politics and religion during a time period of America's early years Being crude and sweet may not always work in this movie's favor but it does show a town's citizens and their dedication to keep their existence alive and fruitful Sure this movie may have failed initially during its release but it's far from the disaster many claim it is The songs are really nice in here too See more 03/15/2021 It's an interesting comedy with a great cast and a terrible script to the point of being embarrassingly bad. But one isn't going to be bored watching it. The soundtrack has a few good songs. Most won't like it but it is worth watching once. Definitely a so good it's bad movie. See more 01/27/2021 It was a terrible film and it also got pulled from Theaters too. It was allegedly financed for a tax evasion scheme that has any basic humorous appeal which for an ensemble comedy film is not great. Against what I am saying for the massive budget for a comedy film of 24 millon dollars. It led to being pulled from Theaters from a single week. See more 02/13/2020 This is a unique movie about political corruption, small town politics, and of course individual greed. There's a wacky and reckless sense of humor to it that's enticing. It gets a little tiresome during the middle, but man a lot of the problems are as relevant today as they were back then. See more Read all reviews
Honky Tonk Freeway

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Movie Info

Synopsis When a tiny town in Florida is passed over by the new interstate highway, corrupt Mayor Kirby (William Devane) and his cronies plaster the freeway with illegal billboards that draw unsuspecting tourists to the mayor's tacky amusement park. The unwilling visitors include squabbling suburban parents Snapper (Howard Hesseman) and Ericka (Teri Garr), despondent waitress Carmen (Beverly D'Angelo), aspiring children's book author Duane (Beau Bridges) and a drug-addled hitchhiker (Daniel Stern).
Director
John Schlesinger
Producer
Don Boyd
Screenwriter
Edward Clinton
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 21, 1981, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 7, 2014
Runtime
1h 50m