27. Breakdown

From the beginning, Breakdown grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Jeff and Amy Taylor (Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan) are driving from Massachusetts to California. They make it as far as Arizona before their brand-new Jeep breaks down. Amy catches a ride to the nearest phone booth with a friendly trucker (J.T. Walsh), then disappears completely.

A bit of luck leads Jeff to the very truck that was supposed to have taken Amy to the diner. He asks the driver what happened to his wife, and the trucker claims never to have seen a woman named Amy, nor has he met Jeff before in his life. Another bit of luck brings the local police to the scene. The cop listens to each man's story, searches the truck, then, finding no incriminating evidence, sends the trucker on his way.

Jeff, now confused, frustrated and angry, heads back to the diner to find some answers. But nobody's talking there, either. Has Jeff simply gone mad, or is there something more sinister at work?

Kurt Russell gives a seamless, empathetic performance as the frustrated husband. Importantly, Russell comes off as a regular guy, devastated by circumstances. He does not come across as some wisecracking action-movie hero. Though there are action sequences, this is not an action movie; it's a thriller. Russell realizes this and plays his role accordingly, driven by fear and not revenge.

The action sequences in Breakdown are top notch. One sequence involves Jeff moving around in the undercarriage of a speeding semi. The sequence is genuinely tense without coming off as a superhuman feat. The driving stunts are genuine, a refreshing treat in this age of computer-animated action scenes.

Admittedly, there are a few flaws as well, but they certainly don't overshadow the movie's strengths. (Marty Mapes)