"Freeway" review

Freeway (1996)

Directed by Matthew Bright
Writing credits Matthew Bright

Kiefer Sutherland.... Bob Wolverton
Reese Witherspoon.... Vanessa Lutz
Wolfgang Bodison.... Detective Mike Breer
Dan Hedaya.... Detective Garnet Wallace
Amanda Plummer.... Ramona Lutz
Brooke Shields.... Mimi Wolverton

Reese Witherspoon hits the freeway to grandma's house. A big bad Wolverton picks up her little red riding scent. Oh no. The trip to grandmas may have to be delayed so Reese can deal with this killer wolf in yuppie's clothing.

I was enjoying "Freeway" while I was watching it. When it ended though, I felt let down. I kept expecting a payoff scene to appear but it never did. I thought "Freeway" was going to be a B-movie extravaganza with Reese Witherspoon doing her thing as a country girl hooker. Nope. It turns out that "Freeway" is just an acting showcase for Witherspoon. I was disappointed.

It's a shame too because there was a ton of potential here. Technically, this is not a bad flick. You've got killers and hookers and blood and fighting. Killer hookers. Bloody fighting. The acting is strong, especially Witherspoon. It only makes it sting that much harder. The exploitative heart in "Freeway" is barely beating. For some, that may not be a bad thing. For me, it's heartbreaking.

SCORE: 2 out of 4 rampaging Witherspoons