Freeway (1996)
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76% of critics liked it
(37 reviews) -
72% of users liked it
(21,599 ratings)
In this postmodern exploitation flick loosely based on "Little Red Riding Hood," the uneducated daughter of a drug-addicted prostitute flees the foster-care system in search of her long-lost grandmother but meets up instead with a serial killer. Vanessa (Reese Witherspoon), a nearly… More In this postmodern exploitation flick loosely based on "Little Red Riding Hood," the uneducated daughter of a drug-addicted prostitute flees the foster-care system in search of her long-lost grandmother but meets up instead with a serial killer. Vanessa (Reese Witherspoon), a nearly illiterate firebug and serial shoplifter, desperately clings to normalcy even though her mother turns tricks, does drugs, and manages to ignore the fact that the girl's stepfather Michael T. Weiss has been abusing her for years. When both of her parents get arrested, Vanessa steals the car of her family-services caseworker (Conchata Ferrell) and heads up Interstate 5 in search of her paternal grandmother, who's never met her. Car problems force her to accept a ride from Bob Wolverton (Kiefer Sutherland), a youth counselor who uses charm and sympathy to get the girl to open up. Confessing the sordid details of her childhood to Bob, Vanessa is shocked when he suddenly declares that she's one of the "garbage people" and that he plans to murder her and have sex with her corpse. Bob, it turns out, is the "I-5 Murderer," who's been slaughtering young prostitutes in the Los Angeles area. Thanks to a gun borrowed from her fiancé, Vanessa manages to turn the tables on Bob, shooting him repeatedly and leaving him for dead. He survives, Vanessa is arrested, and the two meet up again in court -- with her unrepentant, even though the police disbelieve her story, him flanked by his prim wife (Brooke Shields) and the righteous indignation of the American legal system. Locked up in the juvie for psychological evaluation, Vanessa gets in touch with her wild side and eventually escapes, heading off to her fateful meeting with grandma. Although Freeway was originally filmed for HBO, vigorously positive critical response eventually earned it a theatrical release. Alanna Ubach, who portrays Vanessa's nemesis/accomplice Mesquita, would go on to appear with Witherspoon in Legally Blonde. Freeway also features two Clueless alumni: Dan Hedaya, as a police detective, and Brittany Murphy, as the disfigured lesbian who befriends Vanessa in lock-up. Michael T. Weiss, who previously appeared in gay indie Jeffrey, appears in both Freeway and its sequel, Freeway 2: Confessions of a Trickbaby. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Directed By
- Matthew Bright
- Written By
- Matthew Bright
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Drama
- In Theaters
- Aug 23, 1996 Wide
- Studio
- Republic Pictures Home Video
Critic Reviews
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, Time Out
There's not much edification in store, and [director] Bright cruises over some bumpy plot holes, but the teen's perspective does put a black comic spotlight on wider social hypocrisies.
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Lawrence Van Gelder, New York Times
Freeway glints here and there with dark humor amounting to a knowing wink that undercuts the cautionary tale at its heart and the seriousness of its graphic sociology.
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Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Cynical, stylish and witty.
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Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Rude in the way the truth is rude -- only funnier.
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Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
It's too drawn-out, too talky and, at the most crucial moment, needlessly implausible, to sustain its humor and large dose of violence.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Cast
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Reese Witherspoon
as Vanessa
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Kiefer Sutherland
as Bob Wolverton
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Brooke Shields
as Mimi Wolverton
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Amanda Plummer
as Ramona
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Wolfgang Bodison
as Detective Breer
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Dan Hedaya
as Detective Wallace
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Bokeem Woodbine
as Chopper
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Brittany Murphy
as Rhonda
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Michael T. Weiss
as Larry
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Julie Araskog
as Prosecutor
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Susan Barnes
as Mrs. Cullins
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Conchata Ferrell
as Mrs. Sheets
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Lorna Raver Johnson
as Judge
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Sidney Lassick
as Woody Wilson
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Kathleen Marshall
as ER Nurse
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Michael Merrins
as Guard
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Ben Meyerson
as Cop at Truckstop
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Louis Mustillo
as Vanessa's Attorney
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Chris Renna
as Doctor
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Paul Perri
as Cop #1
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Leanna Creel
as Twin #2
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Monica Creel
as Twin #1
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Craig Barnett
as Cop #3
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Michael Herz & Llyod Kaufman
as Trick
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Ria Pavia
as Waitress
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Melinda Ramos Renna
as Female Anchor
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Alanna Ubach
as Mesquita
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Guillermo Díaz
as Flacco
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Kitty Fox
as Grandma
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David Andriole
as Truck Driver
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Tara Subkoff
as Sharon
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Roberta Hanley
as Teacher
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Robert Peters
as Undercover Cop
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Manny Rodriguez
as Marshall
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G. Eric Miles
as Cop #4
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Nico Petrakis
as Girl Gang Member
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Annette Helde
as Lady Cop
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Theodore Garcia
as Little Gumby
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Christine Mourad
as News Reporter
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Spantaneeus Xtasty
as Staff Member

