“Honky Tonk Freeway” is a 1981 satirical comedy movie directed by John Schlesinger. The movie takes a whimsical look at the transformation of a small Florida town when a freeway is planned to pass through it. The film boasts a large ensemble cast that features a unique blend of humor, satire, and social commentary.
The story revolves around the residents of the sleepy town of Ticlaw, Florida, whose lives are disrupted when the state government builds a massive freeway through the heart of their community. The news excites some, like Mayor Kirby T. Calo (William Devane), who sees the freeway as an opportunity for economic growth, heavily promoting the town’s main draw: the Ticlaw safari park and its water-skiing elephant named Bubbles (not successfully, at first.)
Among the characters drawn to the town are Duane Hansen (Beau Bridges), a copy machine repair man and aspiring children’s book writer, and Carmen Odessa Shelby (Beverly D’Angelo), a waitress taking her deceased mother’s ashes to Florida. Snapper (Howard Hesseman), Ericka (Teri Garr), Little Billy (Peter Billingsley), and his sister (Jen Thompson), who are vacationing across the country in their RV. Two bank robbers from New York (George Dzundza, Joe Grifasi,) Carol (Jessica Tandy), an elderly woman with a drinking problem, and her husband (Hume Cronyn), driving to Florida to retire, a cocaine dealing hitchhiker played by Daniel Stern, two nuns (Geraldine Page and Deborah Rush) and a wannabe Country singer (Paul Jabara) who is hauling a truck full of exotic animals to Ticlaw.
Honky Tonk Freeway received mixed reviews upon its release. While some critics praised the film’s inventive and satirical take on American culture and the comedic performances of its ensemble cast, others criticized it for its uneven tone and lack of a cohesive narrative. Despite this, the film boasts an impressive list of character actors who went on to star in successful TV and film productions. These actors include Howard Hesseman (WKRP in Cincinnati), Beverly D’Angelo (National Lampoon’s Vacation, A Streetcar Named Desire), William Devane (McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Marathon Man, Yanks, The Dark Knight Rises), Terri Garr (Young Frankenstein, Tootsie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Mom), Daniel Stern (Hannah and Her Sisters, City Slickers, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Wonder Years), John Ashton (Dallas, Beverly Hills Cop, Midnight Run), Celia Weston (Alice, Dead Man Walking, The Last Night of Ballyhoo), and Arnold Johnson (Putney Swoop, Rocky, Menace II Society).
Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film was not a commercial success when it was first released. In fact, it was considered a box office disaster, costing $25 million to make and only grossing just over $2 million worldwide. However, Honky Tonk Freeway has developed a cult following and seems to live on and is a fun watch late on a Friday night.
The Other Cinema 