The Sugarland Express

1974 · TMDB 6.6

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean and Clovis Poplin lose their baby to the state of Texas and resolve to do whatever it takes to get him back. Lou-Jean gets Clovis out of jail, and the two steal their son from his foster home, in addition to taking a highway patrolman hostage. As a massive dragnet starts to pursue them across Texas, the couple become unlikely folk heroes and even start to bond with the captive policeman.

Goldie Hawn William Atherton Ben Johnson Michael Sacks Gregory Walcott Steve Kanaly Louise Latham Harrison Zanuck A.L. Camp Jessie Lee Fulton Dean Smith Ted Grossman

Director · Steven Spielberg Producer · David Brown Producer · Richard D. Zanuck Writer · Matthew Robbins Writer · Hal Barwood Writer · Steven Spielberg Writer · Matthew Robbins Writer · Hal Barwood Cinematography · Vilmos Zsigmond Composer · John Williams Editor · Edward M. Abroms Editor · Verna Fields

Runtime: 110 min
Released: 1974-03-31
Studio: Universal Pictures
Country: United States of America
Language: English
TMDB score: 6.6

Crime Drama

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Community reviews

Tim Laws

2026-06-19

Turns out, Spielberg has always been "pretty good". Goldie Hawn and Walter Peck are great and it looks beautiful! For films with police car carnage, this walked so Blues Brothers could run!