Back Roads *** (1981, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Keith) – Classic Movie Review 6628

Sally Field rejoins her favourite director Martin Ritt (Norma Rae, Murphy’s Romance) for this familiar but easy-going and likeable 1981 romantic-comedy road movie drama about a prostitute called Amy Post (Field) and a drifter failed fighter named Elmore Pratt (Tommy Lee Jones) linking up as hitchhikers to take car rides through America’s rural South along the back roads from Alabama to the West Coast.

Unfortunately screen-writer Gary DeVore shies away from making too many fresh observations, but Ritt tries hard to bring realism to the tale, and the leads make an engaging, if never very romantic couple. They are good actors and good company.

Back Roads is pleasant and okay but not particularly special or memorable, and it is the least of Field’s trio with Ritt, following Norma Rae (1979) and preceding Murphy’s Romance (1985).

Also in the cast are David Keith, Miriam Colon, Michael Gazzo, M Emmet Walsh, Dan Shor, Barbara Babcock, Nell Carter, Alex Colon, Ralph Seymour and Royce Applegate.

Back Roads is a Warner Bros release, runs 94 minutes, is shot by John A Alonzo, produced by Ronald Shedlo and scored by Henry Mancini.

Field did this instead of Raggedy Man (1981).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6628

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