The Sugarland Express

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3:14

The Sugarland Express

PG

1974

1h 49m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

52 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean (Goldie Hawn) and Clovis Poplin (William Atherton) 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.

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Critics Consensus

Its plot may ape the countercultural road movies of its era, but Steven Spielberg's feature debut displays many of the crowd-pleasing elements he'd refine in subsequent films.

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Rex Reed

New York Daily News

A highly winning entertainment.

Apr 20, 2021

Full Review

Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

It is astonishing to contemplate all that director Steven Spielberg and his writers Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins, all of them in their theatrical feature debuts, have managed to accomplish.

Apr 20, 2021

Full Review

Susan Stark

Detroit Free Press

Engrossing to watch, it begins to work on you, to declare its claim to greatness, after a while. You'll see.

Apr 20, 2021

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

It features real attention to the sort of character dynamics that would serve subsequent Spielberg titles.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 8, 2025

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Made before Spielberg became a thousand-pound gorilla, "Sugarland" is pleasantly small and unassuming.

Rated: B+

Nov 29, 2022

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

The Sugarland Express has become something of a cult classic mainly because of Steven Spielberg making it his first theatrical release.

Rated: 3.5/5

Nov 23, 2022

Full Review

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Tyler G

A dark, deceptively simple, lovers-on-the-run movie. It is pretty good, but is not a fun watch. I would pprobably only recommend to people exploring Spielberg's filmography.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/03/25

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Jeremy W

A pre-view of Spielberg's greatness.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/11/25

Full Review

Bill W

The movie was done well it just kinda sucks that the events in the movie are so much different than the real story.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/02/25

Full Review

Nano N

Nice story set in simpler times and places. Hawn and Atherton have great chemistry.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/24/25

Full Review

Horror fan 4

Goldie Hawn shines in this movie along with William Atherton. Although it wasn't as funny as I'd thought it would be. The over use of police cars reminds me of the blues brothers. Tim Treakle

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

Full Review

Bill T

Love Goldie Hawn! She makes every movie character she plays believable and yet doesn't get the accolades she deserves. This was an early Steven Spielberg film and was very well done with a modest budget. I highly recommend this film movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/26/25

Full Review

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Steven Spielberg

Director

Goldie Hawn

Lou Jean Poplin

William Atherton

Clovis Michael Poplin

Ben Johnson

Captain Harlin Tanner

Michael Sacks

Patrolman Maxwell Slide

Gregory Walcott

Patrolman Ernie Mashburn

The Sugarland Express: Official Clip - Police Car Pile-Up

2:42

The Sugarland Express: Official Clip - News Van Crash

1:31

The Sugarland Express: Official Clip - Police Snipers

2:50

The Sugarland Express: Official Clip - Goldie Hawn Steals a Car

2:53

The Sugarland Express: Official Clip - Criminals on Parade!

2:27

The Sugarland Express: Official Clip - Sexy Prison Break

3:41

The Sugarland Express: Official Clip - End of the Road

3:58

The Sugarland Express: Official Clip - Goldie Hawn's Gotta Pee!

3:29

The Sugarland Express: Official Clip - Shootout at the Car Dealership

3:57

The Sugarland Express: Official Clip - Everybody Loves Goldie Hawn

2:25

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The Sugarland Express: Trailer 1

3:14

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Synopsis

Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean (Goldie Hawn) and Clovis Poplin (William Atherton) 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.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Producer: Richard D. Zanuck, David Brown
Screenwriter: Hal Barwood, Matthew Robbins
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Zanuck/Brown Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 31, 1974, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Dec 8, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2015
Runtime: 1h 49m

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