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Honky Tonk Freeway

From Alfawiki
Honky Tonk Freeway
Company typeFilm
IndustryEntertainment
Founded1981; 45 years ago (1981)
FounderDon Boyd
Key people
John Schlesinger (director), Don Boyd (co-producer)
ProductsComedy film
ParentThorn EMI (financier)

Honky Tonk Freeway is a 1981 British comedy film directed by John Schlesinger and co-produced by Don Boyd. It stands as one of the priciest box office bombs ever, causing financial setbacks between $11 million and $22 million for its British financier Thorn EMI, which in turn had a profound effect on the company’s economic health and future plans.

Plot

Set in Ticlaw, a modest tourist town in Florida, the story centers on mayor and preacher Kirby T. Calo (William Devane), who manages both a hotel and a small wildlife safari park. The town’s highlight is an unusual attraction: Bubbles, a water-skiing elephant.

Following the construction of a nearby freeway, Calo attempts to secure an off-ramp by offering a $10,000 bribe to an official, but the off-ramp never comes to fruition. In retaliation, the community paints the entire town pink to lure visitors.

The narrative weaves together multiple storylines featuring tourists from all over the United States arriving in Ticlaw: two bank robbers from New York (George Dzundza, Joe Grifasi) pick up a hitchhiker involved in cocaine trafficking (Daniel Stern); a Chicago-based copy machine technician and aspiring children’s author (Beau Bridges) gives a ride to a waitress (Beverly D'Angelo) carrying her late mother’s ashes; a dysfunctional dentist’s family (Howard Hesseman, Teri Garr, Peter Billingsley, Jenn Thompson]) embarks on a cross-country RV trip; an elderly couple (Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn) retires in Florida; two nuns (mother superior Geraldine Page and novice Deborah Rush); and an aspiring country songwriter (Paul Jabara) transports a rhinoceros along with other exotic animals to Ticlaw.

Cast

Development

The concept originated with British producer Don Boyd, who envisioned the film based on his perception of American culture rather than direct experience. Collaborating with actor-writer Ed Clinton, they spent nine months traveling across the U.S. gathering research and developing the screenplay. Boyd then pitched the project to EMI executive Barry Spikings, who agreed to provide funding.

Initially intending to direct with a modest budget of $2–3 million, Boyd was persuaded to scale up the production and enlist a well-known director. Spikings insisted that creating the film authentically required it to be "vast and expensive."

In January 1979, John Schlesinger agreed to direct, drawn by the script’s originality and imaginative approach. His ambition was to craft a warm-hearted comedy with substance, avoiding typical slapstick humor by focusing on genuine character portrayal and sophisticated timing, especially in scenes featuring multiple concurrent actions.

Schlesinger regarded this project as his most complex undertaking, demanding meticulous attention to character interplay rather than plot alone. The intricate timing often led to numerous retakes. He played an active role in refining the script—contributing through four or five drafts—to enrich the depiction of town dynamics and deepen character development across the ensemble cast, ensuring the film’s energy and narrative cohesion.

Casting

Initially, Shelley Duvall was announced to star in the film; however, the leading role ultimately went to William Devane, who had collaborated with Schlesinger on his two previous projects. The main ensemble also featured Beverly D'Angelo, Beau Bridges, and Teri Garr.

Kay Medford was slated to participate but passed away from cancer prior to the start of filming.

Although Jessica Tandy was dissatisfied with the screenplay, she accepted the part in order to work under Schlesinger's direction.

Filming

The production was originally scheduled for 83 days with a budget of $18 million and included 103 speaking roles. Filming commenced on 19 February 1980. Producer Spikings revealed that the budget was only finalized a week before shooting began, highlighting the importance of maintaining flexibility to foster creative development.

Due to weather issues in Florida, care responsibilities for Vietnamese orphans, and managing a variety of animals on set, the budget eventually increased to $23 million.

Principal photography occurred in Mount Dora, Florida. Significant highway sequences were captured on I-75 between Sarasota and Ft. Myers while it was still under construction, including a scene featuring a dynamited wooden bridge standing in for an overpass. Additional filming locations comprised Salt Lake City, Utah, and New York City.

The cost of filming the concluding scene alone reached $1 million.

In post-production, Boyd remarked that despite uncertainty regarding the film’s commercial viability, he and Ed Clinton were receiving numerous offers for future projects based on its promise.

Release

The film was initially slated for distribution by Associated Film Distribution, but after AFD ceased operations in February 1981, Universal Pictures took over release responsibilities. Marketing efforts were supported by an estimated $5 million budget.

Critical response

The movie faced predominantly negative critiques and was withdrawn from theaters after only one week. Variety questioned EMI's decision to invest over $25 million in a project "lacking any fundamental comedic charm," forecasting minimal long-term financial success.

Some critics interpreted the film as a satire of American culture, which may have influenced its unfavorable reviews. Janet Maslin of The New York Times characterized it as "uneven," blending unamusing risqué humor with elements reminiscent of late 1950s to early 1960s Disney productions. While she praised performances from Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Geraldine Page, Deborah Rush, and Paul Jabara, Maslin criticized the film’s lack of unity and its failure to achieve effective satire compared to works like Nashville.

Director Schlesinger defended his work by calling it "the funniest movie I'd ever made," expressing surprise at the negative reception. He suggested that critics misunderstood the intended tone and anticipated a different comedic style than what was presented.

Box office

Financially, the film was a significant failure and was branded "the undisputed commercial flop of the summer."

Nominations

It earned a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song nomination for "You're Crazy, but I Like You."

External links

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