The Sugarland Express

Synopsis: Lou-Jean, a blonde woman, tells her husband, who is imprisoned, to escape. They plan to kidnap their own child, who was placed with foster parents. The escape is partly successful, they take a hostage, who is a policeman and are pursued through to Texas...
Genre: Crime, Drama
Director(s): Steven Spielberg
Production: Universal Pictures
  1 win & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.8
Metacritic:
65
Rotten Tomatoes:
91%
PG
Year:
1974
110 min
2,324 Views


- Haven't seen you here before.

- I ain't been here before. It's my first time.

- Who'd y'all come to see?

- Clovis Poplin. I'm his wife, Lou Jean.

Poplin. Let's see.

- He just came from the penitentiary.

- Here we go. So he did. It's on my flimsy.

Let's see what we got here, honey.

Some nice goodies in here?

Oh, let's see. What's this?

That's Texas Gold Stamps

from the market. Gimme.

OK, there's some more.

OK. What we got in this one?

All right, Mrs. Poplin. Have yourself a real

nice visit. I think the JCs have lemonade.

- I didn't come for the drinkin'.

- Course not.

You are permitted a display of

familial affection, including bodily contact,

as long as it doesn't outrage

the public decency.

- Does that mean we can kiss?

- If you so desire.

All right, then.

(# "Living Together Alone")

# I can't believe the life we live

# Or the love that

we can't give to each other

# I only know my dreams are gone

# And that you've been carrying on

with another

# That won't let us stop it

# We're too blind...

Oh, Lou!

Ain't you somethin'?

- Clovis.

- Ain't you somethin'?

Ain't you somethin'?

- Clovis.

- Ain't you somethin'?

Aren't you somethin'?

- What's the matter? Goin' shy on me?

- I come with the bad news I'm leavin' you.

- What junk are you talkin'?

- We are no longer man and wife.

- I'm leaving you.

- That's why you brought your lunch?

This don't mean nothin'.

I'm already on my way.

(baby crying)

Don't you notice nothin'?

Don't you notice anything?

You've gone blonde.

You've gone blonde before.

Clovis Poplin,

have you forgotten your own son?

No, I ain't. Why didn't you bring him?

There's kids allowed.

They got candy for 'em and pop.

I'm not behind bars in despair.

You can bring him every week.

That's what I come to tell ya. Welfare's

come and taken Baby Langston forever.

They'll keep him in that foster home!

- What for? Why are they doin' that?

- How am I supposed to know?

I got out of women's facility

three weeks ago.

I went down to Welfare to get him back,

and that child board made up some story.

They had me fill out

a statement of propriety

and take it to the county courthouse,

but it was closed.

A man said to me I should take it

to the hall of records,

which I did, but nobody knew

what I was talkin' about.

Then I remembered what you said

about the telephone.

So I called the man up, got him on the

line, and that didn't do no good neither

because he said the man at the first place

should've sent it to my address.

But that didn't do no good

cos I'd already moved by that time.

(baby crying)

I want my baby back.

Now, are you gonna help me or not?

Where's he now?

Over in Sugarland.

But now that they got him,

I bet those Methodists

are gettin' ready to move out of state.

I wanna know if you're gonna help.

Well, sure I am. Sure I am.

Sure I am.

Two for us

and half-fare for Baby Langston.

I spent $65. We're goin' to Los Angeles

so's you can go white collar.

- Bus tickets?

- A workin' father is what that boy needs.

Lou Jean, who ever gave you $65?

I got to go to the bathroom.

Lou Jean. Lou Jean?

Honey, you gotta go next door.

This here's the men's room.

Prove it.

You saved $65 all on your own?

Oh, Clovis.

Oh, Lord, how I've missed you.

- I can't wait no longer.

- You waited a whole year.

- Can't you wait another four months?

- I can't. This is an emergency.

- Say, isn't this my shirt?

- When I leave, you're comin' with me.

Shoot!

- You got two pairs of pants on!

- I know.

I got it all planned out.

You're leavin' today.

- I love you so much.

- I can't. I only got four more months.

No, you're leavin' today.

- I can't.

- I love you. Yes, you are.

- I love you too.

- You're leavin' today.

- I can't.

- Yes, baby. Please.

- I can't.

- Come today. Today.

- I love you.

- No!

If you don't,

this is our last time.

Clovis?

- Jesus Christ, have you lost your brains?

- Hubie, you're gonna screw me up.

Nobody breaks out of pre-release!

That's just stupid!

If I don't, she's gonna run off.

- You said your old lady's in the jute mill.

- She did her time. She's out on her own.

I'm gonna call a guard

for your own good.

- This is stupid!

- Hubie! Hubie!

(whispers) You don't understand.

They took my boy, Baby Langston.

What the hell are you talkin' about, boy?

Guard!

Ain't nobody gonna fuss

over four little old months.

Bye, honey.

We won't see him for another week.

I sure am gonna miss him.

You might,

but I'm not gonna miss him any.

Oh, Pa, don't talk like that.

- Scoot on in, Mama.

- Pardon me.

- You Hubie's mom?

- Yes, I am.

And still proud of it, no matter

what his circumstances may be now.

He's a caution, which is why

we came to see him. Isn't it, honey?

- Where y'all headed?

- New Frankfurt.

That's where we're goin'!

We lost our ride. Do you mind awfully?

- You're a friend of Hubie's?

- Sure am.

- That boy ain't no damn good. Never was.

- Pa, stop talkin' like that!

And I don't think

he ever will be any good.

I tried my best to make a man out of him

but it look like I failed somewhere.

Scoot in the seat back there.

ndale, ndale, young fella. ndale.

Yes, sir.

(motor chugs)

- No smokin'.

- Officer, I think you're a mean man.

Buster, haven't I seen you

somewhere before?

You probably have.

I think I picked peas with you

out on the pea farm one time,

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes

Hal Barwood

Hal Barwood is an American screenwriter, film producer, film director, game designer, game producer, freelancer and novelist best known for his work on LucasArts games based on the Indiana Jones license. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "The Sugarland Express" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_sugarland_express_19064>.

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