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... Based on the events of May, 1969, when fugitives Robert and Ila Fae Dent kidnapped Department of Public Safety trooper Kenneth Crone, commandeered his car, and led police law enforcement officials on a chase from outside Port Arthur, through Houston, up to Navasota, and on to Wheelock, where Ila Fae Dent's mother lived. At one point, a motorcade of more than 150 police cars and reporters joined the pursuit. FBI agent Bob Wiatt (who retired in 2004) confronted them at the mother's home and was forced to shoot Robert Dent, who was armed, in the neck, killing him. Wiatt wrestled Ila Fae to the ground and handcuffed her.
JohnWesleyDowney posted: I have a friend who took a Spielberg class at USC last Fall. He said the movie was crap. It's a superb film, it indicates just how much he understood the medium of film at an early age, his choreography of the film's endless pursuit - especially law enforcement -the vast lines of state trooper vehicles, the delicate balance of comedy and drama - his handling of the actors, the first score Spielberg had John Williams for, it's incredible Spielberg did all this at age 24!!!!! Some of the shots in this film, before the era of steadicam, are just incredible. He must have driven his DP crazy with the demanding shooting style, because those interior car scenes using camera movement, pans, the lighting and lens requirements were VERY ambitious. And to keep the human element in the forefront while being technically daring shows this was a kid on the way UP. It's a dynamic debut. It also heralded one of Spielberg's most persistent themes, the separation of children from their parents and their eventual reunion. And by the way, the producers who made it with him were so impressed, they handed him their next film too. A much bigger and more important project. We all know what THAT was.