Scarecrow - 1973

Max Millan and Francis "Lion" Delbuchi are two drifters that some how meet up on the open road. Max, a recent convict, invites Lion onto a journey from California to Pittsburgh where he plans to open a car-wash.

112 min - Rated R - Dir. by Jerry Schatzberg (see Panic in Needle Park), Starring Gene Hackman as Max & Al Pacino as "Lion"

Review by LEWIS

First of all I would like to say, it is absolutely shocking to me that a worm hole didn't open up and suck the universe into oblivion when Al Pacino and Gene Hackman were put together in an intimate buddy movie such as this. Wow! My god, these are two of the greatest American actors to grace the screen.

With that said, this was a great movie. And it was very much an "actor's" movie. These two characters will remind you a little of George and Lenny from Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". Max (Gene Hackman) is a seasoned, gruff man who proudly wears a chip on his shoulder. He has become a wise man of street smarts, but has lost his ability to laugh. That's where Francis (or "Lion" as Max decides to call him) comes in. He's a little too naive, a little too trusting, but he's the funny guy. He doesn't like things to get too serious, and as soon as they do he'll find a joke in it.

Well this makes for a great buddy movie. Each character needs the other to balance things out. So we go on a cross country journey with the pair where we wind up in dive bars, Colorado work prisons, diners and other places full of grit and grime. It's great a great ride.

As I said before, the corp of the film is the buddy story and I don't know if I've seen it done so well. The characters seem so real, and the emotional ride the two go through would be an actors dream.

I don't really want to get into the scarecrow thing, because it's a really nice part of the film that should be experience when you watch it. Just know that the title is appropriate.

I highly recommend this movie if you love either of the actors, or you're a fan of buddy flicks. Honestly, if you like things like the Lethal Weapon series you love the play between these two ruffians.


ACTING - 9.75 (I really considered a 10...it's close to being worth it)
STORY - 8.5
LOOK - 8 (some real good scenic shots, but other things are not so special)