Veteran director John Schlesinger, who was responsible for such screen classics as Midnight Cowboy and Sunday Bloody Sunday, has concocted a kind of Nashville on Wheels here.
The thin story line of this $26 million film revolves around the residents of a small Florida town, Ticlaw, who are miffed that the new super duper freeway won’t have an exit for tourists to stop off and spend their money in the area.
Ticlaw’s Mayor William Devane tries to bribe some officials for the exit but is double-crossed early on. Major portion of the picture then switches to the collection of people who travel the freeway and eventually (through no fault of their own) wind up in Ticlaw.
Only Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy as an offbeat elderly couple, and Deborah Rush as a discontented nun, brighten up the trip along the road. Rest of the cast falls victim to Edward Clinton’s meandering script and dismal sense of humor.
