UNLIMITED STREAMING
WITH PRIME VIDEO
TRY 30-DAY TRIAL
Home > Drama >

Convoy

Convoy (1978)

June. 28,1978
|
6.3
|
PG
| Drama Action Comedy

Trucker Rubber Duck and his buddies Pig Pen, Widow Woman and Spider Mike use their CB radios to warn one another of the presence of cops. But conniving Sheriff Wallace is hip to the truckers' tactics, and begins tricking the drivers through his own CB broadcasts. Facing constant harassment from the law, Rubber Duck and his pals use their radios to coordinate a vast convoy and rule the road.

...

Watch Trailer

Cast

Similar titles

Reviews

Exoticalot
1978/06/28

People are voting emotionally.

More
BoardChiri
1978/06/29

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

More
Hayden Kane
1978/06/30

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

More
Arianna Moses
1978/07/01

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

More
Woodyanders
1978/07/02

Rough'n'tumble independent truck driver Rubber Duck (Kris Kristofferson in sturdy macho form) encourages his fellow oppressed gear-jammers to make a stand against no-count corrupt Sheriff Lyle Wallace (robustly played with lip-smacking wicked aplomb by Ernest Borgnine) and the whole crooked system that he represents.Director Sam Peckinpah maintains an amiable lighthearted tone throughout (this is probably the lone Peckinpah film in which nobody gets killed), stages the action scenes with gusto (a hilarious slapstick bar fight and a climax that copies "The Wild Bunch" rate as the definite rousing highlights), and explores his trademark themes of loyalty, betrayal, integrity, nonconformity, and corruption in a rather messy, but overall hugely entertaining manner. Bill W. Norton's script might not be that subtle or complex, but still possesses an amusing streak of blithely anarchic humor as well as a strong subtext concerning rugged individuality versus the dirty and repressive status quo.Rubber Duck's fellow Diesel demons are a colorful and engaging bunch: Burt Young as scruffy wannabe ladies' man Pigpen, Franklyn Ajaye as the easygoing Spider Mike, Madge Sinclair as the sassy Widow Woman, Bill Foster as the grizzled Old Iguana, and Jackson D. Kane as the rowdy Big Nasty. Cassie Yates adds plenty of spark as sad-eyed truck stop waitress Violet, Seymour Cassel does well as the opportunistic Governor Jerry Haskins, and Brian Davies amuses as nerdy press representative Chuck Arnoldi. Ali MacGraw sports a ghastly poodle hairdo and a deep tan in a thankless nothing role. Harry Stadling Jr.'s crisp widescreen cinematography photographs the trucks in a striking way that makes them come across like powerful majestic beasts. The spirited score by Chip Davis hits the stirring spot. Best of all, the fierce camaraderie the truckers have for each other gives this movie a winning surplus of genuine heart and soul. An immensely fun flick.

More
Steve Pulaski
1978/07/03

C.W. McCall's 1975 hit song "Convoy" is one of the most unique and different songs to ever come out of the country genre. Its unique blend of citizens band radio (CB radio) dialog combined with a catchy, spoken-word story about a group of rebellious truckers that decide to disobey all road signs, law enforcement, and trucker policies to just be one with the road, their trucks, and their individualism, which eventually results in the creation of a trucking convoy makes for a song that does nothing but get ones energy flowing and their excitement flourishing. Throw in inanely catchy instrumentation, trucker lingo appropriately imitating life on the road, and McCall's fittingly deep vocals and you have a song that just works on sight and creates a wonderful and original vibe.Adapting McCall's novelty song into a film bearing the same name was a wise choice because the song is so much a story and full of sometimes ambiguous lingo that showing how something like a trucker rebellion would play out if it were to happen only makes sense. The film follows McCall's hit nicely, as it focuses on a deviant trucker nicknamed "Rubber Duck" (Kris Kristofferson), who bands together with his road-friends "Love Machine" (later nicknamed "Pig Pen," played by Burt Young), and "Spider Mike" (Franklyn Ajaye) to protest the corrupt ways of Sheriff Lyle "Cottonmouth" Wallace (Ernest Borgnine), by driving their trucks at top speed to the state line of New Mexico and as far as they can possibly go. Also on board with "Rubber Duck" as a passenger is Melissa (Ali MacGraw), who initially tempts him by driving without pants in a Jaguar convertible at top speed down the road. The gaggle of truckers eventually start a convoy, made up of truckers from all over the country, "long-haired friends of Jesus in a chartreuse microbus," among many others who are riding in protest of police corruption and the pursuit of individuality.Sam Peckinpah directs Convoy with a necessary sense of fun, gusto, and clear enjoyment, filming many shots of truckers and their drivers flooring it down interstates, weaving in and out of traffic, and even working to stop law-enforcement by using two eighteen-wheelers to crush a police cruiser flying down the highway at top speed. In addition, Peckinpah works to develop the relationship these truckers have with their roads, but also each other, even if their friends exist predominately as voices on the other end of a scratchy CB radio, spouting slang and vague phrases at each other hoping to achieve a goal only a select few will understand. The individualism in the film is nearly unmatchable, as we see that "Rubber Duck," "Pig Pen," and "Spider Mike" have a genuine love for what they do and, as McCall stated in his song, "ain't nothing' gonna get in their way." On top of that, the film is filled with talents that are fun to watch, specifically Kristofferson and Borgnine, two instantly recognizable actors in roles they were built to play. Watching the film and seeing their relationship develop over time is a real treat because you can see the way each of them respond to each others quips and acts of deviancy and disobedience. On top of that, the supporting cast of Young and Ajaye are entertaining, especially in the early scenes in the film, where the central focus is on their dialog with each other. Last, but certainly not least, is MacGraw, who does a beautiful job of holding her own, being the only female lead in the entire film.Convoy also has the ability to surprise by becoming a surprisingly deeper story during the film's last act, addressing issues of racism, opposition to individuality and rebellion, and corruption within a system with a sense of honesty and seriousness. For a film that bears such an asinine premise and a cheesy aesthetic, it's easy to not expect this particular film to bear such a notion of competence in terms of illustrating a moral. But that is only one of several ways Peckinpah's Convoy surprises as it lives up to a terrific song and terrific idea in an entertaining manner.Starring: Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw, Burt Young, Franklin Ajaye, and Ernest Borgnine. Directed by: Sam Peckinpah.

More
Michael_Elliott
1978/07/04

Convoy (1978) ** 1/2 (out of 4)It's not too uncommon to see a rip-off of a hit motion picture, in this case SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, but it is weird to see one coming from director Sam Peckinpah. It's fair to say that the director's career wasn't in the highest of spots but he adds a certain flair to the material that might not have been there in a lesser director's hands. In the film Kris Kristofferson plays a trucker known as Rubber Duck who leads a convoy after a worthless sheriff (Ernest Borgnine) assaults a driver. The mile long convoy soon gets the attention of the federal government and the media and it's up to the Duck to try and figure the best way out for everyone. If you're expecting to see something like THE WILD BUNCH or STRAW DOGS then it's best you watch one of those two films because the greatness Peckinpah is known for isn't going to be spotted here but at the same time there's no question that there's some mild entertainment to be had here. It's in question how much of this Peckinpah actually directed since his drug and alcohol abuse was pretty severe at the time but there are still some noticeable trademarks including the classic slow motion sequences. There's no question that this thing was made to cash in on the SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT craze but this picture never reaches the level of that one for a couple of reasons. For starters, there's not nearly as much fun going on here and this is really too bad. I think had there been some more charm and grace that the picture would have been more entertaining. I also think having so many people involved in the "chase" also made for way too many logical issues including why anyone would let something this big happen over something rather small. With that said, there's still some fun to be had and especially with the performances by both Kristofferson and Borgnine who appear to be having fun. Both of them fit their roles very well but the same can't be said for Ali McGraw and Burt Young since both of them are wasted. There's some great cinematography to be had here, some nice music and the scenes of the long convoy are certainly impressive. CONVOY is far from a classic or even a good film but it's mildly entertaining for those who just want to kick back for some entertainment.

More
p0rto
1978/07/05

More than 20 years ago my most favorite movie... and still has been! Has seen it multiple times. This movie is damn good, no modern movie won't even come close to it; very good acting from some very good actors and funny too. The raw action is good, the (true) racism against black people in Texas good displayed, the free spirit of the profession excellent displayed (pity nowadays it's just gone). Displays the real life of truck-drivers all over the world and their constant battle against corrupt and money hungry police agents who are, as most non-truck-drivers are, not loving truckers very much, despite they're merely human and doing only what they are (under)paid for, just like anybody else. A must be seen movie for all your truckers out there and wanna-be's! Haul a$$!

More