Eddie Macon's Run (1983) User Reviews

"Balls spelled backwards is desperation." You learn something new every day!

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 25 November 2014]

Eddie Macon (John Schneider of 'Dukes of Hazzard' TV fame) is a basically good man, who's ended up in prison on trumped-up charges. Before the movie begins, he's already attempted one escape, and as it opens, he's pulling off another one. If he gets caught again, he's going back in for life. He takes off on foot for Mexico, to reunite with his wife Chris (Leah Ayres) and son Bobby (Matthew Meece). Relentlessly pursuing him is stubborn, over the hill detective Carl Marzack (Kirk Douglas), who wants to prove to himself that he's still got what it takes to be a cop. At least, that's what he tells a friend.

In his first film vehicle, the engaging Schneider does a creditable job, playing a likable enough guy with the odds stacked against him. Among other episodes, Eddie will be threatened by a snake, tormented by redneck ranching family the Potts, and end up in the company of Jilly Buck (lovely Lee Purcell, delivering the movies' most interesting performance), who is willing to provide him assistance for no other reason than that it's a "slow Wednesday". Schneider provides a fair amount of beefcake moments for those that are interested, and also croons two songs on the soundtrack.

Competently shot (by James A. Contner), decently paced (director Jeff Kanew, who adapted the novel by James McLendon, was also the editor), and well acted, "Eddie Macon's Run" is not a great chase picture, but it is an adequate one, although there may be viewers that will wish there was more action. (There's actually only ONE car crash in this whole thing.) Douglas may be a little old for his role, but he's fun to watch. The first rate supporting cast features a respectable amount of familiar faces: Lisa Dunsheath, Tom Noonan, and Jay O. Sanders as the aforementioned Potts family, J.C. Quinn, Gil Rogers, Todd Allen, Nesbitt Blaisdell, Matthew Cowles, Vic Polizos, Dann Florek, J.T. Walsh (in his film debut), John Goodman, and Mark Margolis.

All in all, "Eddie Macon's Run" is not memorable but it IS entertaining.

Seven out of 10.

Huntsville to Laredo

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 1 May 2012]

Watching Eddie Macon's Run and seeing what John Schneider had to go through in flashback in what landed him in Huntsville State Prison and his efforts on a second escape attempt, I concluded someone really does not like the great state of Texas. It's important to remember that Schneider moved his family from Florida to Texas because of promised good paying jobs with the oil industry. At that time Texas was booming because of oil, a lot of people went there like Schneider.

But Schneider who needs money badly because his young son has a rare blood disease finds himself working for peanuts because of some kickback scheme. When he protests and gets nasty about it, he gets tossed in jail for a five year rap. On his second attempt to escape he breaks out during the prison rodeo and he's got a good plan.

He's also got like Richard Kimble his own Lieutenant Gerard in Kirk Douglas who is less than impressed with the cowboy mentality of the place. He's from a civilized land called New Jersey and he brought in Schneider before and can do it again if for no other reason than to show the rest of the hicks good investigatory police work.

One of the few people that Schneider gets some sympathy from is heiress Lee Purcell. And she's helping him essentially for the thrill.

Schneider with his devotion to his family was one of the more noble heroes of the Eighties cinema. We the audience hope that he makes it on his run from Huntsville to the Laredo border town. Eddie Macon's Run compares most favorably to those classics from Warner Brothers in the Thirties, The Life Of Jimmy Dolan and They Made Me A Criminal. And if you're familiar with those films you know how Eddie Macon's Run will turn out.

Passable entertainment which has improved with age

[dinky-4 · 6/10 · 6 September 2009]

A fellow reviewer -- the one from Winnipeg -- has this one correctly pegged. It's a decent piece of entertainment and due to the decline in film standards, it probably plays better now than it did back in 1983. There are faults. Kirk Douglas seems too old for his part and Lee Purcell seems too young for hers, and the whole notion that Eddie Macon's escape-plan involves running on foot across country, sort of in a series of marathon races, never quite comes into focus. However, John Schneider makes a likable hero -- his appeal is augmented by several "beefcake" scenes -- and as has been mentioned elsewhere, the supporting cast is diverse, talented, and well-chosen. One aspect of the film has not been discussed. The cop's obsessive pursuit of Eddie Macon, reminiscent of "Les Miserables," raises questions. Considering all the criminals who must have caused him grief over the years, the cop seems curiously fixated on Eddie who, as felons go, is decidedly "small potatoes." Does the cop possibly lust after the young, handsome, and decidedly well-built Eddie, and does he then convert this "forbidden desire" into a rigorous drive to enforce the law? This might explain why the cop softens at the end of the chase, though the cop's apparent change of heart doesn't quite ring true no matter how you regard his motives. (One almost wishes for a dream sequence in which the cop gets to soap Eddie's back in the hotel bathroom's shower -- and what a commodious shower that hotel has!)

If you liked The Fugitive...

[culwin · 16 August 2000]

Standard plot of "innocent guy on the run from the law" works well. However, this movie would be much less without Kirk Douglas. He makes the movie. Nothing spectacular here, but not a bad movie. Any movie that has the video game "Gorf" can't be bad. I give it a 7 out of 10. Lee Purcell is hot!

can eddie stay ahead of the law ?

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 23 May 2022]

At a new job, everything spirals out of control. After a run in with the law, which is in the oil company's back pocket, eddie (john schneider, in tight jeans) is off to the slammer. So he makes a break for it. He has a family, a plan, and a gun. Can he outwit a retired cop (kirk douglass) long enough to make it to freedom? Ups, downs, all arounds, some twists and turns. Granted, it feels a little dated by today's chase scenes, but it all works. Good stuff. Small roles for lee purcell and leah ayres. And john goodman, in a very early role. Directed by jeff kanew, who also directed gotcha, and revenge of the nerds. He and kirk douglas would work on four projects together!

fine

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 22 May 2020]

Eddie Macon (John Schneider) escapes from prison and is desperate to rejoin his family. His wife Chris (Leah Ayres) helps him escape. In flashbacks, he suffers various setbacks and injustices leading to a twenty year sentence. He is pursued by Texas department of corrections officer Carl 'Buster' Marzack (Kirk Douglas) who caught him in a previous attempt.

There is a lot of selling in this movie. It's selling Schneider as a good guy. The blonde hair blue eyed couple is perfect. At the end of the day, he was drinking while driving and he did hit a guy. It's a corrupt world and he expects that his perfection shouldn't be touched by it. I would root for him more if the movie isn't trying so hard to sell his innocence. There is a good performance from Douglas and there is also a young John Goodman. One thing is for sure. Texas folks aren't coming off looking good in this one. Finally, it's unreasonable for him to be running except that it's in the title. His wife should have rented a car and left it at a designated location. At the very least, he should have stolen a car after the shooting. All in all, it's fine if not anything special.

Simple put, it's "Les Misérables" set in 1980s Texas...and it was probably NOT financed by the Texas Department of Tourism!!

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 24 April 2021]

"Eddie Macon's Run" is based on a book by James McLendon. And, while it doesn't say it anywhere in the film, his book MUST have been strongly inspired by Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables" as the plots are often nearly the same. So, when you see Eddie, he's essentially Jean Valjean and Marzack is Javert. Of course, it's also very much like "The Fugitive" as well.

The story begins at the famous prison rodeo at the Huntsville, Texas prison. One of the participants is Eddie (John Schneider), an innocent man sent to prison. He isn't participating in order to win...he's using it as a chance to escape. And, once out of the prison, he's pursued by the determined and rather sociopathic Carl Marzack (Kirk Douglas)...a man willing to do just about anything to catch Eddie.

The trip across the border to Mexico won't be easy, as Eddie needs to run through Texas wilderness. But it's made a million times worse because, according to this film, Texas is filled with scum. He has to contend with some hicks who kidnap and try to hang him for kicks as well as a rapist who he stops when he hears a woman screaming for help!

This brings me to the way Texas is portrayed. In addition to rapists and murderers, the film features bigots who tell black jokes, corrupt cops, sexual harassers and just a whole mess of rednecks. You can sure tell that the film was NOT sponsored by the Texas Department of Tourism!! And, it also seemed like a series of cheap shots about Texans...which made me wonder if the writers had something in particular against the state!

Overall, enjoyable but certainly not very original. Also, the ending was poor...with Eddie approaching Marzack's car WITHOUT his gun and the twist after that which doesn't make any sense.

The unfair treated Convict, the diehard Manhunter and a B-Girl with golden heart!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 20 May 2023]

Did you see that nice guy who made a smallest mistakes and sent to jail overpaying three years and after tries escape got another two years there, having a good wife and a sick little son needing expensive medical treatment, well it happened with Eddie Macon when he decides moves from Florida to Texas due there have a lot of well-paid jobs to raising money to afford his little son treatment and in few years after the boy will be healed, then he saves enough money to buy a boat that he always dreaming for.

Under this far-fetched plot the movie starts, he got escape from there and a headhunter Carl "Buster" Marzack (Kirk Douglas), yes that guy who in the past arrested Eddie at first escape, Marzack does not forget the scar at your face did by Eddie, Marzack offers himself to bring back the convict for personal reasons, he is a sort of old heartless sniffer dog, he usually misleading everyone as countless phony ID, on the run Eddie enters in a desert area always running by night and face a weird farmers Potts family where they figure out as cattle's thief, letting Eddie to the main house to confess, there the crazy Daryl Potts (Tom Noonan) wants hang him there, including his odd and flamboyant wife Kay Potts (Lisa Dunsheath) although his shrewd brother Rudy (Jay O. Sanders) doesn't agree do such unkindness.

The scary Eddie perceives the jeopardy and shooting them with his gun hidden in backpack escaping from there, Marzack already awares of sad happenings in the farm going there and got the backpack left there, inside he found a map where Eddie described his route until the Mexico's border at Laredo, however the unlucked guy will overturn his fortune saving a little girl about to be rapped at your fancy Mercedes at desert road, the grateful and gorgeous girl Jilly Buck (Lee Purcell) actually is escort girl of Texas's governor, the wiser Jilly will drives the jumpy Eddie to Laredo, take a bath and rest for a while, somehow Jilly sees in young Eddie her soulmate wondering with him could be happy as everybody else, too late.

It's a fourth time watching Eddie Macon's run, Kirk even older got a strong performance as a trickster and cunning detective, the highlight are split in two fabulous sequence the hanging at Potts's house-farm and the chase through Laredo streets, also eye-candy Lee Purcell in an outstanding acting as B-girl with golden heart, pay attention on small roles of John Goodman and J. T. Wash as well, aside the lousy premise the movie survives in two robust sequences.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1988 / How many: 5 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 7.

Chase Movie.

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 21 June 2012]

John Schneider is Eddie Macon, a young man imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. He escapes from the slams, arranges for his beautiful wife and lovely kiddie to meet him on the border bridge in Laredo, kidnaps the governor's daughter, Lee Purcell, in her Mercedes, and races across Texas with Kirk Douglas hot on his tail.

The musical score has a theme song, a kind of cowboy rock, with lyrics like, "Put your head on my shoulder, we can talk about things before." The music gets a jazzed-up treatment during the requisite car chase through the cemetery. It slows down and we get to hear a mournful harmonica during the scenes in which Schneider and Purcell get to know one another and Schneider talks about how much he misses his wife.

The couple spend the night in the La Posada Motel in Laredo. By this time, Schneider is both filthy and exhausted from the flight. Lee Purcell coaxes him into taking a shower. She follows him in and gives him a loving wash and a kind of massage. Later she puts some moves on him but he, having just woke up, says he remembers nothing of the night before and he refuses to do anything untoward with her now because -- "You're wife," says Purcell, capping his apology.

Well, the fact is that Schneider may be a good-looking guy. At least he looks, sounds, and acts like a typical Hollywood actor with an even sun tan and carefully styled hair. But he's a complete moron for brushing off Lee Purcell because she's a fox. On top of that, his three years in stir may have taught him a lot, as he claims, but they never taught him how to act. I don't think he utters a believable line in the entire movie and there are moments when a viewer might understandably wonder if he's wandered by mistake into a high school play in East Windsor Township.

Purcell, however, does a professional job and so does Kirk Douglas as the savvy cop in pursuit. The dialog isn't a total loss but I'm confused about the direction and about the intended audience. It's a modern Western that smacks of the drive-in theater, but it's both cruel and indulgent to the Texans we meet on the screen. I'll give an example. Douglas is relaxing at a bar for a moment and this dumb-looking bar tender tells him a joke about blacks. It's truly offensive -- yet it's funny too. Douglas replies, "That's very funny," with no expression on his face. The audience will presumably snicker at the joke before feeling a twinge of guilt. The encounter has no function in the plot. It's simply slipped in for a laugh from the cowboys in the theater. This is known as having your cake and eating it too.

As I say, the dialog as a whole isn't insulting. The writers did okay, given the plot that was demanded of them. But there is no invention in the movie. Not even in the title. "Eddie Macon's Run"? Well, there had been a successful "Logan's Run" some years before, and "The Last Run" more recently. Then there was "Macon County Line" and "Return to Macon County," the second being an indication that the first had made money, and not to mention Macon, Georgia. The failure of the film to get Texas down on celluloid wouldn't be so noticeable if there hadn't already been some that had done so successfully. Try Sam Pekinpah's "The Getaway." Or, if you want still more stylized but empathic realism, try the more recent, "No Country For Old Men." That last, a superb study of the Southwest and its citizenry, was written and directed by the Coen brothers, two nice young Jewish kids from Minnesota.

The boy should, I say the boy shoulda stole a car

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 20 December 2007]

I remember reading the book on which this film is based a long time ago – before the film was made, that's for sure. Ever since I discovered it had been made into a film I've wanted to watch it, but it seems to be one of those films that is only rarely shown on the box. Now that I have, while I'm not exactly disappointed with what I saw, it's fair to say that so much more could have been made of the source material by a more accomplished writer than journeyman Jeff Kanew. I remember the tone of the book being quite dark, almost noirish, but none of that comes across in the film. For the most part, it has the look of a TV movie and some producer made a monumental mistake when he decided to allow John Schneider to sing his own syrupy songs on the soundtrack. But then, it has to be said that the music matches perfectly those early sickly scenes of domestic bliss between Macon (Schneider), his wife (Leah Ayres) and son Bobby (Matthew Meece).

Pretty soon, it's Bobby, not the scenes, that becomes sickly, which is where Eddie's plight begins. It's where Schneider's plight begins too because, every time the script asks him to emote, his TV credentials come right to the fore. The fact that the script is downright awful doesn't help either.

Macon's run takes him across a deep south populated by stereotypical rednecks, stereotypical small-town cops, stereotypical floozies, stereotypical bar-room drunks (including an impossibly young J. T. Walsh) and a stereotypical tart with a heart. Despite this, the film manages to remain entertaining, and motors along when it's focusing on the darker aspects of the tale rather than trying to pull at your heartstrings. Hot on Macon's heels is grizzly cop Marzack (Kirk Douglas). Douglas is too old for the part, and his judgment when it came to choosing roles was all shot to hell by the 80s, but he still shows Schneider up in their few scenes together.

For all the hardships Macon is forced to endure, you know there will be a happy ending. It turns out that Marzack, like Lee Purcell's tart-with-a-heart, simply envies Macon his picture-perfect family, something he managed to keep well-hidden from us all for all but the last five minutes of the film

This is really bad; prepare yourself

[den_quixote · 4/10 · 9 August 2017]

The best thing about the movie is the opening scene. The most enjoyable part is watching John Goodman in his first movie. Those two things take a total of about two minutes. There really is no other reason to watch, though it did have some potential. Alert viewers might also spot the not yet ready for prime time J.T. Walsh and Dann Florek.

wrong plot facts

[chewmanchew · 9/10 · 23 March 2010]

A very good movie! First, the plot listed is incorrect. He does not escape from a prison in Alabama, but rather the state prison in Huntsville, Texas, (the author apparently got their "Huntsvilles" mixed up and assumed it was Alabama.) There is, in fact, a prison in Huntsville, TX, and the entire movie takes place in Texas & Mexico. A lot of action, albeit, the plot's outcome is apparent throughout. Still, this movie has an outstanding cast for a low-budget film and the original music by John Schneider is excellent. I would definitely recommend this to any fan of Kirk Douglas, John Schneider, or just your average action-movie-without-all-the-big-time-Hollywood-promotion stuff. I would say it is along the lines of movies such as "Lone Wolf McQuade", "Hunter's Blood", or "Avenging Force", all great movies without a lot of hype!

worth checking out

[orangecakemix · 13 September 2002]

For a movie labeled chiefly as an action-adventure, some of the dialogue and plot gets quite syrupy (especially that one soundtrack song which airs when Eddie Macon is 'retro-daydreaming' past life events). However, the story line is good without being TOO predictable and the characters are well thawed out. It holds interest well. I first saw it about a year after it's initial release date and it has been a mild favorite of mine ever since. Worth checking out.

If you can find Eddie Macon's...Run to get it.

[bodalu · 10/10 · 14 December 2006]

My friend and I saw Eddie Macon's Run at the theater when it was first released. I remember really liking it back then and I bought the video tape of it a year or so ago. I enjoyed it as much as I did when I was in my late teens. It contained action that had me on the edge of my seat with the good cop chasing the bad guy scenes, with a twist. It had some flirtatiousness, and was also a love story. There were parts where it kept you wondering what would happen next. It gave me so many different feelings throughout the movie; anywhere from being scared, sad, and angered to happy and relieved, etc. You can never go wrong with Kirk Douglas and John Schneider in the key roles.

Better then Avg. "B" Movie

[thezitos · 8/10 · 3 August 2006]

I saw this movie when it was released. Its a very good movie (I thought) and, the acting was better then your avg. "B" type Movies.

Kurt Douglass while showing his years here, plays the street wise detective hot on the trail and his acting is still top notch.

I found the story line original and creative which added to the suspense. I gave it high marks because the events in which Eddie finds himself in trouble could happen to any of us.

When Eddie discovers that his job is taking a 25% cut for letting him work there he leaves in a huff. Mad, he drives off at a high rate of speed only to be pulled over by the small town cops that seem to enjoy busting Eddies chops. Already upset, Eddie finds himself in a scrap with the cops who bring him in. Now facing the local town judge, he's given a ridiculous jail term for his infraction. Eddie decides he's got to figure a way out of jail. He comes up with a clever way of not only pulling it off but, he's planned out details of his escape route as well

not a bad movie

[angiwhicker · 22 February 2003]

I first saw this on T.V several years ago and quite liked it....... although that thing with the ranchers kind of left me wondering if someone had changed the channel when I wasn't looking! Other then that I thought it was a very good movie and enjoyed it quite a bit.

A good story of escape

[zutterjp48 · 8/10 · 26 June 2020]

I have seen this film many years ago and I enjoyed it very much.It's the story of a man who escaped and then begins a long pursuit toward the Mexican border. I don't need to present Kirk Douglas who died recently: he was a very brilliant actor !! John Schneider is a little less known that Kirk Douglas, I have seen him in comedies such as "The Rebound" (2009) , "You've got a friend" (2007) and "Snow Day"(2000). So the performances of Kirk Dougla and John Schneider are very good, they gave to the film a great touch of suspense.

Run from this movie! **SPOILERS**

[magellan333 · 20 February 2001]

I just can't figure how this was made! It starts off decent. You feel sorry for Eddie in his predicament as it is explained to you via flashbacks. Once Eddie begins his run, the movie begins with it's bizarre plot twists. Suddenly Eddie finds himself apprehended, but not by the law, but by ranchers. They take him in their mansion and decide to hang him. A strange ditzy lady laughs and celebrates while another man celebrates with her, and the third seems to show no emotion at all. However they both seem to have some sort of physical relationship with the lady. Well Eddie escapes his captors and teams up with a rich lady who helps him run further. The back of the box advertised a high speed chase through Laredo, TX. Well, the Dukes of Hazzard chases had more to offer than this one. I am a big fan of John Schneider, but not in this dud. Please, don't bother watching it.

The greatest movie performance ever!!

[rpchome · 2 September 2002]

Matthew Meece plays the best son-of-a-guy-on-the-run ever. It was a riveting performance. His performance of the line, "Is that Mexico mommy?", was the best delivery by any actor ever. It ranks up there with the ranks of the top actors in Hollywood.