Two-Lane Blacktop(1971)
Universal Pictures- R
- 1h 42m
Jul 23, 1971 | Wide
While drag-racing through the American Southwest in a Chevrolet 150, a driver and his mechanic cross paths with an enigmatic hitchhiker and the tall-tale-spinning driver of a GTO.
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Director & Top Cast
Technical Specifications
Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1
Other Details
Country of Origin: United States
Language: English
Summaries
Plot Summary
- On the dark outskirts of Los Angles on a desolate straight line road, a local outlaw racing event featuring muscle cars of the late 60's and early 70's is unceremoniously busted during a 1/4 mile drag race between a Plymouth Barracuda, and a primer gray '55 Chevy 150. As both cars cross the finish line, local police cruisers are seen heading at speed towards the racers and the onlookers at the staring line. As the Chevy evades authorities, it circles back to the staring line, picks up a passenger, and speeds away into the night while the sound of sirens fade off into the distance. From this getaway the driver (James Taylor) and mechanic (Dennis Wilson) of the '55 Chevy begin an eastern trek to an undefined destination.A stop at a local park to swap out drag slicks invokes minimal dialogue, and a minimal look into the condition of the Chevy, which looks dusty and tired, but unveils disc brakes and a peculiar fiberglass trunk that detaches entirely from the car. It slowly becomes clear with no dialogue that the Chevy is a heavy duty, highly specialized, racing machine that receives maintenance roadside by the driver, and mechanic who tuned each component themselves. The driver comments on the busted race from the night before: "That Plymouth had a Hemi with a Torqueflite. I believe we sawed the guy off even if we did loose $200."The next stop: fuel. Here the audience hears more minimal dialogue between the driver, the mechanic, and gas station attendants, one of which is Richard Ruth, the mechanic who (for the film) constructed the 55 Chevy cars. More information is given about the Chevy, including the engine, transmission, and the meticulous nature of the mechanic tuning is conveyed with introverted valve work and a question to the station attendant: "anything fast around here?"After departing the gas station, the pair continue east and brake for lunch at a roadside diner. Prior to lunch they are passed on the road by an orange GTO, with a middle-aged driver (Warren Oates) who is outwardly curious with the prospect of antagonizing the young Chevy occupants before he speeds ahead of the Chevy. Later at the diner, a wayward young girl (Laurie Bird) is seem escaping an old delivery van decorated in a bright colored hippy art mural, she walks the parking lot eyeing the '55 Chevy, and plants herself in the backseat while the driver and mechanic eat lunch. After their meal, the driver and mechanic climb into the car without addressing the girl, start the engine, and continue to head east.The girl attempts to start conversation with the driver and mechanic which ends briefly and awkwardly, as the trio continue east towards Santa Fe, the GTO passes the Chevy again, blaring loud music in contrast to the droning emptiness of the Chevy, and a hand gesture i given by the GTO driver as he speeds past again.Later in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the girl spends the afternoon in wanderlust, panhandling locals for change while the driver and mechanic cruise the local scene looking for racing action. Later in the evening the group heads to a local drive-in where the Santa Fe racing scene is in full swing. The driver and mechanic eye a prospective '32 Ford, and after a brief discussion a $300 dollar wager is agreed on for a 1/4 mile race. The race and booty is won by the Chevy, and the trio get a hotel room for the evening. The driver of the '55 Chevy disassociates himself with the mechanic and girl, goes to a few local bars, and returns to the hotel later that evening to a locked door and the sounds of young sex from the mechanic and girl.The following morning GTO picks up a suited hitchhiker with a Texas drawl and a 10 gallon hat. GTO (as he is referred to) talk in circles to the passenger about the GTO, where he came from, and how much performance it has. The hitchhiker is unimpressed and can see through the fabricated story that GTO's tall tales are hiding something deeper. This tension is broken when GTO passes the Chevy (again) as the Chevy is pulled over on the side of a lonely desert highway with the fiberglass clam shell hood open while the mechanic pulls spark plugs. Mechanic: "might be a fouled plug." Girl: "I wish we were back in Santa Fe"As the journey continues, the girl is becoming increasingly bored and disaffected by the lack on attention she is getting, which she is not used to. As she laments and complains that she needs to use the restroom, the driver and mechanic decide to stop for gas after running the Chevy "flat out" at open throttle to keep the engine conditioned for performance racing.GTO arrives at a gas station, and the '55 Chevy arrives shortly thereafter. Tension between both cars boils over with the Chevy driver ending GTO's tough talk, and challenges him to a race. The distance is to Washington D.C and the wager is pink slips (cars). The mechanic spends a few minutes with GTO going over the route, the rules and procedures for mailing the car titles. Mechanic: "Ill do that part for you, I've done it before."With the race officially on the driver and mechanic depart behind GTO and begin to plan for stops and weather. GTO starts the race by picking up another hitchhiker (after the first hitchhiker left at the gas station, presumably annoyed with GTO's talk. The new hitchhiker is heading to Oklahoma City. As another GTO lead conversation begins with false stories of the GTO being a "test car" from Detroit, the second hitchhiker asks if he can stretch out, which leads to him making homosexual advances to GTO, which GTO rejects.Rain begins for both parties as the Chevy is mired by archaic windshield wipers, the GTO is mired by the continual sexual advances of the hitchhiker. GTO eventually kicks the hitchhiker out on a rainy evening, and it pulled over later in the evening by Texas Highway Patrol. The Chevy sees the traffic stop and the pull over to tell the police that the GTO is dangerous, driving 90, and passing traffic on the right. After they hassle the GTO in front of the Troopers, the Chevy pulls away at full throttle, burning rubber in front of the Troopers and GTO, and head to the Oklahoma line before Texas authorities can catch up to them. GTO who is obviously infuriated by this stops the Chevy on the side of the road to yell at them for putting him in that situation. The parties agree to a truce, and trade snack and whiskey while GTO shows the trio a collection of uppers and downers that he takes at his pleasure. The group passes time together, as GTO tells the girl that the guys are not for her, the driver and mechanic glance at the GTO's 455 engine and tell GTO that his carburetor has a leak that could be dangerous. GTO, knowing that he cannot fix it himself laments that he is screwed to complete the race, while the trio in the Chevy agree to accompany him to the next town to get it fixed. GTO decides to ride in the Chevy with the driver while the mechanic and the girl ride in the GTO and listen to 8 tracks.During this portion of the trip GTO seems to break into another story about his past (being a television producer and getting laid off) which almost seems believable before the driver cuts him off. Driver: "I don't want to hear about it. Its not my problem."The group drives all night and arrives at a closed Mobil station in a sleepy, rainy town. As the group waits, each has a task:Driver: rest, look for food Mechanic: steal local license plate (they get nervous with California plates in the south) GTO: use the restroom, drink whiskey, try to steal local license plate Girl: Run awayThe driver finds the girl hitchhiking by the interstate and takes her to a field to try to teach her how to drive. The driver is not a good teacher and the girl is disinterested, the lesson devolves into forced kissing.Back at the gas station the mechanic is asleep in the drivers seat of the GTO, while GTO is drunkenly passed out on the bumper of a shop truck which he was trying to steal a license plate from. A gas station attendant arrives for work seeing this scene, and calls the city police. During the call to police the driver shows up in the Chevy with the girl as the rain clears and the faint sound of children playing in the background begins.Driver: "It must be Saturday."The driver and the mechanic get the drunkenly unconscious GTO in the car while a police cruiser arrives at the gas station. The driver and mechanic slowly drive away as the police begin to follow.Mechanic: "I'll me you on the south of town on a dirt road." Driver: "Okay, throw me my shirt."The pair break off in different directions as the police begin to follow the mechanic in the Chevy. The Chevy outruns the police while the driver visits a local parts store for a carburetor rebuild kit. The mechanic and driver meet as planned, repair the gas leak for a still unconscious GTO, and drive off without him, continuing the race.GTO sobers up and races to catch up with the Chevy, which finds them eating lunch discussing racing as they are now broke from using all of their Santa Fe cash, while they discuss particulars a local southerner sits down with them and challenges them to a local race. The interaction is tense and condescending while the local boys accuse them of being hippies. GTO smooths over the interaction by assuring the locals that the driver and mechanic, which have long California hair are "hometown boys". The locals buy this, and summarily leave them alone.On their way to the drag strip both the cars have odd interactions with hitchhikers and antagonizing muscle cars including the Chevy losing control to avoid an already fatal car wreck, and the GTO picking up a old woman and young girl who's parents were killed by an out-of-state driver.Upon arrival at Lakeland drag strip the Chevy begins time trial runs at the packed venue, while GTO and the girl tour the scene. The Chevy makes a wager with a local racer with a C2 Corvette using the mechanics tools as collateral. Later in the evening the Chevy wins this race while GTO and the girl make a break for D.C.The driver and mechanic take their winnings and quickly leave in hope to find the girl, rather than GTO. They catch up and pass the GTO at a diner, but the mechanic is reluctant to tell the driver because he knows the driver is becoming obsessive with winning the girl. Once the Chevy returns to the diner, the driver make one last attempt to win the girl over by proposing Columbus, Ohio as a post-race destination. The girl refuses, grabs her bags out of the GTO, and departs on the back of a strangers motorcycle who she has no spoken a single word to.Upon her departure a 454 El Camino arrives at the diner and challenges the Chevy to a race. The driver accepts as GTO leaves, saying his last words to the driver and mechanic.GTO: "See ya."GTO picks up two young GI's heading to New York City on liberty, the GI's compliment the car, and are eager to hear about GTO's adventures. GTO claims that he won the GTO by driving a '55 Chevy across country and beating the GTO by 4 hours. GTO puts himself in the story as the driver and mechanic and states" GTO: "There's nothing like building an automobile from scratch and wiping out one of these Detroit machines. Those satisfactions are permanent."In the final scene we see the Chevy and the El Camino poised for launch on an old runway. The mechanic dials in the ignition advance, the driver straps in, and the race begins.During this race the film becomes shaky as it burns into the projector freezing the race in time before going to credits.
Storyline
- The Driver and The Mechanic are car freaks driving a 1955 Chevy through the southwestern U.S., looking for other cars to race. They're totally dedicated to their car and speak with each other only when necessary. At a gas station, along with a girl who has ingratiated herself into their world, they meet G.T.O., a middle-aged man who fabricates stories. They all decide to have a race to Washington, D.C., where the winner will get the loser's car. — Rick Gregory <rag.apa@email.apa.org>
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