A shocking admission, brought to mind by The N&O's recent report on illegal street racing and the Highway Patrol's efforts to combat it: One of my all-time favorite movies features characters who drag-race on public roadways! OK, it's just a movie, not recommended for viewing by your teenager who's about to sally forth behind the wheel of the family buggy. And I absolutely endorse our troopers' efforts to make the roads safer for everybody by busting thoughtless, reckless, selfish speed demons who can't resist the racing urge.
But for all that, the 1971 film "Two-Lane Blacktop" punches many of my buttons. And really, while the plot hinges on racers and racing, it's a lot deeper. (Hey, movie criticism may not be my strong suit, but some people with a lot stronger critical chops than mine use terms like "existential" to try to capture this flick's underlying vibe.)
When I mentioned my fondness for "Two-Lane Blacktop" to some colleagues and noted that it stars James Taylor, one person asked in surprise, "You mean, the kum-bay-ah guy?" Well, yes, our very own Tar Heel crooner James Taylor. And in the film he doesn't sing.
Taylor, who was long-haired and in his early 20s, was recruited to play the driver of an imposing '55 Chevy dragster, supposedly after the film's director saw his picture on a Los Angeles billboard. Taylor and his mechanic partner, Dennis Wilson of Beach Boys fame, race their car for money in illegal, impromptu street races in Southern California or at drag strips. They're heading east through Arizona, perhaps on old U.S. 66, looking for action when they pick up a footloose girl, played by Laurie Bird. (None of the film's characters are ever named.)
In a terrific scene at an old gas station somewhere out in the desert, they encounter a fellow driving a souped-up, tricked-out orange GTO. The deal goes down — they'll race across the country to
Washington, D.C., with the winners acquiring ownership of the losing car. The GTO driver (Warren Oates) is a captivating character who can't ever quite explain what he's doing with his life, but the journey commences. And so we follow the two cars as they leap-frog through the empty spaces and boondock little towns of the American Southwest.
Yes, some romance unfolds along the way. And eventually, the race sort of peters out, although the trip continues, more as a joint venture.
Various escapades and episodes enliven the story. The scenery is terrific. And for those of us who get a kick out of exploring old highways, the movie offers a wonderful look back into the past. At some point, the two-lane road being followed becomes U.S. 70 (I determined this from some Oklahoma road signs that are visible, consulting an atlas). So the travelers were heading toward North Carolina — was there a Taylor influence behind that?
They never make it to Washington, and probably not to North Carolina either, although they do reach the mountains. I'll hold back on other plot details, which have to do with the relationships that unfold among the four main characters. The movie has developed a strong corps of followers over the years, and there's a ton of info about it on the Web (here's a Wikipedia link). It's a tribute not so much to hot cars and speed, but to the mystique of the open road, to the characters who are drawn to it, to its stark beauty and to the adventures it brings.
