IMDb > The Driver (1978)
The Driver
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The Driver (1978) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   2,668 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 24% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Walter Hill (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Driver on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 June 1978 (Netherlands) more
Genre:
Tagline:
He'll get you away faster than anyone else on wheels. more
Plot:
"The Driver" is specialist in a rare business: he drives getaway cars in robberies. His exceptional talent prevented him from being caught yet... more | add synopsis
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Billy Bob Thornton To Go Faster
 (From EmpireOnline. 28 October 2009, 1:20 AM, PDT)

Walter Hill: The Hollywood Interview
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 9 September 2009, 12:07 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
One of the greatest action movies I've ever seen, with car chases as exciting as any filmed before or since. more (54 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ryan O'Neal ... The Driver
Bruce Dern ... The Detective

Isabelle Adjani ... The Player
Ronee Blakley ... The Connection
Matt Clark ... Red Plainclothesman
Felice Orlandi ... Gold Plainclothesman
Joseph Walsh ... Glasses

Rudy Ramos ... Teeth
Denny Macko ... Exchange Man
Frank Bruno ... The Kid
Will Walker ... Fingers
Sandy Brown Wyeth ... Split
Tara King ... Frizzy
Richard Carey ... Floorman
Fidel Corona ... Card Player
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Driver (UK) (DVD title)
more
Runtime:
91 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This film was originally written for Steve McQueen. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When the cops are chasing the Driver through the parking garage, the siren sound effect disappears for a few seconds then abruptly cuts back in. more
Quotes:
The Detective: Well, well, here's my new man. How do you like it here so far?
Red Plainclothesman: Just great.
The Detective: Let's get something straight right now. I don't like new men. They make mistakes.
Red Plainclothesman: Well, I haven't made any yet.
The Detective: Yeah, yeah. You're new. That's a mistake. And you talk too much... that's a mistake. That's the first thing you can learn. When you're talking, you're not thinking. Never talk... unless you have to.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
12 out of 12 people found the following comment useful.
One of the greatest action movies I've ever seen, with car chases as exciting as any filmed before or since., 27 February 2004
Author: Infofreak from Perth, Australia

How underrated is Walter Hill?! 'The Driver' is one of his least known movies to a mainstream audience, but one of his best loved among fans. It's one of the greatest action movies I've ever seen, with car chases as exciting as any filmed before or since. The characters are all archetypes and named after their roles. There's no traditional character development here, but the actors and the action get the point across. Ryan O'Neal plays a getaway driver, the best in his field. Bruce Dern is the cop obsessed with catching him. He's willing to do anything to do so, even setting him up. I'm a major fan of Dern. I think he's one of the most interesting Hollywood actors and 'The Driver' is yet another great performance from him an a career filled with them ('The Wild Angels', 'Bloody Mama', 'Silent Running', 'Coming Home',etc.etc.) And Ryan O'Neal, an actor I've never warmed to, is surprisingly effective is a role originally intended for Steve McQueen. Plus you get Isabelle Adjani ('The Tenant'), always a pleasure to watch. I'd put 'The Driver' up there with the original versions of 'Vanishing Point', 'The Getaway' and 'Gone In 60 Seconds' as the most underrated action thrillers of the 1970s. Why it has yet to be remade is a mystery, but hoping it isn't as it will undoubtedly suck. Hollywood just seems to have lost the ability to make these kinds of movies. 'The Driver' is expertly directed by Walter Hill, who also scripted. Also check out 'The Warriors' and 'Southern Comfort' for the best of Hill. He's a hell of a film maker and rarely gets the attention he deserves.

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