Coast to Coast (1980)

Madie Levrington is a neurotic, wealthy woman who escapes from a New York mental institution where her unwholesome husband had her committed to avoid the trial of an expensive divorce. She ... See full summary »

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writer:

Stanley Weiser

Stars:

Dyan Cannon, Robert Blake, Quinn K. Redeker

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dyan Cannon	...	Madie Levrington
Robert Blake	...	Charles Callahan
Quinn K. Redeker	...	Benjamin Levrington (as Quinn Redeker)
Michael Lerner	...	Dr. Frederick Froll
Maxine Stuart	...	Sam Klinger
William Lucking	...	Jules (as Bill Lucking)
Ellen Gerstein	...	Nurse #1
Patricia Conklin	...	Nurse #2
David Moody	...	Chester
Rozelle Gayle	...	Orderly
Martin Beck	...	Albert
Karen Rushmore	...	Callahan's Wife
Mae Williams	...	Waitress at Truckstop
George P. Wilbur	...	Billy Ray
Tom Pletts	...	Attendant

Storyline

Madie Levrington is a neurotic, wealthy woman who escapes from a New York mental institution where her unwholesome husband had her committed to avoid the trial of an expensive divorce. She manages by taking her doctor hostage and leaving him behind in an open field, and flees into the night. Madie hitches a ride back to California with Charles Callahan, a moody, debt-ridden truck driver. Madie and Charles eventually fall in love while evading an assortment of villains including a pair of thugs hired by Madie's husband to prevent her from returning to California, and a repo man sent to reclaim Charles' truck.

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Plot Keywords:

truck | escape | runaway | mental institution | psychologist | 

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Taglines:

Either way, love will win in the end

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Grande Corrida

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie has often been compared to Smokey and the Bandit (1977) which starred Burt Reynolds and Sally Field. Coast to Coast (1980) director Joseph Sargent had actually directed both Reynolds and Field in features before, with Reynolds in White Lightning (1973) and with Field in Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring (1971).

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Goofs

After Madie drives the truck through the house at the end, the tractor is pointed 45 degrees down from the front, but from the side it's straight.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Benjamin Levrington: [phone call] Dr. Frederick Froll please, this is Dr. Benjamin Levrington in Los Angeles. Thank you.
Benjamin Levrington: [voice] Fred!
Dr. Frederick Froll: [voice] Benjamin!
[chuckles]
Dr. Frederick Froll: [voice] How are ya?
Benjamin Levrington: [voice] All right. Ah... look Fred, I need your help here. Uh, well frankly, I want to get rid of my wife.

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Soundtracks

Survive
Written by Jimmy Buffett, Mike Utley
Performed by Jimmy Buffett

User Reviews

Another trucker movie

I never caught the beginning of this movie, but obviously Madie Levrington (Dyan Cannon) escapes from a New York state mental hospital where her husband Benjamin had her committed to avoid the trial of an expensive divorce. Madie hitches a ride back to California with Charles Callahan (Robert Blake), a debt-ridden trucker. He drives a GMC General, yellow maybe. Maybe they met in Kansas City or they stopped in Kansas City to pick up some cattle. They eventually fall in love. But Madie steals the truck, cattle and all, leaving Charles behind, to go to her home in California. Charles hitches a ride and eventually catches up with the truck. He climbs into the open-top cattle trailer. But he can't stop Madie from back there. "I hate cows!" he says. Madie reaches her husband's home. The prospects don't look good for Benjamin.