Kansas (1988)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

David Stevens

Writer:

Spencer Eastman (writer)

Release Date:

23 September 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

In a life of crime, no one can be trusted... Not even your friend.

Plot:

A young man returning home to attend a wedding hooks up with a drifter who turns out to be a violent bank robber. Before he knows it, the man finds himself involved in the robber's plans. |

Plot Keywords:

Bank | Teenager | On The Run | Courage | Criminal

Cast

Matt Dillon	...	Doyle Kennedy
Andrew McCarthy	...	Wade Corey
Leslie Hope	...	Lori Bayles
Alan Toy	...	Nelson Nordquist
Andy Romano	...	Fleener
Brent Jennings	...	Buckshot
Brynn Thayer	...	Connie
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Prostitute Drifter
Harry Northup	...	Governor
Clint Allen	...	Ted
Arlen Dean Snyder	...	George Bayles
Jim Lovelett	...	Governor's Driver (as James Lovelett)
Louis Giambalvo	...	Army Sergeant
Craig Benton	...	Patrolman Casson
James Lea Raupp	...	Man with Shirt

Runtime:

France:105 min | USA:108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Norway:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Edgerton, Kansas, USA

Company:

Trans World Entertainment (TWE)

Goofs:

Factual errors: Kansas license plates are issued by county, with a two-letter code representing each county. Many of the cars of residents of the same area have county license plates from counties far apart.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Night Game (1989)

Soundtrack:

OUR DIRECTOR

Subtleties of Things to Come

The settings and wide open photography that must have been ahead of it's time make "Kansas" a pleasure to watch, a picturesque drama through the mid-west. On his way to his best friend's wedding, Andrew McCarthy hops a freight car and meets drifter and recently-released ex-con Matt Dillon - who is on his way to rob the bank in his former hometown. McCarthy is part of the crime before he knows it, unfortunately linked to Dillon's violent & vindictive character. Looking to lay low until it all blows over, McCarthy finds refuge in anonymity on a family farm. This part of the story, evidenced by the unfolding of Generation X in years immediately following the films release, could act to the discerning viewer as a subtle outline of Gen X's reluctance to take a spotlight for fear of it's wrath. Still, for those of other generations, "Kansas" is fun to watch, a pleasure to look at, and another good vehicle for Matt Dillon's ability to create interesting characters.