I didn't care for this movie when it first came out, but now it plays much better than most late 80's action flicks. There is great chemistry between Eastwood and Bernadette Peters. Eastwood has been canny about who he teams up with. Pink Cadillac is in the mold of Two Mules For Sister Sara, The Enforcer and The Gauntlet, in which Eastwood's macho character gets saddled with a female partner, and has to make the best of it. In fact, this plot device is used in Million Dollar Baby.
Pink Cadillac is simply good old-fashioned Hollywood film-making, no fancy cinematography or special effects, just a simple but well-told story with two characters that we like and care about. Eastwood is gracious in allowing his female characters to live and breathe and have unexpected reservoirs of strength and resilience. This is evident in movies like Tightrope with Genevieve Bujold and The Enforcer with Tyne Daly.
As for Eastwood, he makes it look effortless, but he is an underrated actor. Pink Cadillac gives him the opportunity to do some odd character acting bits, as he adopts eccentric accents and disguises in his job as a skip tracer. One gets the feeling Eastwood is enjoying himself immensely, and it is a joy to see him doing off-the-wall stuff, although it is also cool to see Eastwood being Eastwood during the action sequences.
Pink Cadillac also shares with other Eastwood films like Bronco Billy, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, A Perfect World and Honkytonk Man an affinity with American people living on the margins. While most filmmakers (such as the smug Coen Brothers) treat rural American characters with contempt, Eastwood views all people with a measure of respect and affection (except for the white supremacists).
There is also a great sense of place in this film, as it captures off the beaten path locations in Northern California that are seldom used in film. Director Buddy Van Horn provides efficient craftsmanship that doesn't call attention to itself, but his eye always alert to the telling details of character and setting.
In all, an unexpected pleasure, and an underrated road film.
Pink Cadillac is simply good old-fashioned Hollywood film-making, no fancy cinematography or special effects, just a simple but well-told story with two characters that we like and care about. Eastwood is gracious in allowing his female characters to live and breathe and have unexpected reservoirs of strength and resilience. This is evident in movies like Tightrope with Genevieve Bujold and The Enforcer with Tyne Daly.
As for Eastwood, he makes it look effortless, but he is an underrated actor. Pink Cadillac gives him the opportunity to do some odd character acting bits, as he adopts eccentric accents and disguises in his job as a skip tracer. One gets the feeling Eastwood is enjoying himself immensely, and it is a joy to see him doing off-the-wall stuff, although it is also cool to see Eastwood being Eastwood during the action sequences.
Pink Cadillac also shares with other Eastwood films like Bronco Billy, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, A Perfect World and Honkytonk Man an affinity with American people living on the margins. While most filmmakers (such as the smug Coen Brothers) treat rural American characters with contempt, Eastwood views all people with a measure of respect and affection (except for the white supremacists).
There is also a great sense of place in this film, as it captures off the beaten path locations in Northern California that are seldom used in film. Director Buddy Van Horn provides efficient craftsmanship that doesn't call attention to itself, but his eye always alert to the telling details of character and setting.
In all, an unexpected pleasure, and an underrated road film.