Wednesday, 4/30/97 ‘Breakdown’ lets actor Russell confront his
own fear Star plays character who gets stuck in middle of desert
during car trip
By Aimee Phan Daily Bruin Contributor One of the biggest worries
that people have in taking cross-country road trips is having their
car break down in the middle of nowhere. Imagine – no convenient
gas station, the sun beating down and a road filled with suspicious
truck drivers. It’s a traveler’s worst nightmare. Actor Kurt
Russell has this fear, and after reading the script for
"Breakdown," a film which confronts the possible consequences of
being stranded in the desert, miles from civilization, he realized
he had to do this movie to confront his own paranoia. "It’s a study
in fear," Russell says about his upcoming film. "I think the only
reason this movie would be good to see is because I would realize
something about myself and that is that I have a pervading fear."
"Breakdown" is an action thriller starring Russell and Kathleen
Quinlan ("Apollo 13") as a couple driving cross-country from Boston
to San Diego to start new jobs and, hopefully, a brand new life.
Unfortunately, their car breaks down in the middle of the
Southwestern desert, where they are prey to shifty kidnappers and
greedy murderers. Away from the urban comforts of law and order,
Russell and Quinlan’s characters are forced to forge their own
rules in order to survive. In his directorial debut,
writer-director Jonathan Mostow came up with the idea for the film
after having his own uncomfortable experience in a small diner in
the middle of nowhere. After meeting Russell previously on the set
of the upcoming "The Game," he wrote the leading role for
"Breakdown" with Russell in mind. "I have always been a huge fan of
Kurt," Mostow says. "He was always my first choice. He is such a
decent human being and a great film actor with the rare combination
of likability and acting." Since Russell was working on "Escape
From L.A." when he accepted the "Breakdown" role, he worked with
Mostow on the script at night in order to develop the characters in
the film. Russell was excited about playing a character that an
audience could relate to through the film. "I think we live in a
society where we are always going to someone else for help,"
Russell says. "If the TV breaks we call the TV repairman, or if the
car breaks down we take it to the garage. But now, let’s put
somebody in a situation where all those advantages in society no
longer existed. Are we equipped to deal with it? The answer is no."
Russell’s character is put into that situation when his wife
disappears and realizes that no one in the shady town will help
him, not even the police, and that he alone will have to find her
and rescue her. Russell believes that the character’s evolution
shows our society’s difficulties with self-sufficiency. "In this
movie, you’re asked to be put in that situation and realize, right
or wrong, you have to do something," Russell says. "I think that’s
why the audience will react so explosively when this character
takes the smallest step forward." Russell’s choice to make
"Breakdown" is characteristic of the process he goes through in
choosing film roles, preferring projects with well-rounded
characters and an interesting plot instead of leading-man status
and star vehicles. "I’m fascinated by human behavior and by
incident," Russell says. "I love a good story and I am fascinated
by people. And ever since I was a kid, I loved putting on a show. I
love to watch movies and see audiences enjoying a movie and getting
a thrill out of it. Over the years, it’s turned into an
appreciation of the process itself and a fascination with trying to
create a real person." Russell’s inclination toward strong
character roles has been the driving force in his career, from
playing action heroes in "Escape From New York" to epic characters
in "Silkwood." "I’ve never cared that much about playing a
character that the whole movie’s about," Russell says. "I prefer to
look at the story and ask myself, ‘Is this something I would want
to see and are there characters here that I’d like to play?’ I want
to read good stories and see good characters." Although he is picky
about his roles, Russell does know how lucky he is in such a
competitive business. And he appreciates what his star status has
done for his film opportunities. "I never looked at this business
in terms of achievement," Russell admits. "You are lucky enough not
to have to get a real job. I don’t do movies to be heralded, I do
movies to make money and entertain. The point of acting is to have
fun and that’s what I’ve tried to express to my kids. The freedom
of having fun, creating whenever it comes about – if you like it,
then no amount of failure will bother you." FILM: "Breakdown" will
be released in theaters this Friday. Paramount Pictures Jeff Taylor
(Kurt Russell) tries to pull himself to safety in "Breakdown."