Scarecrow is a 1973 drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg, starring Gene Hackman (in between The French Connection and The Conversation) and Al Pacino (in between The Godfather and The Godfather Part II).
Max Millan (Hackman) has just gotten released from San Quentin after spending six years in prison. Max, whose volcanic temper is probably the reason he went to prison, has dreams of starting a car wash business. He's hitchhiking to Pittsburgh, where he has saved some $2600 in the bank as seed money. On a lonely road somewhere in California's rolling hills, he meets another hitchhiker, Francis Lionel Delbucci (Pacino). Francis has recently left the Merchant Marines after a five-year stint. Francis, whom Max christens "Lion", is hitchhiking to Detroit to look up his old girlfriend Annie. Francis impregnated Annie five years ago, which is why he joined the Merchant Marines in the first place, and he hopes to make amends.
The cheerful, happy-go-lucky Francis wins the trust of irascible Max, and they set off together hitchhiking to Pittsburgh, planning to stop in Detroit on the way. Many colorful adventures ensue.
This film is unrelated to the 1983 Soviet film or the 2002 slasher film.
Tropes:
- all lowercase letters: The opening and closing credits, done in arty 1970s style.
- Answer Cut:
- Max asks "What's for dinner?" Max's sister's friend Frenchy (Ann Wedgeworth) who is in Love at First Sight with Max and who is supposed to be cooking dinner, says "Oh shit!" Cut to the group eating takeout Kentucky Fried Chicken.
- The duo get to a town. Francis asks "Is there something we can do here?" and Max answers "You mean, like, for a job?" Cut to Francis and Max being violently expelled from the back door of a diner, where their jobs (they're both wearing kitchen aprons) apparently didn't go well.
- Bittersweet Ending: Francis has had a mental breakdown and been institutionalized. But Max has vowed to take care of his friend and is going to keep his promise, as shown in the last scene where he gets a round-trip ticket from Detroit to Pittsburgh.
- Blatant Lies: Annie, bitter about Francis leaving her in the lurch, tells him that she miscarried—as their son sits on the floor next to her. She seems to regret it the instant Francis hangs up but it's too late.
- Buddy Picture: Two semi-hoboes go on an eventful cross-country trip.
- Character Development: Max, who has a tendency to be a mean and violent guy, becomes a more caring person after his time with Francis.
- Depraved Homosexual: Riley, who attempts to rape Francis in prison, and while he may or may not have succeeded, definitely does give Francis a brutal beating.
- Gosh Darn It to Heck!: After a truck passes them on the road without offering a lift, Max unleashes a storm of profanities at the truck. Francis joins in, saying "Eat cantaloupe, you belly-aching rhinoceros!"
- Heroic BSoD: The shock of finding out that Ann miscarried (she didn't, but he doesn't know that), coming so soon after being beaten and possibly raped in prison, causes Francis to have a complete breakdown. At the end of the movie he is in a catatonic state, and is wheeled off to a state hospital.
- Never My Fault: Max blames Francis for landing the two of them in jail for a month, refusing to talk to him, even though it was Max who threw the punch that started the brawl. This has tragic consequences.
- The Oner: There are several long takes. The scene at the diner where Max explains to Francis the car wash scheme over breakfast runs four minutes without a cut.
- Picaresque: The adventures of two rootless drifters as they hitchhike and ride the rails from California to Detroit.
- Road Trip Plot: Max and Francis having adventures as they travel from California to Detroit.
- Title Drop: Francis explains to Max why scarecrows work. According to Francis, crows avoid them not because they're scared, but because the scarecrows are funny and the crows are laughing. This is Francis' life philosophy and why he strives to be cheerful and amusing.
- Travel Montage: One montage shows Max and Francis traveling, camping out at night by a creek, earning money on another day by distributing fliers in a parking lot.
