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Scarecrow

  • 1973
  • R
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
21K
YOUR RATING
Scarecrow (1973)
Official Trailer
Play trailer3:15
1 Video
91 Photos
Road TripDrama

An ex-con drifter with a penchant for brawling is amused by a homeless ex-sailor, so they partner up as they head east together.An ex-con drifter with a penchant for brawling is amused by a homeless ex-sailor, so they partner up as they head east together.An ex-con drifter with a penchant for brawling is amused by a homeless ex-sailor, so they partner up as they head east together.

  • Director
    • Jerry Schatzberg
  • Writer
    • Garry Michael White
  • Stars
    • Gene Hackman
    • Al Pacino
    • Dorothy Tristan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    21K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jerry Schatzberg
    • Writer
      • Garry Michael White
    • Stars
      • Gene Hackman
      • Al Pacino
      • Dorothy Tristan
    • 116User reviews
    • 50Critic reviews
    • 72Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins total

    Videos1

    Scarecrow
    Trailer 3:15
    Scarecrow

    Photos91

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    Top cast25

    Edit
    Gene Hackman
    Gene Hackman
    • Max
    Al Pacino
    Al Pacino
    • Lion
    Dorothy Tristan
    Dorothy Tristan
    • Coley
    Ann Wedgeworth
    Ann Wedgeworth
    • Frenchy
    Richard Lynch
    Richard Lynch
    • Jack Riley
    Eileen Brennan
    Eileen Brennan
    • Darlene
    Penelope Allen
    Penelope Allen
    • Annie
    • (as Penny Allen)
    Richard Hackman
    • Mickey
    Al Cingolani
    • Skipper
    Rutanya Alda
    Rutanya Alda
    • Woman in camper
    Mary Ann Brownlee
    • Hooker
    • (uncredited)
    Nicholas Carbone
    • Child
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Chartier
    • Bartender
    • (uncredited)
    James G. Cureman
    • Hippie
    • (uncredited)
    Armen Darakdjian
    • Lion's Son
    • (uncredited)
    June Denning
    • Myra
    • (uncredited)
    June Dixon
    • Waitress
    • (uncredited)
    Richard Jamison
    • Young Man
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Jerry Schatzberg
    • Writer
      • Garry Michael White
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews116

    7.221.2K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    8caspian1978

    A Decade Under the Influence

    2 pawns who are making up for their past are living the present like they may have no future. Hackman and Pacino are amazing. Some of the 1 shot scenes last for 2-3 minutes. The magic created on screen by these two actors are mind blowing. The opening and closing scenes are so "different" it can be classed as poetic in a way. This is not your regular Hollywood movie, although it has 2 of the greatest actors in American movie history. Check this film out! 1973 never looked so real.
    7secondtake

    A steady process with an amazing Hackman

    Scarecrow (1973)

    A seemingly simple drama about a guy out of prison...but with Gene Hackman as the leading role expect something special. And then Al Pacino plays the sidekick, and an interesting, and little talked about, New Hollywood film is under way. The setting is a kind of revision of the American West, the big dry outdoors no longer the wild West, but still something unique in the visual lexicon.

    The director is also little discussed-Jerry Schatzberg-and this might be his best film, aided by the elegant, searing cinematography of Vlimos Zsigmond (famous for "Days of Heaven"). Seeing how the film unfolds you might agree that it's Zsigmond's film, for it carries forward with a brilliant, quiet choreography. Elemental scenes where actors move through space, or through a diner, are made almost gripping by how the camera tracks them.

    Of course, we eventually have to admit this is a two-man show. Hackman is his usual comfortable best, filled with loud nuance. I mean, he is a strong character, but his actions are loaded with little, natural details. And Pacino plays an unexpected sweetie with a cute smile. It's a compelling pair.

    Things are slow, for sure. It's an easygoing flow with often little really plot. We get into their lives and their heads. This is no "Midnight Cowboy" by any means, but it comes from the same intention, it would seem. Two slightly mismatched outsiders find they need each other, and a bond deeper than mere friendship is formed.
    10anton_d_mannaseh1

    an overlooked masterpiece

    This excellent movie has been overlooked for too long. Its a great film on every level. It is entertaining as well as deeply profound. Schatzberg's directing is outstanding, Hackman and Pacino deliver acting on a level rarely found in any films, and the script is funny, while retaining a quiet note of tension and melancholy throughout. Its an exceptional film, largely overlooked by American audiences in the years since its release (despite winning the grand prize at Cannes, as well as the acting prize for Hackman and Pacino).

    Don't overlook this film. Rent it!
    7perfectbond

    Great acting

    The highlights of this movie are the expected standout performances by a young Al Pacino and a young, well younger, Gene Hackman. Their range of facial expressions and absoulutely convincing characterizations are a joy to behold. Also since Hollywood usually deals in glamour, it's a nice change to see characters with more modest aspirations. A very good road movie, a genre I usually don't gravitate to, 7/10.
    buby1987

    Unjustly overlooked classic

    This overlooked film features Gene Hackman's best performance as an introverted ex-con. Al Pacino gives one of his best performances. Director Jerry Schatzberg and cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond capture both the squalor and the grandeur of the American landscape. Garry Michael White's screenplay is filled with richly nuanced characters, religious symbolism and a deep sense of humanity. One of the best of the 70's.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Gene Hackman has stated that his performance in Scarecrow (1973) is his personal favorite.
    • Quotes

      Lion: Hey Max, you heard the story of the scarecrow?

      Max Millan: No.

      Lion: You think crows are scared of a scarecrow?

      Max Millan: Yeah, I think they're scared. Yeah why?

      Lion: No, crows are not scared, believe me.

      Max Millan: The god damn crows are scared.

      Lion: No, crows are laughin'.

      Max Millan: Nah, that's bullshit...

      Lion: That's right, the crows are laughin'. Look, the farmer puts out a scarecrow, right, with a funny hat on it, got a funny face. The crows fly by, they see that, it strikes 'em funny, makes 'em laugh.

      Max Millan: The god damn crows are laughin'?

      Lion: That's right, they're laughin' their asses off. And then they say, "Well, that ol' farmer Jo down there, he's a pretty good guy. He made us laugh, so he won't bother him any more."

      Max Millan: The god damn crows are laughin'...

      Lion: Ohh, they laughin', woooo!

      Max Millan: I gotta tell ya somethin', that's the most hare-brained idea I've ever heard.

      Lion: It's true, they're laughin' their asses off.

      Max Millan: The crows are laughin'... I guess the fish are reciting poetry...

      Lion: I guess so.

      Max Millan: Uh huh... and the uh, pigs are playin' banjo? And the dogs would be, let's see, uh... playin' hockey. And the uh... the uh...

      Lion: Crows are laughin'.

      Max Millan: Crows are laughin', right. Ya know, in the joint I've heard some tales, oh boy, golly I've heard some tall tales. But at least those guys had the decency to admit that it was bullshit, you know what I mean? They actually took pride, pride in that it was bullshit. But the crows are laughin' huh? I mean you're not playin' with a full deck man, you got one foot in the grave beyond.

    • Connections
      Featured in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Love Forever
      (uncredited)

      Written by Marijohn Wilkin and Clarence Selman

      Performed by Bobby Bare

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 11, 1973 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Espantapájaros
    • Filming locations
      • Belle Isle, Detroit, Michigan, USA(fountain)
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $295
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 52m(112 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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