Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins

Alan Arkin plays a California driving instructor who is so bored with his job that he falls asleep in his student's car; getting kidnapped by two nuts like Sally Kellerman and Mackenzie Phillips is really just what he needs. Kellerman has done solid work in films such as "MASH" and "Slither", but she is truly remarkable here as a little girl in a woman's body, convinced she has musical potential and that street urchin Phillips can help her realize her dream of becoming a professional singer (she believes the best in everybody). Phillips is tough and guarded, but lets her walls down in surprising ways (at one point, Arkin sneaks a little kick at her and she kicks back--she's enjoying a grown up's closeness for the first time). As Rafferty, Arkin is wonderfully flexible and warm; alienated and confused, he isn't even hopeful enough to get a decent car (the one he does drive seems glued together). The friendship that develops between these three people is funny and touching. It probably catches them by surprise, yet the characters don't acknowledge their new bond (by discussing it, they may burst the balloon). I didn't care for a padded sequence mid-movie that has Arkin's brakes going out (the three leads "walk to town", only they're in the middle of nowhere), but I did love many scenes: Kellerman singing in a Tucson roadhouse; her visit to her father, an embittered cowboy who wants nothing to do with his daughter; Arkin desperately trying to hang onto his friends; Phillips nearly selling herself to buy Arkin a cowboy hat (the only present she's ever bought for anybody). An underrated, warm-hearted movie, "Rafferty" is a lost gem awaiting rediscovery. ***1/2 from ****

I suspected this might not be a good movie since Pauline "Hates Everything Popular" Kael gave it a good review. Still, I gave it a chance, much to my regret. Though it's ostensibly a comedy, there is not one single laugh here - in fact, the movie often seems afraid of trying to generate any humor. None of the three leads is likable - Phillips is annoying, Kellerman bland, and Arkin is so boring it's no wonder we see his character asleep several times in the movie. To top it off, the movie is pretty much plotless, with the movie going whatever way it feels like, with no point in sight. This probably wouldn't have mattered had the movie been funny - but it isn't.

Combine the personalities of Sally Kellerman and Mackenzie Phillips, one a mellow dreamer, the other a gun-toting schemer, and you have Kellerman's entire character from the previous years' road movie, SLITHER, making her passive, affable performance seem like she's merely along for the ride, leaving all the edginess to her other/better half...

And basically making Alan Arkin's Rafferty, a boozing ex-Marine/DMV instructor kidnapped by the pair, along for the ride's ride as RAFFTERY AND THE GOLD DUST TWINS goes from scene to scene/town to town gathering mossy strangers along the way...

From victimized gas station attendants to Las Vegas con man Alex Rocco to irate Arizona rancher John McClliam to Texas barfly Harry Dean Stanton and young soldier Charles Martin Smith (sharing a terrific motel scene with AMERICAN GRAFFITI alumni Phillips), they all merely serve witness to the eclectic trio who find predictable camaraderie along the breezy trip...

Although Arkin lacks initial reluctance: Seconds after Phillips sticks a gun to his head (and even fires it off OVER his head), saccharine elevator music lazily orchestrates a wide shot of the freeway like a TV-production, which this often resembles a grungy and freewheeling version of...

Actually a good thing since RAFFERTY has nothing to lose or gain to either educate or annoy an audience, which refers to both the character and the movie -- one worth watching over and over for that reason alone: Lethargy on wheels can be infectious.

This movie was given to me with a large assortment of videos, and this was the first one I watched, lucky me eh? Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins is a road movie about a sad sack of a guy who is kidnapped by a pair of uh, how shall I say it, UNUSUAL female hitchhikers. A woman named Beachwood, played by Sally Kellerman, who seems to have some mental problems,. And a teenager named Frisbee played by Mackenzie Phillips who seems to have some personal issues that the film never REALLY gets around to explaining. Anyways, after some road hijinx, the three get used to each other and all agree to go to New Orleans, since Frisbee is from there. They travel to Vegas, get into some hijinx there, go to Houston, get into more hijinx, etc etc. No real plot, just a light.. really light character study. Arkin is the best actor here, Kellerman is just slightly strange and I'm not 100% sure if it's her character or what. Oh and she sings too (shudder) and lip syncs badly (shudders even more). Finally, what the hell was Mackenzie Phillips so annoyed about? Her face doesn't raise above a scowl for 95% of the movie. The only time she smiles is at the end of the movie. So did I, Mackenzie, but just because this movie was over.

This 1970's road movie is very special with likable folks and some weird supporting characters along the way. Alan Arkin was great in the 60's & 70's and this part fits him like a glove. MacKenzie Phillips as Frisbee brings her unique characteristics to her lonely young woman looking to connect. Sally Kellerman was so great in the 70's playing wackos or tight-asses in uniform; always a joy to watch.

A definite 7 out of 10. Best performance = Alan Arkin. There are excellent minor characters played by Alex Rocco and especially Harry Dean Stanton (one of the treasures of American cinema is this man's presence). This film may be too laid-back for most high-charged Americans. Reminiscent of SLITHER (also Sally Kellerman). A hidden gem that was rarely seen at the time. Check it out!