Product Details

• Actors: Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Keith, Miriam Colon, Michael V. Gazzo
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Fox Home Entertainme
• VHS Release Date: August 24, 1981
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000006GT1
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,617 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If there is a genre of "road movie", May 15, 2004

By 

bivas (El Paso, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Back Roads [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is definitely one you'll want to see. Great music by Henry Mancini, great song "Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies." Sweeps through America's back roads with a minimalist cinematography that pays homage to the landscape and the cultural landscape. The story has many allegories of human desires, triumphs and foibles. Sally Fields is HOT!! as the hooker with a heart. Tommy Lee Jones in one of his best roles, somewhat reminiscent of his role in "Rolling Thunder" done earlier. Add this one to your collection.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ask Me No Questions, December 7, 2005

By 

Movie Mania "DVD Collector" (Southern Calfornia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Back Roads (DVD)

This was Sally Field's follow up to Norma Rae. She is reunited with director Martin Ritt. While this is no where near the quality of Norma Rae, it is an offbeat romantic comedy.

Sally plays Amy Post a hustler (not a whore). Tommy Lee Jones plays Elmore Pratt a down and out boxer. When paths cross, all hell breaks loose.

Elmore tries to pick up Amy but doesn't have any money to pay her. When she tells him to get lost, he dogs her to distractions. She accidentally picks up a vice officer , Elmore knocks him out. This forces them to go on the run.

Amy decides that she wants to go to Hollywood. What follows is a series of on the road antics. The best is when she and Elmore are picked up by a naïve sailor (David Keith in his first featured role) who doesn't realize that she is a hustler. (Best Line: A whore is a 16 year old with a bad reputation, I am a hustler!)

This is not Oscar material (other than the Henry Mancini and Alan & Marilyn Bergman song) but it is a good romantic comedy.

DVD EXTRAS: None

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful, forgotten film, October 12, 2006

By 

theonlyreviewthatmatters (atlanta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Back Roads (DVD)

A great movie. This is another movie I love no matter what critics say about it. It may have some flaws, but the story itself is so engaging. Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones are great actors, and I believe that they provide nearly flawless acting in the film. There's also some very good acting from many of the other actors as well.

I won't give a synopsis, because everyone else has. I do agree that the film is a little unbelievable because the two main characters are just too kind for their roles. Most hookers are strung out and wouldn't be able to make the trip that Field's character made. It seems that they are just too straight not to believe that they don't actually work for a living. Anyway, the movie is still very good overall and it does provide most of us with a positive message about love and hope and not giving up on life despite hardships that inevitably come along. I also think that the adventure of just one day heading out cross country and leaving the past behind has some appeal