The Driver
| The Driver | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Walter Hill |
| Produced by | Lawrence Gordon |
| Written by | Walter Hill |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Michael Small |
| Cinematography | Philip H. Lathrop |
| Edited by |
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Production
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| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
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Release date
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Running time
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91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4 million |
| Box office | $2.25 million (US/Canada rentals) 1,102,183 admissions (France) |
The Driver is a 1978 crime thriller film written and directed by Walter Hill, starring Ryan O'Neal, Bruce Dern, and Isabelle Adjani. Based upon similarities in plot elements, it is heavily influenced by Jean-Pierre Melville's film Le Samouraï. The film is also notable for its impressive car chases, its no-frills style of filmmaking, and its taciturn, nameless title character.
The Driver (Ryan O'Neal) - real name unknown - is a quiet man who has made a career out of stealing fast cars and using them as getaway vehicles in big-time robberies all over Los Angeles. Hot on the Driver's trail is the Detective (Bruce Dern), a conceited (and similarly nameless) cop who refers to the Driver as "Cowboy." The Player (Isabelle Adjani), a beautiful, mysterious woman, witnesses the Driver speeding away from a casino robbery, but denies having seen him when questioned by the police. Since the Driver has never been caught, the Detective is obsessed with catching him. The Detective goes to ever-increasing lengths to capture "Cowboy," ultimately enlisting a criminal gang to set up a bank job in hopes of baiting and trapping the Driver - even if that plan threatens to wreck the Detective's career.
Walter Hill and Larry Gordon had just made Hard Times together which had been successful. Gordon suggested to Hill they make a film about a getaway driver and Hill agreed. Gordon wrote an original screenplay and was interested to see how "pure" a film he could make - a genre film that did not compromise itself in traditional Hollywood ways. Hill says he wrote it as a "very tight script" and could not get it cast for a year and a half.
The role of the driver was originally intended for Steve McQueen, who had starred in the Hill-scripted The Getaway (1972). McQueen turned down the role because he was not interested in action films at that point in his career. Hill was contacted by Ryan O'Neal's agent and agreed to meet the star. "We talked about the role and talked about the minimalist approach I wanted to try," said Hill. "He felt he could do it and we just got comfortable with each other."
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