Road Ends

Running time: N/A

A tall, dark, and handsome stranger drives into a sleepy country town, and the lives of its inhabitants will never be the same. It is an old story, but Road Ends adds new life to this seemingly worn-out genre. Part crime drama, part mystery, and with heavy doses of action and humor, the film weaves a complex plot, with strong performances from Chris Sarandon (Dog Day Afternoon, Fright Night), Dennis Hopper (Blue Velvet, True Romance), Peter Coyote (E.T., Bitter Moon), and Mariel Hemingway (Manhattan, Deconstructing Harry). Pursued by assassins and federal agents, the stranger (Sarandon) takes refuge in Diesirae, CA, population 200. Mysterious and handsome, he mesmerizes Kat (Hemingway), the beautiful proprietress of the townO-s only hotel, and arouses the suspicion of the local sheriff (Hopper). But who is he, really? Victim or villain? Road Ends begins full of suspense and untangles a web of murky intent, gangland vendettas, and rescinded promises. Dennis Hopper steals the show with an outstanding performance as the sole member of the Diesirae Police Department. Although Hopper is best known for playing psychopaths, his Sheriff Gilchrist is a sweet-tempered yokel whose suspicion of Sarandon is based more on romantic jealousy than on professional intuition. His clumsy come-on lines to Hemingway in particular are a real treat. --Meredith Sherter