Watch Sweet Revenge For Free

Why so much hype?

Such a frustrating disappointment

People are voting emotionally.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

In this made-for-television flick, Stockard Channing plays a no-good, selfish, pathological liar with a rap sheet longer than her arm. Her current fixation is stealing cars, so that she can sell them and hopefully get enough money to actually buy a Ferrari. Beyond that, she has absolutely no life plan. She's not thinking of getting a legitimate job, an apartment or house, a quality boyfriend, or even a bath. What a great heroine to root for.For some reason that never becomes clear, her young, trusting public defender—played by Sam Waterston, who else?—tells the judge to be lenient because she's a good kid and just needs a little guidance. He continually sticks up for her and tries to help her, even though she proves time and again she has neither the interest nor the tools to fully accept his help. She's incredibly unlikable, and it's very frustrating to watch her drag Sam down with her, especially for fans who know him on Law & Order. Unless you really love Stockard Channing—I don't; she's just too angry-looking all the time—you'll probably want to load up on your Jack McCoy fix the way nature intended, with a Law & Order marathon.

A young woman with a long rap sheet who steals cars for a living is befriended by a public defender who tries to steer her straight. But her goal is to steal and subsequently sell enough cars (sometimes the same car more than once) to buy a new Ferrari.Just like everyone else, I had never heard of this film until it was shown on Turner Classic Movies. And I can understand why it faded away. There is little that stands out about it, and the two stars are not anywhere near A-list (with all due respect). So it makes sense that this would be buried.But it is not a bad movie by any means, and a fun film. Since it was apparently made by MGM, I would suspect the rights to distribute it are fairly cheap right now (2017) and it might be the kind of title that a specialty Blu-ray label would pick up.

Having known specialists in 'midnight auto' Ms. Channings portrayal of an obsessed car thief rings very true-to-life. To anyone else watching this movie the mechanics of the trade must have been an eye-opener. Of course, every car nut worth his (or her) salt has probably lusted after a Ferrari 246 Dino; but not to the degree that's reflected in Ms. Channings single-minded pursuit of that modern classic automobile.At the time "All American Girl" was released I was living in Sea-Tac WA, the primary film setting. No effort made in trying to create a fictional locale. There was plenty of local press coverage and the movie may have even premiered there (?) Just about every frame contains shots of both the beauty and grittiness of the place and the characters inhabiting the world of grand-theft-auto (a perfect tonic BTW, for that Roger Corman/Ron Howard film on the same topic).Not that I found the movie a 'downer'. Far from it. There's plenty of humor supplied by Ms. Channing, presaging later roles on film and TV. Her character's various changes in disguise as she alternately sells and steals a Porsche 356 in order to get up the scratch for the ultimate score are just too funny.Making a film like "Sweet Revenge" could probably not come close to happening these days. The age of the Anti-Hero is long gone. One should be glad that it was released when it was. There's nothing else around quite like it.Also recommended, "Gone in 60 Seconds" (the original).

Some film critics labeled this film a bomb. I feel, however, the only thing exploding with such rash comments are their lack of true experience in and with the real, down and dirty, world.Upon exiting the theater to find their cars stolen, do these critics even wonder about the innate nature of the person who has absconded with their vehicles.Stockard Channing enters the role and world of a dedicated car thief with such deft character acting, that many of the true criminal element were (reportedly) able to bond with her. And for that reason alone, the viewer has to watch this film with their focus solely limited to the character being depicted. Disregard everything else in the film with the notable exception of her motive, methods and single minded determination to achieve one single soul driving goal.Listening to Channing spew out the dialect of the seasoned criminal with such convincing force and believability, one might easily suspect she had at one time actually been such a person who lived in such an environment. Most definitely, one would never guess she had attended the socially acclaimed Radcliff College. If character acting is what acting is all about, then Ms. Channing is one hell of an actress.This highly underrated cinematic character study is well worth the renting for the true film buff.