The Drifter (1988 film)
Encyclopedia
The Drifter is a 1988 thriller movie starring Kim Delaney
, Timothy Bottoms
, Al Shannon, Miles O'Keeffe
, and Anna Garduno
. The film is about a successful single woman who picks up a mysterious hitchhiker on a deserted road.
The film was directed and written by Larry Brand.
) is an emerging fashion designer returning home to Los Angeles
after a sales trip in northern California
. She passes a hitchhiker named Trey (Miles O'Keeffe
) on her way back to the 5
. During lunch at a diner, she notices a mysterious man eating by himself. The hitchhiker enters the diner, and they make eye contact. Outside, he asks her for a ride, but Julia declines. As she drives off, she notices a flat tire. Trey fixes it for her, and she decides to give him a ride.
At a motel that night, she offers him a ride into L.A. in the morning. He asks to sleep her in her car. Instead, she ushers him into her room, and they spend the night together. At Oki Dog in West Hollywood, Julia drops the drifter off, and indicates that she wants to leave things at a one night stand. At her apartment, her boyfriend Arthur (Timothy Bottoms
) is waiting for her.
Julia is guilt-ridden over the affair, confessing what happened to her friend Matty (Anna Garduno
). Eventually, Trey calls Julia at home and asks to see her. She declines, but he calls her again at work. Unnerved at how he has been able to track her down, Julia agrees to meet him back at Oki Dog, where he insists that they must be together. Julia reaffirms her wish to be left alone, but Trey shows up at her office in another attempt to win her back. Finally, when she notices a knife in one of her car tires, she goes to the police for help.
She meets with Detective Morrison (Larry Brand), and explains how Trey will not leave her alone. Meanwhile, Arthur meets with a private investigator, who turns out to be the mysterious man from the diner. He has been trailing Julia, and he breaks the news of her affair to Arthur. The detective makes some cryptic remarks to Arthur about killing women.
Later, at Julia's apartment, she discovers Matty dead in her bed. She goes to Morrison again, begging for help. Arthur collects her from the police station and takes her to his house. In the climax to the film, Julia finds Arthur dead in his study from a gunshot to the head. The mysterious detective emerges from hiding and attacks her, binding her hands. He eventually explains that he was snooping on Julia at her apartment when Matty showed up, and he had to kill her to cover his tracks. Arthur was not comfortable with the murder, and the detective killed Arthur to prevent him from going to the police. Intent on killing Julia to complete his cover up, they are surprised by Trey. The detective shoots Trey but does not kill him. Trey eventually wakes up and subdues the detective. Morrison arrives at the house and kicks in the front door, with his gun drawn. Thinking that he will shoot Trey, Julia cries out to stop him. A shot rings out, but Morrison has killed the detective, who had drawn a hidden pistol and was about to kill Julia.
The film ends with a shot of Julia and Trey together on a beach with her cat at their feet.
. The script perpetually refers to 'The War'. At one point, Julia asks Trey if he served in 'the War'. In Morrison's office, there is a portrait of Richard Nixon
. Even in the late 1980s, Vietnam
was a powerful theme for Brand, who cast himself as Morrison. One of the central characters in Backfire
, which he co-wrote in 1987 is also a Vietnam veteran.
There are several editing errors in The Drifter. Most notably, during the final confrontation between Julia and the detective, a boom mike is visible at the top of the shot.
Kim Delaney
Kim Delaney is an American actress best known for her starring role as Detective Diane Russell on the ABC drama television series, NYPD Blue. Early in her career, she played the role of Jenny Gardner in the hugely popular ABC daytime television drama, All My Children...
, Timothy Bottoms
Timothy Bottoms
-Early life:Bottoms was born in Santa Barbara, California, the eldest son of Betty and James "Bud" Bottoms, who is a sculptor and art teacher. He is the brother of actors Joseph Bottoms , Sam Bottoms and Ben Bottoms . In 1967, Bottoms toured Europe as part of the Santa Barbara Madrigal...
, Al Shannon, Miles O'Keeffe
Miles O'Keeffe
Miles O'Keeffe is a television and movie actor. O'Keeffe got his first big break playing the title role in the 1981 version of Tarzan, the Ape Man.-Early life:...
, and Anna Garduno
Anna Garduno
Anna Garduno is an actress and a voice actress best known as the voice of Palmon on Digimon: Digital Monsters. She is a President/Partner of Darkwoods Productions. Anna is also a prolific film, television, voice-over and stage actress, who has trained with Larry Moss, David Proval, John Strasberg...
. The film is about a successful single woman who picks up a mysterious hitchhiker on a deserted road.
The film was directed and written by Larry Brand.
Plot
Julia Robbins (Kim DelaneyKim Delaney
Kim Delaney is an American actress best known for her starring role as Detective Diane Russell on the ABC drama television series, NYPD Blue. Early in her career, she played the role of Jenny Gardner in the hugely popular ABC daytime television drama, All My Children...
) is an emerging fashion designer returning home to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
after a sales trip in northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She passes a hitchhiker named Trey (Miles O'Keeffe
Miles O'Keeffe
Miles O'Keeffe is a television and movie actor. O'Keeffe got his first big break playing the title role in the 1981 version of Tarzan, the Ape Man.-Early life:...
) on her way back to the 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
. During lunch at a diner, she notices a mysterious man eating by himself. The hitchhiker enters the diner, and they make eye contact. Outside, he asks her for a ride, but Julia declines. As she drives off, she notices a flat tire. Trey fixes it for her, and she decides to give him a ride.
At a motel that night, she offers him a ride into L.A. in the morning. He asks to sleep her in her car. Instead, she ushers him into her room, and they spend the night together. At Oki Dog in West Hollywood, Julia drops the drifter off, and indicates that she wants to leave things at a one night stand. At her apartment, her boyfriend Arthur (Timothy Bottoms
Timothy Bottoms
-Early life:Bottoms was born in Santa Barbara, California, the eldest son of Betty and James "Bud" Bottoms, who is a sculptor and art teacher. He is the brother of actors Joseph Bottoms , Sam Bottoms and Ben Bottoms . In 1967, Bottoms toured Europe as part of the Santa Barbara Madrigal...
) is waiting for her.
Julia is guilt-ridden over the affair, confessing what happened to her friend Matty (Anna Garduno
Anna Garduno
Anna Garduno is an actress and a voice actress best known as the voice of Palmon on Digimon: Digital Monsters. She is a President/Partner of Darkwoods Productions. Anna is also a prolific film, television, voice-over and stage actress, who has trained with Larry Moss, David Proval, John Strasberg...
). Eventually, Trey calls Julia at home and asks to see her. She declines, but he calls her again at work. Unnerved at how he has been able to track her down, Julia agrees to meet him back at Oki Dog, where he insists that they must be together. Julia reaffirms her wish to be left alone, but Trey shows up at her office in another attempt to win her back. Finally, when she notices a knife in one of her car tires, she goes to the police for help.
She meets with Detective Morrison (Larry Brand), and explains how Trey will not leave her alone. Meanwhile, Arthur meets with a private investigator, who turns out to be the mysterious man from the diner. He has been trailing Julia, and he breaks the news of her affair to Arthur. The detective makes some cryptic remarks to Arthur about killing women.
Later, at Julia's apartment, she discovers Matty dead in her bed. She goes to Morrison again, begging for help. Arthur collects her from the police station and takes her to his house. In the climax to the film, Julia finds Arthur dead in his study from a gunshot to the head. The mysterious detective emerges from hiding and attacks her, binding her hands. He eventually explains that he was snooping on Julia at her apartment when Matty showed up, and he had to kill her to cover his tracks. Arthur was not comfortable with the murder, and the detective killed Arthur to prevent him from going to the police. Intent on killing Julia to complete his cover up, they are surprised by Trey. The detective shoots Trey but does not kill him. Trey eventually wakes up and subdues the detective. Morrison arrives at the house and kicks in the front door, with his gun drawn. Thinking that he will shoot Trey, Julia cries out to stop him. A shot rings out, but Morrison has killed the detective, who had drawn a hidden pistol and was about to kill Julia.
The film ends with a shot of Julia and Trey together on a beach with her cat at their feet.
Production notes
The cook in the diner at the beginning of the film is played by Bruce VilanchBruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch is an American comedy writer, songwriter and actor. He is a six-time Emmy Award-winner Vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as a celebrity participant; in the entertainment industry he is best known as head writer for the show...
. The script perpetually refers to 'The War'. At one point, Julia asks Trey if he served in 'the War'. In Morrison's office, there is a portrait of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. Even in the late 1980s, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
was a powerful theme for Brand, who cast himself as Morrison. One of the central characters in Backfire
Backfire (film)
Backfire is a 1987 mystery-thriller film about a murderous love triangle which forms between an affluent Vietnam War veteran, his wife, and another man. The film was directed by Gilbert Cates, and stars Karen Allen, Keith Carradine, and Jeff Fahey.-Plot:...
, which he co-wrote in 1987 is also a Vietnam veteran.
There are several editing errors in The Drifter. Most notably, during the final confrontation between Julia and the detective, a boom mike is visible at the top of the shot.