Freebie and the Bean (1974)

From start to finish, F&B is a wide-open romp, send-up, spoof of police movies and, more so, a lampoon of Hollywood's love affair with car crashes. Cars crash all over the place, for no apparent reason. In the middle of San Francisco, a simple collision is followed by a sedan literally flying over the stopped cars, Dukes of Hazzard style. A bobtail flatbed truck, again inexplicably, carrying live chickens through downtown SF tips over spilling chickens all over as a man runs up to the driver and says "You won't believe this but I'm from Allstate."The background dialog is hilarious and requires a lot of rewinding. Radio talk-shows, people in the crowd...they all have punch lines!My only complaint is the only available copy has aggravating, variable volume. Dialog is often too low at normal volume--The scene changes and it is so loud I have to reduce the volume. This, I am told, is "theater sound" designed for live audiences. Whatever it is, I don't like it.In any case, I have always LOVED this movie as it breaks ground by being intentionally campy, but just enough to make it seem MAYBE it is a serious film. In that context, it has a very serious and cohesive plot- -It's just punctuated with ridiculous chases, unparalleled stunt driving (especially the motorcycle scene)and intentionally bad/intermittent Spanish accents by Arkin and Valerie Harper.The paid critics, most of whom panned F&B just don't get it. It's a spoof and a damn good, original one. This movie won't make Hulu's Criterion Collection, that's for certain...if it did, I'd watch.

It was my first starring role in a major motion picture. Richard Rush, the director, was a doll and held my hand every step of the way knowing I was a newbie. He is responsible for really molding my performance, which is what made this 'buddy' movie stand out. Alan Arkin is a genius. He can speak backwards. James Caan was an arrogant asshole. I myself hung out with Alan's son, Matthew, who was about 12 at the time. He was a 30-year-old man inside a twelve-year-old. And I was a ten-year-old inside a 21-year-old body so it worked. Matthew was so bright and so funny and never asked me stupid questions. We had a great time together. What a pair we must have made!

Thoroughly enjoyable to watch, Alan Arkin and James Caan make a great comedy duo. Plus, perhaps the only time you'll ever see a car crash through a third-story window.Here's a spoiler -- and what lifts this movie above most others in the genre: After an hour and a half of silly shenanigans, you suddenly discover that there was a serious plot going on. One is tempted to start the film over from the beginning because you clearly weren't paying enough attention.The one downside of the film, IMHO, is the ending, where one guy that's supposedly seriously hurt is suddenly OK and being silly again. That didn't work for me.

Before Riggs and Murtaugh, or even Starsky & Hutch, there's Freebie and The Bean, most in-your face buddy team of the police force. Maybe they are the laughing stock of the police force. These team make Dirty Harry want to change his ways of handling crime. These guys put the P.B. in Police Brutality! But in a funny way! Other than attacking the perpetrators they attack each other. Freebie(James Caan) is a hot-head and practical joker, while Bean(Alan Arkin) is calm in some ways just as the same as Freebie. Ford really put themselves in high gear with their vehicles, and the famous white LTD, took a lot of punishment through the movie. My favorite scenes is where the car leaped off the bridge, and made a window in someone's apartment. Calling a tow truck? HA! You better call a crane instead. While most cops work out their differences, Freebie and the Bean handle their way, they go at each others throats! This movie is funny, scary, and adventurous all together, with the choice of stars, everything was pulled off great. And how. What a comedy! While you have a chance. 4 out of 5 stars.