Sweet Hostage (1975)

*****************SPOILERS BELOW************************************** First off, "Sweet Hostage" based on the book "Welcome to Xanadu"(not to be confused with the 80's roller movie with Olivia Newton-John), is about a 16 year old country ragamuffin(Linda Blair) who gets kidnapped by an escaped mental patient(Martin Sheen) when her truck breaks down in the middle of the road. He takes her up to an isolated log cabin. She tries to escape quite a few times, but, as always: gets caught. Evetually, she starts to see that this man has a beautiful soul. They soon become lovers.Now, I saw this movie because I'm a big Linda Blair fan, and I admire Sheen as well. I was mesmerized when I saw this. This is one of very few movies that can suck you in, with just two characters through the film. You won't find TV-movies like this today, which is actually quite sad. Don't let the premise fool you, because this is a pure, touching, funny, tragic movie that does very well without anything racy or too violent.Linda Blair stars as Doris Mae Withers, a 16 year old farm girl, who got kicked out of school, for punching a teacher. So, her vocabulary isn't the very best. Linda is absolutely amazing in this role. She's adorable at this age, and beautiful when Hatch buys her, her first dress. One scene I found just adorable, is when she starts assuming Sheen's character is a little flamboyant, because he tells her he thought she was a boy at first. The way she presents it is so cute and typical of a 16 year old, who thinks it's the funniest thing in the world. Also a part where she dons a French accent that is the most adorable thing ever. As time goes on, Doris Mae or, know formally know as "Cristabelle" vocabulary, starts to become more gentle and poetic. The last scene of the film, has to be the best acting I've seen from her so far(besides The Exorcist). But, she's a great actress all around. Another scene, I like is when she asks Sheen's character where the bathroom is. Her smart-Alec delivery and tone there always has me laughing.Martin Sheen is captivating(and, jaw dropping gorgeous) as the kidnapper who's an escaped mental patient with a different but beautiful way of thinking. Although, his condition isn't really focused on, Sheen would be talking as himself one minute, then the next, he would be "Kublah Kahn." Hatch assures Doris Mae that he doesn't want to do anything to her. But at times he does rough her up a bit by, pulling her hair and pushing her around pretty hard. A scene where he expresses anger at her is when he has hiccups that he's pretty mad about having, she tells him to put a paper bag over his head, he reluctantly does, and she comes up and scares him. Resulting, in pushing her against the wall and grabbing her hair in anger. A scene where Sheen really shines(almost a tongue twister, huh?)is when, "Cristabelle" reads a poem she wrote just for him, that moves him to tears. Such a beautiful reaction and scene between the two actors.I highly recommend this movie. It's touching,poetic, beautiful, funny, romantic, and tragic. 10/10 stars.Also, apparently Linda fell in love with Martin Sheen over the course of this movie. I don't blame her! Although, he was married but I still think it's cute and sweet.

Back when i first saw this movie I was in the Navy on the USS Enterprise. It was 1978 and I was 18. Very young and impressionable. I had been going thru the usual stuff most people that age go thru. A search for self and something I could believe in. So when they showed this movie on the ships TV I was on watch and sat their mesmerized as the movie progressed. The more i saw it the more i felt completely captivated by the main character martin Sheen played. He represented everything i was feeling and going thru. I felt like and outsider and that no one understood my true self. I found my self in tears and could hardly believe that there was someone who felt the same, even if it was a fictional movie character. I was deeply moved for days and found myself wanting to do everything from go AWOL and run away to commit suicide because there was just no way I could live in the world as I saw it and Martin Sheen saw it in that movie. I have never seen it again and hardly feel it would have any impact on me other than nostalgic but on that night far away on the Pacific Ocean, this TV movie Sweet Hostage was a godsend that I felt was meant to be shown while most the ship slept, I had a deeply spiritual experience. all from a movie! I chuckle now but it was one of my favorites for years until I finally grew up and got jaded and swept away in the typical pursuits of a young man..sex, girls and fast cars! Excellent movie.

I saw this film over 25 years ago I was very young, but it left a deep impression in my heart, this was a very touching movie that stayed with me for all these years, I only saw this movie that one time, but I never forgot about it, I did however forget the name of the movie, but I never forget the two main characters; Linda Blair and Martin Sheen they were absolutely fabulous. Why did they not make more movies together. I will always keep this movie in my memories. I hope to see it again soon as would like to have a copy of my own to watch whenever I want. Sweet Hostage was and still is Sweet Brilliance!!!!.

I saw this movie for the first time as a young teenager and fell "in love" with Martin Sheen. The story was excellent and touching. I loved the "exchanges" between the characters and no matter how many times I saw it, I still cried! This is still probably my all-time favorite movie. It's the one that I will always scan the TV guide for to see if it's playing somewhere! A must see movie for romantics at heart, Martin Sheen or Linda Blair fans.