Sweet Hostage (1975)

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Sweet Hostage (1975)

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An escaped mental patient kidnaps an illiterate teenage farm girl and takes her to his mountain hide-away, where they soon become friends and, eventually, lovers. Linda Blair accepted the role hoping the producers would cast then-boyfriend Rick Springfield to star alongside her; after Martin Sheen was cast, Blair admits to "falling madly in love with him", although no real-life affair ensued.

Martin Sheen gives a rich, rewarding performance in this memorable, underrated television drama. It's rare to find a film simply and honestly built on the budding relationship between just two main characters. Sheen's escaped mental patient and Linda Blair's kidnapped farm girl talk, fight, come to a mutual understanding, and finally become lovers. Sheen spouts poetry to tomboyish Blair, but he grows on her, and she to him. The scenes where they discuss the meaning of words like "symmetry" and "phosphorescence" is charmingly played, and Blair is right in tune with Sheen's reckless, showy abandon. This ABC-TV production, based on Nathaniel Benchley's book "Welcome to Xanadu", is let down a bit by the low budget (as well as by the romantic theme song which plays at the beginning and nearly gives away the plot!), but it has two terrific lead performances and a loose, brisk direction by Lee Philips. "Sweet Hostage" is mighty sweet indeed.

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Sweet Hostage (1975)

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Sweet Hostage (1975)

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Sweet Hostage (1975)

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Sweet Hostage (1975)

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