kevinosborne_99 The story is slight yet much happens in this apparently aimless film that seems to wander as these two men wander, with personality but without much conviction. Yet it turns out there is a reason for everything, and while that reason may seem insufficient to some I expect that is because the journey has been so satisfactory. Gene Hackman considered it one of his best films and he is fabulous as a drifter who picks up with Al Pacino's character, a young man on a mission but seemingly not in a big hurry to accomplish it. This isn't a buddy movie, in fact exactly what it is would be hard to define in a few words. If you need a lot of action, snappy dialogue, and a Holy Grail to make a movie work for you (and there's nothing wrong with that) Scarecrow isn't for you. If you like terrific acting and a life mirrors art sort of experience, and/or if you like these actors and would enjoy seeing them in something different, this is the one for you.

DKosty123 This movie kind of remains under the radar today. TCM just ran it as part of star of the month Gene Hackman package. It is a really good solid film.In a way, there is a bit of a stretch in how Hackman and Pacino meet in the films beginning as there is no explanation why both of them are in the middle of nowhere. Once this prelude is over, the film is very solid. Pacino wants to go to Detroit to see his child. Hackman wants to go to Pittsburgh to open a Car Wash. For some reason I can visualize Hackman drinking a cold Iron City Beer.They do not have a car and keep hopping freight trains to make their way across the country. Shocking scenes - Hackman doing a male strip act in a bar. Pacino getting raped by a male inmate on a prison farm. Both scenes show how much talent these guys have as their acting makes them seem very real.There is plenty more to watch as Hackman has more hair in this movie than many of his films. He is a Scarecrow here, and a young Pacino pulls off a substantial dramatic role quite well. Pacino is told his son died in child birth and he goes off the edge into a mental state.The interaction of these actors raise this movie into a B+ film, when it would have originally been a B. It is a very well made film.

jmillerdp Jerry Schatzberg made two interesting movies early in his film career, this and 1971's "The Panic in Needle Park." And, while both are well made, with very good acting, both seem pointless by the time they hit the end credits.I guess following the characters is the point in both films. But, their journeys seem to lead nowhere, and I guess that's the problem for me. I wonder what the point of all of it is. In "Panic," (spoiler alert) the two drug addicts we follow end up in the same place they started. In "Scarecrow," (spoiler alert) one of the two characters doesn't make it at all.Here, the film benefits from the excellent cinematography from Vilmos Zsigmond, in one of his earlier films. Al Pacino and Gene Hackman are very good in their respective roles. And, the film is well made. But, when the film just kind of ends as it does, you wonder what the point of it was.It's especially interesting concerning Schatzberg, since he went from these iconoclastic films to something like "The Seduction of Joe Tynan," a straight-down-the-middle romantic comedy drama. What's most notable about "Panic" and "Scarecrow" is that they are prime examples of how gutsy 1970's cinema could be.***** (5 Out of 10 Stars)

AaronCapenBanner Gene Hackman and Al Pacino play two drifters(Max & Francis) who befriend each other, and decide to form a business partnership in Pittsburgh, where they hope to open a car wash. Film details their adventures along the way.Both actors are very good as usual, and being filmed on real road locations helps, but film, which feels very inspired by the far superior "Midnight Cowboy" never amounts to much, feels like an extended sketch study stretched to feature length. Hackman(Max) is a hot-tempered brawler, which gets them in frequent trouble, while Pacino(Francis) is a simple man who just wants to see his son again, but fate has other ideas. The ending is disappointing because it just stops, without any real emotional resolution. Nice try, but misses.