HotToastyRag In this made-for-television flick, Stockard Channing plays a no-good, selfish, pathological liar with a rap sheet longer than her arm. Her current fixation is stealing cars, so that she can sell them and hopefully get enough money to actually buy a Ferrari. Beyond that, she has absolutely no life plan. She's not thinking of getting a legitimate job, an apartment or house, a quality boyfriend, or even a bath. What a great heroine to root for.For some reason that never becomes clear, her young, trusting public defender—played by Sam Waterston, who else?—tells the judge to be lenient because she's a good kid and just needs a little guidance. He continually sticks up for her and tries to help her, even though she proves time and again she has neither the interest nor the tools to fully accept his help. She's incredibly unlikable, and it's very frustrating to watch her drag Sam down with her, especially for fans who know him on Law & Order. Unless you really love Stockard Channing—I don't; she's just too angry-looking all the time—you'll probably want to load up on your Jack McCoy fix the way nature intended, with a Law & Order marathon.

Wizard-8 I have a good feeling that most (if not all) the few people who saw this movie during its brief theatrical release felt ripped off. Despite having the title "Sweet Revenge", and involving a female car thief, there is almost nothing that could be labelled exploitation. The title refers to a character's car with that name instead of a character's ambition. Also, there is no sex, just two (brief) scenes of nudity, and the only action there is turns out to be a car chase that lasts only forty or so seconds. As it turns out, the movie is more of a character study than having a B movie spirit. Despite being disappointed that the movie wasn't typical drive-in fodder, I was open to the movie being a serious drama... as long as it was good. Unfortunately, that is not the case. It's a real slow-moving story, for one thing, and the constant spinning of its wheels eventually grows tiresome and had me wishing that the characters would just get on with it. Also, the central character played by Stockard Channing is neither sympathetic nor an interesting flawed character. It's hard to figure out what's going on in this character's head. In the end, the movie's only seeming worth is to answer why Hollywood movie studio Metro Goldwyn Mayer was having a real tough time connecting with audiences in the 1970s. Though the question as to why someone thought that Stockard Channing doing a nude scene was a good idea remains unanswered.

boblipton Stockard Channing is a young woman who decides to steal the same car again and again, so she can get her dream ride. Sam Waterston is her court-appointed lawyer -- of course -- who finds her low-rent free spirit irresistibly challenging.This is the 1970s, and in the aftermath of the 1960s, the free spirit, bursting from the bonds of conventionality, is no longer seen as a personal choice, of how an individual kook's defiance of convention can make her happier and give those near to her a new and valid view of the world. We don't get Katherine Hepburn gushing about Cary Grant: "You've got no faith in Johnny, have you, Julia? His little dream may fall flat, you think. Well, so it may, what if it should? There'll be another. Oh, I've got all the faith in the world in Johnny. Whatever he does is all right with me. If he wants to dream for a while, he can dream for a while, and if he wants to come back and sell peanuts, oh, how I'll believe in those peanuts!" The downside is no longer just the people making bad choices; we get to see the elderly couple talking about how much they love their son, and imagine how they feel when they find out what has actually. Choices have consequences for other people.

JakersWild Haven't seen Sweet Revenge since the early 80s. I remember finding it very entertaining, and was really drawn into the two lead characters: The thief and the investigator. Perhaps the premise is thin, all the effort just for a car, but surely many people have obsessions with cars. I know people who seem to love their car more than their spouse.Stockard Channing was amazing, as was Sam Waterston. I'd love to see it again.Sadly this movie is not available on VHS/DVD nor on cable. Any interest in reviving it for a discount renter have probably gotten thwarted by the fact there are 6 other movies by this exact name listed on IMDb, so just knowing which Sweet Revenge one is talking about is tough. The 1984 movie of the same name plays on cable all the time, but never this 1977 title. Like other movies from the slightly pre-VCR-boom era that I'd like to see again, including 'A Man, a Woman, and a Bank' and 'The Manitou' (which was bad/silly but worth a rewatch), it may not pass this way again.If you should actually come across it, it's worth checking out. (And then let me know where the heck you found it!)