Directed by Hal Ashby • 1973 • United States
Starring Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, Otis Young

Jack Nicholson is at his very best in this acclaimed tragicomedy written by Robert Towne and directed by Hal Ashby. Two hard-boiled Navy petty officers, Buddusky (Nicholson) and Mulhall (Otis Young), are detailed to escort a young sailor, Meadows (Randy Quaid), from Virginia to a New Hampshire naval prison to serve an eight-year sentence for a trivial offense. Buddusky and Mulhall take a liking to Meadows and are determined to show him a good time on their journey north. Once they reach their destination, though, Buddusky and Mulhall realize they are as much prisoners of their world as Meadows is of his.