Fate can play bizarre games with films and their reputation. For example, there are titles that were doomed to be obscure or insignificant, and yet they are well‑known simply for being used as references in later and better‑known works. However, there are cases when the makers of such films probably would not be happy with the context of such a reference, because instead of fame they receive infamy. One of these cases is Freebie and the Bean, a 1974 action comedy directed by Richard Rush. For newer generations this film was virtually unknown until 1995, when the makers of The Celluloid Closet used its clips in their documentary in order to illustrate how Hollywood in the 1970s promoted intolerance and violence against homosexuals. Because of that, the reputation of Freebie and the Bean in the 1990s came into the same league as The Birth of a Nation, Green Berets and Triumph of the Will – all films that are supposed to be utterly despised by any civic‑minded and politically conscious viewer. On the other hand, those viewers who are unburdened by the “political correctness” dogmas of modern‑day Hollywood would probably appreciate the opportunity to see a film made during the era of greatest creative freedom in American movie history.
The protagonists of this film are two San Francisco Police detectives – Freebie (played by James Caan) and Bean (played by Alan Arkin) – whose main career goal is to bring down local crime boss Red Meyers (played by Jack Kruschen). After many fruitless months, they finally get an important piece of evidence hidden in Meyers’ garbage. That evidence, together with a potential witness who is to arrive in town in a couple of days, would be enough for the D.A. (played by Alex Rocco) to get an arrest warrant. But before this happens, Freebie and Bean receive word about a hit man being hired to kill Meyers. Freebie and Bean are, therefore, forced to serve as unofficial bodyguards of their unsuspecting target, and their task is further complicated by Bean suddenly getting convinced that his wife (played by Valerie Harper) is having an affair.
One of the villains being gay – an unforgivable atrocity according to today’s Hollywood standards – is not the only reason why many politically sensitive people would get up in arms about Freebie and the Bean. For example, Freebie, one of the protagonists, uses every opportunity to ridicule the Mexican background of his partner Bean (who is played by the distinctively non‑Latino actor Alan Arkin). But the worst case against Freebie and the Bean could be made by civil libertarians. The protagonists of this film are policemen, yet their way of law enforcement includes not only beating and humiliating suspects and potential informants, but also threatening to torture and rape their loved ones; along the way they engage in car chases, brawls and shoot‑outs that not only create extensive damage to private property, but also – very unlike in today’s Hollywood films – cause numerous casualties among innocent bystanders. To make things even more problematic, their main criminal adversary is never portrayed as being involved in any particularly nasty form of illegal activity, at least not of the kind that would justify civil‑liberty infringements of such a nature. A viewer who has some problems rooting for these fascist thugs must, however, take into account the time when the film was made. In 1974, the American public had witnessed Watergate and the subsequent disillusionment manifested even in Hollywood with films that handled urban crime and law enforcement from utterly cynical and nihilistic points of view.
A politically questionable view is not the only problem of Freebie and the Bean. Even from a strictly technical perspective, this film has plenty of flaws. The major one is a rather weak plot that barely holds together and which is nothing more than an excuse for a series of often overlong action scenes. Other scenes, on the other hand, seem unnecessary, like the one in which Freebie visits his girlfriend; probably intended to present a gentler and kinder side of the otherwise violent, racist and male‑chauvinist Freebie, this attempt falls flat due to the uninspired performance by Linda Marsh. The finale of the film is somewhat melodramatic and the last‑minute cop‑out makes it even cornier. The worst problem, however, is with very fine character actors like Mike Kellin, Alex Rocco and Loretta Swit who are all forced to give great performances in the episodic roles of tragically underused characters. The film in general seems somewhat sketchy and unfinished, but perhaps that could also be seen as its advantage. There are plenty of otherwise clichéd scenes in which Freebie and Bean suddenly start acting or behaving in rather unexpected fashion; perhaps that was due to Caan’s and Arkin’s attempts to show their acting ability at every conceivable opportunity. In any case, those scenes not only bring the necessary amounts of humour into this otherwise nihilistically grim movie, but also give us an opportunity to enjoy the great “buddy‑buddy” dynamic between two policemen with very different characters. It could be argued that Caan’s Freebie and Arkin’s Bean in many ways served as a model for the Gibson‑Glover pairing in the Lethal Weapon series. On the other hand, the action scenes, although sometimes overlong, are often very funny and very entertaining, at least for those viewers who see general mayhem and destruction as fun. However, those who are going to enjoy Freebie and the Bean the most are those who are aware that films with such a carefree attitude towards traditional morality are not made in Hollywood any more. Despite its questionable content, or perhaps because of such content, Freebie and the Bean should be recommended for viewing as a film that fits the description of a “guilty pleasure” more than many other titles.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on April 27th 2001)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/20802-freebie-and-the-bean?language=en-US Critic: AA
