Freeway (1996)

AKA:
Directed by: Matthew Bright
Starring: Reese Witherspoon (Vanessa), Kiefer Sutherland (Wolverton), Wolfgang Bodison (Det Mike), Dan Hedaya (Det Garnet Wallace), Amanda Plummer (Mother), Brooke Shields (Mrs. Wolverton), Bokeem Woodbine (Chopper) , Michael T. Weiss (Larry), Brittany Murphy (Rhonda), Alanna Ubach (Mesquita), Conchata Ferrell (Social worker)
Country: United States
Language: English (Optional Eng Subs)
Runtime: 01:41:29
Genres: Teenager, Serial Killers

Plot – Spoilers:
Freeway is a modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, this time lost in the woods of LA.

Vanessa, a teenager who lives with her junkie-hooker mother and stepdad has no immediate hopes or ambitions for a trash-free existence. But when her mother is taken away by the cops, Vanessa decides being bounced around foster care isn’t for her. So she packs her bare stuff and heads off in search of her paternal grandmother whom she’s never met. But the highways are stalked by a serial killer with a thing for prostitutes and runaways.

Most of the adults in Vanessa’s world seem titillated by her shitty life experiences rather than sympathetic. During the first half of the film, Vanessa’s character has a naivete that borders on the stupid, partly because she is honest. Is she honest because she’s stupid or does she seem stupid because she’s honest? This debate lends an entertaining satirical feel to the classic fairy tale in its modern context, though it does peter out towards the end as Vanessa goes all gangsta.

The memorable opening/closing score is a nice bonus though.