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Wednesday, 4/30/97 'Breakdown' lets actor Russell confront his own fear Star plays character who gets stuck in middle of desert during car trip

By Aimee Phan Daily Bruin Contributor One of the biggest worries that people have in taking cross-country road trips is having their car break down in the middle of nowhere. Imagine - no convenient gas station, the sun beating down and a road filled with suspicious truck drivers. It's a traveler's worst nightmare. Actor Kurt Russell has this fear, and after reading the script for "Breakdown," a film which confronts the possible consequences of being stranded in the desert, miles from civilization, he realized he had to do this movie to confront his own paranoia. "It's a study in fear," Russell says about his upcoming film. "I think the only reason this movie would be good to see is because I would realize something about myself and that is that I have a pervading fear." "Breakdown" is an action thriller starring Russell and Kathleen Quinlan ("Apollo 13") as a couple driving cross-country from Boston to San Diego to start new jobs and, hopefully, a brand new life. Unfortunately, their car breaks down in the middle of the Southwestern desert, where they are prey to shifty kidnappers and greedy murderers. Away from the urban comforts of law and order, Russell and Quinlan's characters are forced to forge their own rules in order to survive. In his directorial debut, writer-director Jonathan Mostow came up with the idea for the film after having his own uncomfortable experience in a small diner in the middle of nowhere. After meeting Russell previously on the set of the upcoming "The Game," he wrote the leading role for "Breakdown" with Russell in mind. "I have always been a huge fan of Kurt," Mostow says. "He was always my first choice. He is such a decent human being and a great film actor with the rare combination of likability and acting." Since Russell was working on "Escape From L.A." when he accepted the "Breakdown" role, he worked with Mostow on the script at night in order to develop the characters in the film. Russell was excited about playing a character that an audience could relate to through the film. "I think we live in a society where we are always going to someone else for help," Russell says. "If the TV breaks we call the TV repairman, or if the car breaks down we take it to the garage. But now, let's put somebody in a situation where all those advantages in society no longer existed. Are we equipped to deal with it? The answer is no." Russell's character is put into that situation when his wife disappears and realizes that no one in the shady town will help him, not even the police, and that he alone will have to find her and rescue her. Russell believes that the character's evolution shows our society's difficulties with self-sufficiency. "In this movie, you're asked to be put in that situation and realize, right or wrong, you have to do something," Russell says. "I think that's why the audience will react so explosively when this character takes the smallest step forward." Russell's choice to make "Breakdown" is characteristic of the process he goes through in choosing film roles, preferring projects with well-rounded characters and an interesting plot instead of leading-man status and star vehicles. "I'm fascinated by human behavior and by incident," Russell says. "I love a good story and I am fascinated by people. And ever since I was a kid, I loved putting on a show. I love to watch movies and see audiences enjoying a movie and getting a thrill out of it. Over the years, it's turned into an appreciation of the process itself and a fascination with trying to create a real person." Russell's inclination toward strong character roles has been the driving force in his career, from playing action heroes in "Escape From New York" to epic characters in "Silkwood." "I've never cared that much about playing a character that the whole movie's about," Russell says. "I prefer to look at the story and ask myself, 'Is this something I would want to see and are there characters here that I'd like to play?' I want to read good stories and see good characters." Although he is picky about his roles, Russell does know how lucky he is in such a competitive business. And he appreciates what his star status has done for his film opportunities. "I never looked at this business in terms of achievement," Russell admits. "You are lucky enough not to have to get a real job. I don't do movies to be heralded, I do movies to make money and entertain. The point of acting is to have fun and that's what I've tried to express to my kids. The freedom of having fun, creating whenever it comes about - if you like it, then no amount of failure will bother you." FILM: "Breakdown" will be released in theaters this Friday. Paramount Pictures Jeff Taylor (Kurt Russell) tries to pull himself to safety in "Breakdown."

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