Two-Lane Blacktop

Monte Hellman’s maverick masterwork is a stripped-down study of man, machine, and the Two-Lane Blacktop stretched endlessly in front of them. The Driver and Mechanic (singer James Taylor and Beach Boys star Dennis Wilson, effortlessly magnetic in their only acting roles) hit the road in their souped-up ’55 Chevy, stopping occasionally to pick up a drifter (Laurie Bird), tinker with the engine, wordlessly grab a bite at backroads diner, or hustle up some cash with a quick drag race. But when they cross paths with a garrulous GTO driver (Warren Oates), they embark on a cross-country race with their cars’ pink slips as the grand prize.