Eddie Macon's Run

The movie opens with Eddie Macon escaping from prison. The first half of the film then relates the backstory through a series of flashbacks.

Eddie is a man that has relocated from Florida to Texas in order to better provide for his wife Chris and their young son Bobby, who suffers from a blood disorder. His temper leads him into a few minor infractions that land him in jail, but after an unsuccessful escape attempt, he finds himself with an excessively harsh prison sentence in light of his original offenses.

Feeling that they are facing injustice, Eddie and Chris devise an elaborate escape plan. After initially becoming involved with the prison rodeo and stowing away in a cattle truck, he begins a long, cross-country run across the Texas wilderness in an attempt to reach the U.S./Mexico border in Laredo, Texas where they have planned their rendezvous and permanent escape, south of the border.

Along the way, he is being chased by Carl Marzack, an inmate transfers detective who had already re-captured Eddie after his earlier escape attempt. Marzack is able to successfully track Eddie, but is thwarted when Eddie encounters new players along the way. First, Eddie is captured, and nearly hanged for rustling, by a dysfunctional ranching family, the Potts, until he escapes. Next, he encounters Jilly Buck, niece of the governor, whom Eddie initially kidnaps. Jilly is sympathetic to Eddie's story and quickly agrees to assist him with his plan, escaping to a hotel in Laredo.

Marzack eventually catches up with Eddie and Jilly in their hotel room where he taunts Eddie for continuously stopping in his attempts to escape; which is how he was able to piece the clues together and track him down. After Eddie taunts Marzack to kill him, he knocks Marzack unconscious and steals his gun, leading to Marzack pursuing him and Jilly in a car chase until Eddie shoots at Marzack's car, causing it to topple over. Ultimately, an injured Marzack captures Eddie, but has a change of heart and decides to let him go.

With no one pursuing him any longer, Eddie is able to meet his wife and son on a bridge over the Rio Grande and the three begin their journey to the border into Mexico for freedom.

• Kirk Douglas as Carl Marzack
• John Schneider as Eddie Macon
• Lee Purcell as Jilly Buck
• Lisa Dunsheath as Kay Potts
• Leah Ayres as Chris Macon
• Tom Noonan as Daryl Potts
• J. C. Quinn as Shorter
• Gil Rogers as Logan
• Jay O. Sanders as Rudy Potts
• Todd Allen as Desk Sergeant
• Nesbitt Blaisdell as Sheriff Nighblack
• Susan Bongard as Newscaster
• Matthew Cowles as Ray Banes
• Bill DeWeese as Officer #12
• Vic Polizos as Desk Clerk

Eddie Macon's Run was an early role for several actors of note:

• John Goodman as Mr. Hebert
• Mark Margolis as 5:00 Bar Owner
• J. T. Walsh as Man in Bar
• Dann Florek as Man in Bar

• Eddie Macon's Run at IMDb
• Eddie Macon's Run at Box Office Mojo
• Eddie Macon's Run at Rotten Tomatoes