Podcast | 'Speed' Episode Recap

Hosts Jonathan C. Legat, Tricia Legat, and producer Michael Noens toast the 30th anniversary of the 1994 action classic, Speed, while sipping a themed cocktail called the "High Speed" (a mix of gin, lemon, rum, and a non-caffeinated energy drink substitute). Thirty years later, the film not only holds up but remains a standout example of action cinema.

The crew agree that what makes Speed so enduring is that it’s simply "lightning in a bottle" — the perfect combination of cast, tone, music, and editing. The movie is a relentless, edge-of-your-seat experience that manages to be high stakes and feature "heightened reality" without ever becoming ridiculous or over-the-top.

The film is essentially three distinct action sequences: the opening elevator sequence, the main bus plot, and the final train sequence. Even viewers who remember the film might be surprised by how much they forgot about the beginning and the ending when revisiting it.

One notoriously ridiculous moment — the bus jumping a highway gap — is considered a "jumping the shark" moment for the action, but it is redeemed by the grounded, exasperated reaction of Joe Morton's character.

The protagonist, Jack (Keanu Reeves), establishes his likability early on with a "save the cat" moment, where he rescues people from the elevator at the start of the movie. Jack's partner, Harry (Jeff Daniels), acts as an audience surrogate, saying the things everyone is thinking.

Beyond the leads, the ensemble of characters on the bus are what make the intensity feel real. Side characters like the terrified Helen (Beth Grant), the bus driver Sam (Hawthorne James), and the tourist in shock (Alan Ruck) are all memorable despite having little backstory. The crew also note that the "unspoken nervous energy" and genuine chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock was palpable on screen.

Noens highlights Mark Mancina's incredible score, which he keeps on rotation with other great 90s movie scores. Mancina, who also scored Twister, created a score with a "heartbeat element" that conveyed a sense of wild adventure. The score is so memorable that the melody is instantly recognizable, even decades later.

Speed was directed by Jan de Bont, previously known for his work as the director of photography on Die Hard. The film was a huge box-office success. It remained Sandra Bullock’s highest-grossing film until Gravity surpassed it in 2013, nearly 20 years later. The hosts acknowledge de Bont’s two "stellar movies" (Speed and Twister), and express their gratitude for his contributions to cinema.

While some critics complained that the film "goes too far, too fast, and ends up off the rails" (a pun that the hosts noted since the ending involves a train going off the rails), most acknowledged that it delivered an "edge of the seat sensation".

Episode Beverage Pairing

Ingredients

• 1 ounce gin
• 2 ounces lemon-flavored rum
• 8 ounces energy drink