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Freebie and the Bean Photos

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Movie Info

Two wisecracking plain-clothes San Francisco policemen discover that there is a contract on the life of the suspect they have been tailing. The pair decide to act as bodyguards until they can get a warrant to pick him up, but plans for a clean arrest go spectacularly wrong, and the two cops manage to bring the city to a virtual standstill.

Rating:

R
Genre:

action
Original Language:

English
Director:

Richard Rush
Producer:

Richard Rush
Release Date (Streaming):

Apr 16, 2012
Runtime:

1h 52m
Production Co:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Cast & Crew

Alan Arkin
Bean

James Caan
Freebie

Loretta Swit
Meyers' Wife

Jack Kruschen
Red Meyers

Mike Kellin
Lt. Rosen

Linda Marsh
Freebie's Girl

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Freebie and the Bean

All Critics (12) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (3) | Rotten (9)

Freebie (James Caan) is a cop whose corruption is supposed to be charming.

May 17, 2013 | Full Review…

Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
Richard Rush's tasteless film, from a spitball script by Robert Kaufman, utilized lots of stunt and action crews disturbing the peace all over San Francisco.

October 18, 2008 | Full Review…

Variety Staff
Variety
On the whole, a film one can live without.

January 26, 2006 | Full Review…

Time Out
It has a cast of otherwise good actors doing bits of business (sometimes called acting) as if they thought they could upstage all of the movie's automobiles, which are seldom still.

May 9, 2005 | Rating: 1.5/5 | Full Review…

Vincent Canby
New York Times
...boasts a pervasively irreverent sensibility that's reflected most keenly in the behavior of its two protagonists...

August 12, 2019 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
One of those obnoxious wisecracking buddy cop movies about dimwit cops that fails to be funny.

July 7, 2017 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
The humor is tasteless and racist, but the action scenes are fantastically choreographed and executed.

May 17, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

TV Guide
The best darn movie of the seventies you've never seen.

July 25, 2009 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Chris Laverty
Clothes on Film
Back in 1974, this type of frenetic crud was considered to be popular entertainment.

June 20, 2009 | Rating: 1/5

Phil Hall
Film Threat
Caan and Arkin have great chemistry and the vehicle stunts are spectacular in this entertaining, very 1970s buddy-cop movie.

February 7, 2006 | Rating: 3/4

Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily
Quote not available.

August 14, 2005 | Rating: 2/5

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Rush's movie can be enjoyed as kitsch, but it plays better as an early stab at a Lethal Weapon-style movie, effortlessly combining violence and humour.

May 24, 2003 | Full Review…

Richard Luck
Film4

View All Critic Reviews (12)

Audience Reviews for Freebie and the Bean

Feb 04, 2010

I don't really know if Freebie and the Bean classifies as the first buddy cop film, but if it is, it's the best one I've ever seen. It's hard to believe that a comedy like this starring Alan Arkin and James Caan as a duo was ever made, but it was. The dialogue feels fresh and must have been adlibbed. The caper isn't much of a caper but that isn't really the point. The point is following these two lunatics around in their daily lives from one catastrophe to the next and enjoying every minute of it. The Warner Archive put this out not too long ago with a terrific picture but only the trailer as an extra. I hope this gets some special edition love sometime soon as it's a terrific little gem.

Tim S Super Reviewer
Jun 10, 2007

Thoroughly awesome, the first real buddy cop film is also one of the best. Totally ridiculous and full of shenanigans.

Ken S Super Reviewer