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What's After the Movie?
Drama

Freedom (1981): Cast & Plot

Freedom (1981) movie poster

Freedom is a 1981 drama directed by Joseph Sargent, starring Mare Winningham as Libby Bellow, Eloy Casados and J. Pat O'Malley. It runs 1 hour 35 minutes.

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Freedom (1981) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 35m (95 min)
Director
Joseph Sargent
Genre
Drama
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Freedom About?

The premise of Freedom without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Libby, a gifted musician and free‑spirit young woman, feels stifled by her divorced journalist mother’s strict control. Determined to claim her independence, she runs away, hits the open road and soon finds herself welcomed into a nomadic traveling carnival. There she experiences the liberty she has longed for, while confronting the harsh realities and hard lessons that life on the road inevitably brings.

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Cast & crew

Freedom Cast & Characters

Mare Winningham leads the cast as Libby Bellow, with Eloy Casados as Ron (as Eloy Phil Casados) and J. Pat O'Malley as Papa J.. Directed by Joseph Sargent; 30 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from Joseph Sargent

More films directed by Joseph Sargent, best-rated first: White Lightning, Jaws: The Revenge, Sweet Nothing in My Ear and Sybil.

Full filmography
Plot

Freedom Plot Summary

What happens in Freedom from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Ron Eloy Casados is an Adelaide man in his early 20s, grappling with unemployment after being laid off from his machinist apprenticeship. His blunt, sometimes abrasive demeanor masks a deeper impatience with the world around him, and he tends to blame others for standing in the way of his ambitions. The film follows him as he nourishes a vivid fantasy: cruising along a sunlit coast in a sleek Porsche 911, with a woman beside him in the passenger seat, while a reckless, black sedan relentlessly tailgates them before a dramatic plunge into a ravine. This dream of escape anchors his restless energy, fueling a knack for slick talk and opportunistic moves that briefly open doors for him—such as a reckless joyride in a Triumph Stag presented as a harmless test-drive.

Full summary

The whole story of Freedom, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Freedom?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the name of the main character in Freedom (1981)?

Cars

Cars in Freedom

29 cars on screen, including the 1977 Porsche 911 Turbo 930 and the 1974 Chrysler Valiant.

All 29 cars
  • 1977 Porsche 911 Turbo 930 in Freedom 1977 Porsche 911 Turbo 930 Featured role
  • 1974 Chrysler Valiant in Freedom 1974 Chrysler Valiant Important role
  • 1965 Dodge Phoenix in Freedom 1965 Dodge Phoenix Important role
  • 1972 Holden Belmont HQ in Freedom 1972 Holden Belmont HQ Important role

Seen Freedom?

FAQ

Freedom FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Freedom, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Freedom?

Freedom runs 1 hour 35 minutes (95 minutes).

When was Freedom released?

Freedom was released on May 18, 1981.

Who directed Freedom?

Freedom was directed by Joseph Sargent.

More films by Joseph Sargent

Who is in the cast of Freedom?

Freedom stars Mare Winningham as Libby Bellow, Eloy Casados as Ron (as Eloy Phil Casados) and J. Pat O'Malley as Papa J., among 30 credited actors.

Does Freedom have a post-credit scene?

No. Freedom has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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