spoiler simple movie about simple people who problem be far too complex for them to handle . natalie aka sara ravenna and shirley knight and have become overwhelmed with married life and the fact that she now pregnant be the straw that break the camel back . take off from her home in long island new york natalie have no idea where she go but hop to find peace and tranquility somewhere in the heartland of america . it on the pennsylvania turnpike that natalie pick up hitchhiker jimmie killer kilgannon and james cann and who seem a lose and confuse a she be . a natalie and call herself sara at the time and soon find out jimmie have suffer a serious brain concussion while play football on his collage team and have be reduce to such a simple mind individual who so passive that he let everyone and include later in the movie natalie and step all over him . sympathetic at first natalie becomes very annoyed at the self pity jimmie for not stand up for himself and let himself be use a a doormat by everyone he come in contact with in the movie . not know what to do with the child like jimmie natalie finally get him a job in far off nebraska a a cleaning man at the reptile jungle pet market own and run by and mr. alfred and tom aldrege . be the both kind and simple mind person that he be jimmie let all the animal out of their cage cause havoc at the pet store and have him fire by his bos mr. alfred . in the meantime natalie who think that she be finally through with jimmie end up back at the reptile jungle when she give a speed ticket by traffic cop gordon and robert duvall . it seem that mr. alfred be also the act county judge and be the person that natalie be to pay her traffic fine to . while all this be happen gordon the cop have develop a strong liking for natalie and want to get her in the sack and at his trailer home and the first chance he can . gordon a widower with a uncontrollable 12 year old daughter rosalie and marva zimmet and need a mature woman with lot of lovin to make him forget his many social and psychological problem and natalie be exactly the medicine that the doctor order . spoiler wild and shock final with gordon go completely out of his mind and attempt to rape natalie and who refuse his drunken advance and which have jimmie finally get out of his self pity stupor and come to her rescue . there no happy end here with natalie save from be both manhandle and rap by gordon but jimmie and who be bounce gordon around like a ping pong ball and end up dead for all his good and noble effort . jimmy by far be he most tragic and sympathetic person in the entire movie . all jimmie want be a friend to talk to and spend time with and all he end up get be the sht end of the stick . by everyone even the one person who at first treat him with kindness and understanding natalie ravenna . in the end jimmie even though he be treat like dirt by everyone despite his willingness not to offend even those who step all over him come out a the most likable kindest a at the same time heroic person in the entire film .