In September of 2018, the world lost a true acting legend, the mustached symbol of masculinity known as Burt Reynolds. Born in 1936, Burt Reynolds was probably one of the most iconic actors of the past 40 years. Like most actors, he first got his start on television, with shows like Gunsmoke, Hawk, and Dan August. His first major break came in 1972 when he starred in the survival thriller Deliverance, sans his iconic mustache. His career continued with hits like White Lightning and Gator, as well as bombs like At Long Last Love. At the same time, former stuntman Hal Needham was making the transition to directing. He had previously worked with Reynolds as a stunt coordinator on Gunsmoke, White Lightning, and Gator. In 1977, the two teamed up to work on a small film that ended up becoming a major phenomenon. That film was Smokey and the Bandit.
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At a truck driving competition, father and son Big Enos (Pat McCormick) and Little Enos (Paul Williams) have a job. They need a truck driver to deliver 400 cases of Coors from Texas to Atlanta within 28 hours. Enter the Bandit (Burt Reynolds), who decides to take the job, which he’s promised $80,000 for. Bandit recruits his friend Cledus (Jerry Reed), aka Snowman, to driver the truck while Bandit drives the “blocker”. Essentially, while Snowman drives the truck, Bandit drives somewhat recklessly in order to divert attention away from the truck. Along the way, Bandit ends up inadvertently picking up Carrie (Sally Field), a runaway bride trying to lose her fiancé. Unfortunately for Bandit, this makes him the target of her fiancé’s dad, Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason). What follows is essentially one big chase with Bandit trying to outrun the sheriff and trying to make the delivery.
This movie is definitely a classic in every sense of the word that shaped a generation. While he was a star at the time, this is the film that would make Burt Reynolds into a superstar. As the Bandit, Reynolds is just dripping in charisma and charm, the very essence of an excellent leading man. As the sheriff, Jackie Gleason (who improvised all his lines) is incredibly funny and has excellent comedic timing. Whether it’s mocking his dimwitted son Junior (Mike Henry) or threatening to catch the Bandit, Gleason is delightful. Sally Field is also fun as the feisty runaway bride who has great chemistry with Reynolds. Jerry Reed, on top of performing the classic theme song, does a great job as the straight man alongside Reynolds. Given this was directed by a former stuntman, the car chases and stunts are tons of fun to watch.
Admittedly, this movie is absolutely a product of its time, and acts as a time capsule of the late 70s. In that sense, the movie is dated, but that doesn’t take away from how enjoyable it is. It takes you back to a time when movies could be just simple fun without talking down to its audience. Plus, we see real cars getting into real chases and real crashes, something we sadly don’t see much of today. On top of making Burt Reynolds a superstar, but the film was even the second highest grossing film of 1977. The film even made Coors seem appealing, which is certainly not an easy feat given how gross the taste is. Of course, as tends to happen with a successful film, there were plenty of rip-offs and cash-ins made. Despite this, Smokey and the Bandit remains a quintessential 70s film and a true classic.
