A happy birthday going out to Mr. Burt Reynolds, who turns 72 years old today. Before he carved his face into one of those kabuki masks that've become so popular with his age bracket these days, the man had a good run. Hell, he was the biggest star in the US of A for awhile, back when I was a youngin (yes, talking about Burt Reynolds is making me type in some bastard hillbilly twang). Anyway, I thought I'd take this opportunity to highlight some of the man's better (okay, in one case, better = ridiculously over-the-top so-bad-it's-great) work in his storied career. I'm hardly a Reynolds-expert, there's a lot of his stuff I've missed, so if anybody wants to chime in with something of his worthwhile that I haven't seen (which, uh, includes maybe 75% of his performances not listed here) then be a doll and do so in the comments.
Jack Horner, Boogie Nights"I got a feeling that behind those jeans
is something wonderful just waiting to get out."
Blaine Gibbons, Citizen Ruth
Congressman David Dilbeck, Striptease"See, I just love naked women.
It's a character flaw."
Bandit, Smokey and the Bandit"I take my hat off for one thing,
one thing only."
Lewis, Deliverance"Well, we fucked up."
And lest we forget his days as a male pin-up...
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4 comments:
"Starting Over" is a personal fave of mine. Reynolds is shockingly under the top in that one, channeling low-grade depression and neurosis throughout. He even manages to have a nervous breakdown in a furniture store without going over the top...of course, "Starting Over" also allows one to observe Candy Bergen doing a bang-up job as a ridiculously delusional and just awful country western singer...it truly is a forgotten classic...
"The End" is supposedly a great film of his. I didn't get it, but I know lots of people who claim it's a classic.
I also enjoyed The Man who Loved Women which was directed by Blake Edwards. This was during Edward's string of brilliant films in the 80's: 10, S.O.B.,Victor/Victoria etc...
I heartily agree with Shaun about "Starting Over", which was so good in so many ways: very funny, but also quite touching, and more truthful than a lot of the usual rom-coms. I would have liked to have seen Burt take more intelligent, understated roles like that. Jill Clayburgh was also very good, making the movie a great trio of performances.
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