smokey

Often referenced on That 70's Show, Smokey and the Bandit is one of the all-time big box office hits and with one viewing its not hard to see why. If this movie doesn't put a smile on your face, then there must be something wrong with you. By the time the end credits started rolling, I could have killed for a CB radio and my very own "hook"- that's big-rig speak for a nickname. Burt Reynolds's hook is the Bandit and he's a legend in his own time. Every trucker across the South watches his back when he gets in a bind. Not just once, but several times, CB comrades line up their tankers in order to block off the smokeys, hot on the Bandit's tail. A Smokey, like in the title, is a cop, and for the Bandit, they're never in short supply. This particular mission that will pit Smokey against the Bandit involves bootlegging. I honestly can't say if this law is still in effect, but at least during the 1970's when this was released, it was considered illegal to move alcohol across state lines- specifically east of Texas- without proper permits and sanctions, et al. On a bet from Big Enos (yes, you're probably saying that correctly in your head as you giggle to yourself, just be forewarned about his surly son, Little Enos), a man who for one reason or another needs beer and lots of it in Georgia (that's east of Texas, folks), the Bandit has to get from Georgia to Texarkana and back with 400 cases of Coors in 28 hours. At 900 miles each way, it's never been done before, but according to the Bandit, that's because he's never done it before! For help in the haul, the Bandit enlists his big-rig partner Cletus Snow, handle: Snowman, and Snowman's dog, Fred. With the Snowman and Fred driving the truck and the Bandit driving blocker (i.e. he distracts smokies from the truck with his wreckless driving), the team can't lose. Oh yeah, and why are they risking the severe jail time- beside the challenge of it? $80,000, that's why. And so they're off. Along the way, other important characters include Frog (Sally Field) and Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason!). Frog is the runaway bride/failed dancer picked up by the Bandit in the middle of the road and who of course becomes the Bandit's love interest. She's also the reason that Sheriff Justice is in high speed pursuit of the Bandit throughout the movie- his horribly dimwitted son, possibly the most stupid, inane person ever caught on film, is the groom of the wedding Frog just ran out on, a wedding that cost the Sheriff a whopping $40(!) Always one banana short of a bunch, Justice, despite being well out of his jurisdiction to do anything about the Bandit legally, nevertheless remains a force to be reckoned with.

What makes this picture so enjoyable lies somewhere between the action and the performances, but so as not to ruin to the great cat-and-mouse car chase sequences, I will focus here primarily on the latter. The most minor of the supporting characters would have to be the Snowman, which in my opinion is unfortunate. I don't think I've ever watched a movie and come away wishing that one of the characters was my best friend before. Snowman is the first and I guarantee most will have a similar reaction. Full of life and love, Snowman is that loyal good buddy on the other end of the CB, a smile on his face and good wishes in his heart. Whether or not the Bandit deserves Snowman, they make a great team in no small part thanks to Snowman's conviction and loyalty to the ideal of the partnership. Eastbound and down good buddy! Watch for the smile of complete satisfaction on Snowman's face, pulling his horn and giving a big thumbs up to his fellow trucker buddies after the scene in which Bandit is "let into the rocking chair." You'll want to be a trucker too because you'll know guys like Snowman. Played ably by country musician Jerry Reid, Snowman is the guy you wish you knew and wish you could be. Reid also does double duty with his great musical score and soundtrack that let us in on the story of Smokey and the Bandit through fun lyrics and catchy hooks. I can't stop humming "Eastbound and Down." Sally Field plays Frog, an affectionate handle given to her by the Bandit. Having ran from a shotgun wedding, she carries the weight of a would-be intellectual on her shoulders as she appears trapped below the Mason-Dixon. For those who know Field as I do from films such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Norma Rae and Eye for an Eye (read: matronly, desparate, unattractive types) Smokey and the Bandit is a remarkable and refreshing change of pace. I like her, I really like her as Frog. She's every bit the love interest as any ever was. Mark my words, Sally Field is one foxy lady. She's hot- and hilarious. With clear instinct of comic timing, she matches Burt Reynolds's every quip with a zinger all her own. Listen to their little chit chat over the 10-100 and 10-200, sure it's a little base and silly but it still brings a smile of "aw-shucks" to my face. Trying to impress Reynolds's Bandit with conversation of Stephen Sondheim, she realizes that she's just as guilty of ignorance as she makes him out to be. Which, therein, is why they make a wonderful onscreen duo. And, plus, she's hot!

In the spotlight of course is Burt Reynolds. And for 96 minutes, I believe that he really is the Bandit. With a devil-may-care grin across his face, Reynolds is a true pleasure to watch on screen. Always a sly remark up his sleeve, his Bandit is the epitome of calm, cool, and collected. A legend among truckers, who jump to help him every step of the way, the Bandit is a man among men and a driver to beat all. Some of the most fun parts of the movie involve watching the Bandit out-maneuver every cop in the South. Perhaps his first chase is the most telling. After swerving back and forth through strip mall parking lots, the Bandit parks his car safely behind a small building as he watches the persuing cop speed off in the opposite direction. Looking one last time behind him before pulling out, the Bandit, now safe, turns himself around, looks right into the camera and gives a big toothy smile. In his smile he's telling you right there, "Stick with me, you ain't seen nothing yet." Believe me, you're going to smile right back. And for sure, the audience is in for a wild ride cause with the Bandit and the Snowman running the booze, there's nothing to stand in their way. A cowboy who never takes his hat off- except for one thing- Burt Reynolds's the Bandit is the charming, sassy center to a sweet cake of characters.

Last, is Jackie Gleason. If you don't know that name, I say shame on you!! Shame shame shame!!! An American icon, Jackie Gleason gets to let loose like you won't believe as the racist, loudmouthed Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Watch as he demands to see another sheriff who, upon realizing is black, remarks, "You sounded a little taller on the radio." Cringe! As his own son's hat flies off in the wind, listen as he retorts, "I hope your head went with it!" Geez!! To his son again, "There is no way you came outta my loins!" Wha?! Count the number of times you hear "Sum-bitch!" come flying out of his mouth. Hear his hate remembering Sally Field running out on his $40 wedding, while still stopping to reflect on her various bouncing

body parts going up the aisle. And last-myfavorite- if you listen closely, you hear him curse the Bandit for violating the Man Act, the since-suspended law that charges people with carrying women across state lines for the purpose of prostitution! All I can say is that Sheriff Justice is that guy you love to hate and hate to love. The problem is that his son is SO stupid and his will so strong that as he continues to impossibly persue the Bandit, you feel a little sorry for him. He tries so damn hard. At one point, even the Bandit himself stops to tell the Sheriff over the CB what an able rival he is and commends him for not giving up the chase. Three cheers for an aging legend, Jackie Gleason.

discussion, Bandit and Frog walk along a roadside knoll and try to figure out if they have any common interests, elitist Frog essentially trying to rationalize her attraction for southern Bandit. Frog asks, "You like Elton John?" Bandit asks, "Know who Richard Petty is?" Before this continues too long, Bandit stops, looks her in the eyes and says, "When you tell somebody something, it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in as to just how dumb you are." And this is very true. Perhaps this is the Southerner in me, but I can't argue that too often the South is understood to be something its not, merely because of the pleasant drawl and good nature of its citizens. No matter where you head in these United States there is a geographically

For director Hal Needham, Smokey... was a wonderful start. He would go on to complete the Smokey trilogy and helm that other infamous road race movie series, Cannonball Run. A former stuntman, it is clear why he is probably perfect for these pictures, which are all jampacked with stunt driving, explosions, and car crashes- Cannonball uses airplanes and speedboats too. Fortunately for us, he didn't forget to tell a great story. Possibly the only one in which you'll ever be cheering for the Confederate flag (it sits emblazoned on the Bandit's license plates). He even throws in a bit of a social conscience, too. Simlilar to the aforementioned Steven Sondheim

bound culture that runs deep. As for my own experience: Living in the South, it's very much about hospitality and goodwill towards others, around DC everything is very cosmopolitan, impersonal, and fast paced, and now living in New England, that's a whole 'nother ballgame, steeped in liberalism and political efficacy. But, to each his own. There are not many movies made about the South or even in the South, save for those less-than-flattering pictures like Birth of A Nation. Smokey and the Bandit is one such film, though, that revels in its Southern comforts and more power to it. Needham has constructed a top rate car chase movie with real charm for all ages that is a downright joy to watch- not forcefed and over-the-top like so many big budget blowouts today. So, truck on over to your local video store and pick this one up today. I guarantee it'll bring a smile to your face. Eastbound and down, good buddy.