After Boogie Nights and Deliverance it is Burt Reynolds’ best work—he’s superb here both as action star and actor
When Reynolds finds out about his dead brother – brooding—that’s just good acting
The trademark laugh of Reynolds (without his trademark mustache)
The car chases, liquor running, southern good ol’ boy – its own genre really got one of its starts here
The chain gang and escaping from prison and southern location owes to Cool Hand Luke
Ned Beatty is a great villain here. Running a corrupt county but he’s well thought-out and clever. He’s a co-star in Deliverance from the year before with Reynolds. Bo Hopkins (does it get any more southern than him?), Matt Clark, R.G. Armstrong – good southern ensemble with a young Diane Ladd (I think they spelled her name wrong as “Lad” on the titles). One good actor and interesting character after another
Burt Reynolds solidifying himself as a star (with talent) here after Deliverance the year before
The car chases aren’t Bullitt but they’re solid
The shot of Reynolds at 12 minutes lighting the cigarette- a star performance
The ending comes out of nowhere a little abruptly with Beatty slowing easing into the water and then cutting to the funeral—unsatisfying
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