THE END: Burt Goes Black (But Not Really)

THE END (Blu-ray)

1978 / 100 min

From MGM

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😾

That 1978’s The End was a big hit says more about Burt Reynolds’ box office clout than the movie itself. At the time, he could do no wrong...big enough that he was occasionally allowed to step behind the camera. As a director, he was merely adequate, and none of those films would ever be mistaken for classics.

Still, The End would probably never have been made without his involvement. Black comedies about the main character repeatedly trying (and failing) to commit suicide aren’t the kind of thing major studios get excited about. But with Reynolds' name & face above the title and in the director's chair? Well, that’s a different story.

Speaking of which…for a Burt Reynolds movie, the story is kind of a departure. He plays Sonny Lawson (but basically himself), a real estate agent who learns from his doctor that he’s got less than a year to live. Distraught and depressed, he tries to kill himself with pills. Failing at that, he ends up in a mental hospital, where he meets another patient, Marlon Borunki (Dom DeLuise), who’s happy to help Sonny finish the job.

Taste the rainbow.

Sonny’s failed attempts to off himself are sometimes amusing, but until then, the movie is interminable. The entire first half focuses on Sonny’s self-pity and tumultuous run-ins with others. And for a supposed black comedy, The End plays like it’s too afraid of alienating Burt Reynolds fans to risk delving into anything more than sitcom silliness (exacerbated by DeLuise’s obnoxious schtick). Elsewhere, the film boasts an large, impressive cast, including Sally Field and Joanne Woodward, but most only show up for a scene or two. 

As a movie star, Reynolds has always had a great screen presence, especially his ‘70s films. But for a concept like this to really work, it needed someone other than a movie star…on both sides of the camera. He was simply the wrong guy for the job. While The End slightly detoured from his usual fare, it’s not enough to be considered anything but another Burt Reynolds vehicle, and not a very good one at that.