Carry Out or Deliverance?

Burt Reynolds once told a story of someone telling him long ago that he looked like a young Marlon Brando. Burt was immensely complimented. At a party some years later, he found himself in the company of the godfather of acting. Burt took the opportunity to tell Mr. Brando of the mentioned likeness. Brando looked at him, stoked on his cigar and told Burt to do something anatomically impossible (think Dick Cheney a few months ago). Burt, deeply disappointed and hurt, never understood Brando's personal dislike of him. A few years later, Burt was set to be cast as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, but Marlon vetoed that casting and it went to James Caan. Too bad that Brando was so full of himself that he couldn't give a young up-and-coming a hand. Recognition of talent in someone other than himself was something that Brando severely lacked.

The film and television genre that he found himself acting in most consistently was comedy. His comedic side never appealed to me, and honestly, I haven't found Burt to be a significantly talented actor. That was before viewing Deliverance. This film is most popularly known for the dualing banjos and a certain sickening scene involving a younger slimmer Ned Beatty and Bill McKinnley. I think the range and seriousness of Burt Reynolds' acting ability was overlooked due to the power of said scene and Jon Voight's taking over of the lead later in the film.

I walk away with a new found respect for Burt Reynolds' depth of capacity in his acting. Not knowing the ins-and-outs of how or why he was boxed into silly films (remember, it's not what you know, but who you know, especially in Hollywood), he has moved into the room I reserve for truly talented actors and I will forever wonder the impact of Brando's conceited dismissal of a young Reynolds.