The river may be full of secrets, but they always wash up. A weekend of adventure and bonding makes a grim turn into a fight for survival in Deliverance. Featuring one of the most infamous scenes in cinema history, production of the film notoriously saw director John Boorman and screenwriter James Dickey brawl over script changes, while the actors performed their own death-defying stunts in the water. Jon Voight, Ned Beatty, Burt Reynolds, and Ronny Cox were the men who didn’t go golfing that weekend.
“It is a gripping horror story that at times may force you to look away from the screen, but it is so beautifully filmed that your eyes will eagerly return.” – Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune
“Each of the four lead performances is exceptional, none more so than Burt Reynolds’ beefy, supercilious Lewis.” – TIME Magazine
“An engrossing adventure, a demonstrable labor of love whose pains have largely paid off in making us empathize with stirring deeds in a setting of cruel beauty. Reynolds suggests that given the right material he is more than just another pretty hand and Voight, in the most substantial role he has had since Midnight Cowboy proves again what a versatile actor he is. Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox are excellent in the briefer roles as the other voyagers.” – Charles Champlin, Los Angeles Times
Kim Morgan interviews the cast of Deliverance on the New Beverly blog.
