Burt Reynolds is a good ol’ boy moonshiner with a vengeance streak the length of the Mississippi in the drive-in classic and Tarantino fave White Lightning. Imprisoned for moving the titular untaxed liquor, Reynolds’ “Gator” McCluskey gets a chance at furlough in order to bring the corrupt county sheriff (Ned Beatty) to justice, not just for tax evasion, but for killing his brother. Burt’s hot as lighting and you better believe he’s bringing all his heat down on this steamy Southern county. Stunt legend Hal Needham shot 2nd unit on this bootlegging blast and Charles Bernstein supplied the deadly cool score that you may find familiar.
“That scarce commodity, a stirring, satisfying summer-weight entertainment … Reynolds delivers a varied, screen-commanding star turn which is a pleasure to watch.” – Charles Champlin, Los Angeles Times
“What sets White Lightning apart from a demolition derby is the special work of the entire cast in creating a totally believable world out of characters that we’ve seen countless times before” – Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune
