The End (I) (1978) User Reviews

Burt's show but Dom steals it

[chez-3 · 7/10 · 15 February 1999]

"The End" is a black comedy that should have been even darker. Had it been I think it would have been regarded as a classic. Burt Reynolds stars as a man who finds out he's dying and decides he's going to kill himself. After a lackluster start where Burt sees his parents, his daughter, etc., he goes into action. And that's when the film buckles down and takes control for the last half.

After a failed suicide attempt Burt is placed in a mental hospital where he meets fellow patient Dom DeLuise, who is as nutty as a loon. Dom decides to help Burt fulfill his dream of suicide and the laughs keep coming. Dom is so good in this film that we really miss him every time he's off screen. Burt is good in the film and has a classic moment at the end when delivers an impassioned soliloquy to God. That is worth the price of admission (or video rental), if you see it in its un-cut form.

Ornate but funny.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 31 December 2017]

Directed by, and starring, Burt Reynolds, this is comedy about a salesman learning he has only months to live is in Woody Allen territory. The script has joke upon joke, few of them demanding to begin with, but then embellished by bits of business that are a little distracting.

Well, I'm giving the elements credit because it's not that easy to make a comedy about having a terminal illness. Dabney Coleman managed to inject a few funny boluses into "Short Time" but "The Bucket List" was a slapdash affair providing an excuse for two older (but sometimes magnificent) actors to do the things we wish we had done. I almost hate to say it but arguably the most entertaining comedy about dying is the Rock Hudson and Doris Day film, "Send Me No Flowers."

Burt's direction of "The End" is function and lapses only into one easy cliché -- a man wakes up sweating and thrusts his goggle-eyed face into the camera. He also drags out amusing moments. The script by Jerry Belson is fast and touches the bases. It may depend a bit much on obvious jokes -- "I told you not to cuss, Godammit." But it more than makes up for such weaknesses.

Eg., Burt goes to make his last confession. The priest is Robby Benson, who looks about fifteen years old. Burt uneasily explains that he has a little difficulty calling him "Father" so the priest suggests Burt just call him Dave. In the confessional, Burt begins with, "Bless me, Dave, for I have sinned." And when the priest isn't regaling Burt with his OWN confession about lust and ambition, he flosses his teeth while listening to Burt talk about infidelity. Burt is doing his best to get organized but there is the intermittent "pluck" and "plick" from the other side of the confessional window.

I really like Burt Reynolds. He's the least prepossessing movie star who ever breathed. Confident enough to be self deprecating in public despite his dark handsomeness. Cary Grant would never have made fun of his own ouvre the way Burt did at an Academy Award presentation by portentously rattling off a string of his own hits, like "Navajo Joe" and "Sam Whiskey."

He can handle serious drama well and with the proper plot he excels, as in "Deliverance." But his ordinariness doesn't seem to work well with comedy. What you get without cultivation is lowbrow slapstick that sometimes is more silly than witty. As a performer Burt has a certain range but comedy broaches the perimeter of possibilities.

Blame the Editor / Dom DeLuise is GOD!

[caspian1978 · 7/10 · 2 January 2005]

Burt Reynolds throws himself in front of and behind the camera in this 1978 gem of a comedy. Not the best comedy that year, but far from the worse. Reynolds may have bit off more than he could chew by directing and acting all in one, but the final product was funny enough for cinemas. Still, without Dom DeLuise, this movie would be far from watchable. It is DeLuise that saves this movie. At sometimes dark, The End mixes mild comedy which delivers this Woody Allen (who wrote the original script) type story. DeLuise is nothing but brilliant as the lovable, yet crazy friend of Reynolds. This movie is nothing but fun. Not the best movie, but a nice story with an interesting cast of characters. However, if this movie was re-edited the movie would have been better told. The movie changes once Dom DeLuise is introduced. The first half of the movie has its funny moments, but it is not until the second half do we start to truly laugh. A better Editor could have saved this movie by cutting the timeline up to have most of the first half as a flash back. For starters, I would have started the movie at the half way point where we find Reynolds waking up from attempted suicide. Then have his character going back in time to reflect on what occurred following up to his arrival in the nut house. That way, we could welcome Deluise earlier to the movie and give the Reynolds character more of an appreciated back story before we arrive at the central transition. Before Reynolds arrives to the beach, i would have his final flashback be of his daughter where we get to the climax of his final decision. All in all, a good movie worth watching.

Oh yeah, another one of Burt's good 70s hits...

[gazzo-2 · 10 March 2001]

Everyone remembers this one, esp the scene at the loony bin window where Dom Delouise is hellbent of finishing Burt off, Burt has second thoughts about plummetting to his death, and so on. That alone is great. Kirsty McNichols was also very good too. (I was too young when I saw it to appreciate the presence of Myrna Loy and Joanne Woodward, and so I do look forwards to seeing it again in fact)

I also can remember seeing David Steinberg doing his whacked out shrink routine-'Get off of me!', etc. too. He is kinda forgotten now but a funny guy nonetheless.

So yeah, I do recommend this to anyone who wants to see an underrated Reynolds flick, it really is pretty good.

***

"This could be my last meal..."

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 31 March 2020]

I saw this about twenty years ago and remembered liking it. Came across a negative mention of it online recently which led me to looking at reviews and seeing the general opinion of it isn't that high. But the same is true for most Burt Reynolds movies I like so I decided to give it a shot and see if my opinion had changed since the first viewing. The short answer is no, it hasn't. I enjoyed the movie still but I can see why others might not. It's a particular style of humor that Reynolds is arguably not suited for. Think more Albert Brooks or Elliott Gould. But it's got plenty going for it, if you can make it past the first ten or fifteen minutes where Reynolds' character's whining is very annoying. The biggest plus is that the supporting cast full of recognizable faces is good. There are also bits of weirdness that keep it interesting like Robby Benson's childish priest or the bizarre scene where the camera lingers on Sally Field's body double's cleavage. Reynolds directed by the way. It's a dark comedy about an unlikable neurotic facing death starring an actor most known for "good old boy" comedies. But it's not the disaster you might think. Ringing endorsement!

The End

[cutshall0 · 6/10 · 26 August 2005]

Burt Reynolds stars as a man who is terminally ill. He doesn't want to go through the pain of dying so he decides to takes his own life, problem is, he is afraid to.

Reynolds' made the most out of a weak story plot and script. His performance was of high quality and was backed by a good well talented supporting cast. Reynolds' usual pal, Dom plays a crazy lunatic that truly wants to help his buddy with his goal of doing himself in, but as the movie moves along Reynolds has second thoughts.

Many good talented actors in this movie, with a better script this may have been Reynolds best outing since, Smokey and the Bandit.

A Comedy or Serious Drama? That's The End's Problem

[jbartelone · 6/10 · 5 December 2008]

With the talents of Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise, most people would expect The End to be hysterically funny, as it has often been referred to as an under-rated "Black Comedy." The problem is "The End" is only funny in spots. Other times it tries to be a serious drama. The plot basically has Burt Reynolds, a real-estate executive, diagnosed with a terminal blood disease. He is told that he has less than a year to live, that the range could be as short as three months. Desperate, Burt decides to contemplate ways to commit suicide. After a failed attempt, he lands in a psycho-ward, where a patient (Dom Deluise) tries to help him achieve his death wish. At the film's conclusion, Burt decides that life is worth living after all, but his deranged inmate and friend is still trying to kill him in a memorable ocean-side scene as the credits roll.

Another issue is that Burt's character, Sonny, never fully develops into someone really likable or funny, which is a shame, because Reynolds really tries to make the character work. While there are some chuckles from one-liners, a lot of the times, Sonny's moods are very "bipolar", often in the same scene. One minute he says something funny, and thirty seconds later he's moping around feeling sorry for himself.

Dom Deluise also tries very hard to be comical, but again, he is only funny in spurts. The best scene in the movie is with Burt and he on the "tower" trying to carry out Burt's death wish! I think that is the funniest part of the movie. However, most of the time, both protagonists seem forced in their dialog. Burt's fake "crying" is so obvious when he is depressed in this movie, that "Sonny" often becomes more annoying than comical.

I agree with another user who said that "The End" tries to be more than it is. However, the premise of the movie is uncertain where it wants to take the viewer. The first half is more serious than funny, and the second half is more funny than serious, but the movie just doesn't "come together" very well. I put the film just slightly above average at a six for the great "Tower Scene" and the song, "Another Fine Mess", which is good. However, this movie is not as good as it could have been.

Only DeLuise Saves This Whine-Fest

[ccthemovieman-1 · 3/10 · 20 August 2007]

Man, I remember really laughing at this when I saw it in the theaters. But, a look at it again 20 years later on tape was another disappointment. I found that with a lot of 1970s films.

The story still had some decent humor but too much of it contains Burt Reynolds whining and whining about his impending death. It really can grate on you after awhile.

Only after Dom DeLuise enters the film, about halfway through, does the movie take off and become comedic. In fact, his are the only funny scenes. The story's dark humor that may not appeal to everyone.

Doing this review and looking at the "cast of characters" shocked me. I only remember Reynolds and DeLuise. I can't believe that the likes of Joanne Woodward, Pat O'Brien, Strother Martin, Myrna Loy, Robby Benson, Kristy McNichol, Norman Fell and Carl Reiner also were in this. Burt's girl, Sally Field, was here, too, but that's not a surprise. I am sorry to see these classic-era stars in an "R" rated movie. It goes to show you they would have done the same back in the '40s, if allowed.

The story is kind of ironic, though, and maybe I should give this movie another look. I had just gotten into a discussion with several friends about suicide, several of us commenting whether we would consider that as opposed to suffering with a painful, long-term and fatal illness. That's the predicament Reynolds' character finds himself in, in this story. The thing is - and who can't relate to this? - he's too chicken to kill himself! Ha ha. Still, it's DeLuise that will make most people laugh at this film. Reynolds' ego gets in the way of his performance. I wonder if Dr. Kevorkian found this film funny?

Dom's Finest Moment, One of Burt's Finest Too

[bbbaldie · 9/10 · 26 July 2001]

This was, without a doubt, the most hilariously comic performance that the brilliant Dom DeLuise had on film. When, in the midst of a depressed "woe is me" rant, he looks up and asks "Do you think we'll ever switch to the metric system?", well, it just don't get no funnier than that. His botched suicide attempts, as well as his eagerly wanting to help Burt with HIS suicide, oh heck, just go rent it yourself! You'll love it.

Burt was brilliant too. He holds a thin line between wanting to die and wanting to live that is believable. It's a real shame that this movie often gets me blank stares when I tell others about it. More people know about Four Weddings and a Funeral (a movie so horrid that I still refuse to watch another Andie McDowell flick) than this quiet classic. (sigh)

Silly

[lambiepie-2 · 7/10 · 19 September 2005]

I was young when I saw this film..and haven't seen it since so I can tell you at the time I saw it..this was the funniest film ever made to me. It was silly.

You have to be a three stooges-type comedy fan to have affection toward this film. Being young helps too. This is a non-calorie, non-filling type of film...fun for fun sake. And silly. But it was the 70's and Burt Reynodls-Dom Deluise-Sally Field trio had a few films dealing with silly 70's comedy. Silly, not good.

This is what I remember...A very handsome (and self-centered, at least to me) man finds out he has a short time to live. Instead of letting nature take its course, he tried to speed up the process. Now of course this doesn't sound funny. And if something like this was made today, I can imagine the protests (although it sounds ripe for Ben Stiller or the Farley Brothers!)...but it was done as silly as possible to soften the idea. And once again I say, this was silly.

The one part that had me in stitches is when Sonny wakes up to the wonderful, calming, sweet and serene chirping of birds after one of his attempts. yes, it's silly, but if you're in the right frame of mindless silliness, this will have you laugh heartily as well.

If you like slapstick-silly of the 70's, then this film will be for you.

END-less

[JasparLamarCrabb · 3/10 · 22 November 2007]

Not very good. Just because a movie deals with death in a supposedly funny manner, does not make it a black comedy. It would have to be a lot bleaker and MUCH MUCH MUCH funnier than THE END. It seems to want to be better than it is with Burt Reynolds trying mightily to be shockingly funny as a dying man with a death wish, but the movie is simply a waste of a lot of talent. People like Joanne Woodward, Sally Field, Robby Benson(!), and others pop up to act appalled at Reynolds predicament and his plan to knock himself off. Dom DeLuise (who has been very funny for Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder in a few films) is the wacky mental patient tasked with helping Reynolds. Someone told him that shrieking a lot and donning wild hair equals funny. It doesn't! Reynolds clearly thought of himself as a capable comic actor and from time to time (THE LONGEST YARD, SEMI-TOUGH), he succeeded, but mostly his comedies were lame-brained train wrecks that managed to make tons of money...where THE END falls is anyone's guess. Also with Pat O'Brien and Myrna Loy!

An Underrated Home Run for Burt

[ksdilauri · 9/10 · 22 April 2019]

Thanks to my taping this on VHS 20 years ago (from network prime time, with the hard language dubbed over), our whole family was able to see it over the years. Even the kids loved it. We still do. While Burt Reynolds is well-known for macho action, this offbeat black comedy gives us one of his best characters: the fatally-ill Sonny is a selfish, shady man-child who can't maintain a relationship, but thanks to a clever script by Jerry Belson, Reynolds is able to make him funny, and at times, even poignant. He's surrounded by talented cast of veterans including Joanne Woodward, Pat O'Brien, Myrna Loy, Carl Reiner, Sally Field, and an unforgettable Dom DeLuise as the most lovable psychotic you'll ever see. Do not miss Sonny's early scene in the confessional with the wide-eyed, newbie-priest Robby Benson, where Reynolds delivers one of the unsung 'great movie quotes': "Bless me, Dave, for I have sinned." This is one of Burt's best comedies.

Not bad not good

[mm-39 · 6/10 · 13 May 2003]

Funny in a dark sort of way. I like the ending, and Burt Reynolds is funny in a sick way. This film is dated, and looks very 70's. The material is older, but still has some laughs. I caught about a quarter of it, after not seeing it for 10 years, and found it ok, but it depend what mood I am in when I watch it. I would watch it again on TBS but probably chanel surf at the same time. 6/10

Man has deadly disease and cries over spilled milk

[jgxenakis · 2/10 · 9 April 2014]

This film has a 35 year-old sensibility that is as dead as a stump today. We all know that comedy doesn't last, and this one does not at all stand the test of time. The film is a series of disjointed, contrived scenes with a very thin narrative stringing them along. The main character receives a terminal diagnosis and is so bummed out that he wants to kill himself - one knows it's not going to happen from the moment Burt offers up a hysterical crying fit that sounds like a hyena. Burt Reynolds can't act and can't direct. Its boring, plodding pace makes it almost soporific, although the only spark is Dom DeLuise. Yes, I wanted to see Sally and Strother and Dom and others, but gave up and fast-forwarded to their scenes to catch glimpses of them. You will have a better time staring at an aquarium than spending any time with this one.

We're Riding For The Final Round-Up

[parkerr86302 · 28 May 2009]

I first saw THE END on the NBC network around 1980, and thought it was a very funny and yet very touching black comedy about dealing with the end of life. It became one of my favorites. But back in those days, movies were still being heavily edited for television, something I wasn't aware of.

A couple of years after that, I got to see the original theatrical version on cable, and I was shocked! It seemed like a completely different film; the original film was filled with foul language, crude sexual jokes about orgasms and other functions, and other unnecessary excesses. I was very disappointed.

This is the textbook example of just how much difference TV editing can make for a film. It is also an example of how editing can sometimes IMPROVE a movie. Unfortunately, since video, DVD and cable are king now, it is only the unedited theatrical release that is available to viewers. That is a shame, but I still have fond memories of the hilarious and touching comedy I saw on TV so many years ago.

On an unrelated trivia note, when Burt Reynolds published his memoirs a few years ago, he contended that veteran character actor Sam Jaffe had a small role. Apparently this scene ended up on the cutting room floor. Too bad.

A fun movie about suicide

[ArtVandelayImporterExporter · 6/10 · 30 November 2020]

The End is pretty much a Woody Allen movie except Burt Reynolds directs and stars in it. Guy goes to the doctor and learns he has a few months to live, whines a bit, cracks some jokes, and away we go.

Reynolds is just OK, doing altogether too much whining and even more shouting. Sally Field picks up a paycheque. But the rest of the supporting cast really brings it. Norman Fell as the bad news doc is a reminder that Fell was much better than his broadly drawn landlord character on the terrible 70s sitcom Three's Company. ''Father" Robbie Benson has a funny scene. And then there is Dom DeLuise who, like Buckley's cold medicine, is usually best in small doses. His first scene in the hospital next to Burt's bed. I had tears in my eyes by the end of that I was laughing so hard. Dom is channeling Henny Youngman, Jack Benny, Rodney Dangerfield, Robin Williams, at least two of the 3 Stooges, and the aforementioned Woody Allen, all in one crazy scene. The punchline about metric killed me. Academy Award to whoever edited that scene. You gotta know they shot miles of film and then stitched it into a perfect 5-minute bit.

Compared to all those fake good-ol' boy car chase movies Burt churned out in the 70s this was a real nice change of pace.

Burt Reynolds black comedy

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 24 September 2023]

Wendell Sonny Lawson (Burt Reynolds) gets a bad diagnosis with less than a year to live. He tells his girlfriend Mary Ellen (Sally Field). Julie Lawson (Kristy McNichol) is his daughter with his ex-wife Jessica (Joanne Woodward). After a failed suicide attempt, he is sent to a mental institution where he befriends fellow patient Marlon Borunki (Dom DeLuise).

This is an odd little film especially considering Burt's other comedies at the time. The gallows humor works when he's pair with Dom DeLuise. The emotional blackmail with his daughter doesn't. This movie feels rather bumpy. I would prefer staying with Burt and Dom for the most part.

"Bless me Dave, for I have sinned".

[dworldeater · 7/10 · 4 March 2024]

The End is a unusual and quirky movie project that stars and is directed by Burt Reynolds. It's a dark comedy about a guy who is terminally ill and makes many failed attempts to end his life. As someone who has dealt with depression, I can relate to this character. Burt , normally super confident and macho chick magnet shows some vulnerability in this role. He actually is quite mad and there is humor in his madness. One of his suicide attempts has him wind up in the mental hospital and there he befriends Dom Deluise..The two actors share some good chemistry and his real life girlfriend Sally Field appears and they have good romantic chemistry.. Unlike the very popular good old boy car racing blockbusters The End is way less accessible, but very clever comedy that takes some tough subject matter. I thought Burt did a good job here and I am glad he took a chance in making this.

Aggressively obnoxious

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 21 January 2001]

Divorced dad finds out he has an incurable disease; he decides to kill himself before his illness lands him in a hospital ward. What with girlfriend Sally Field acting like a ditz, Father Robby Benson annoyingly clicking his priest's collar against his teeth, mental patient Dom DeLuise overacting like crazy and normally-sane Joanne Woodard playing a nagging harpy, it's no wonder Burt Reynolds wants to die. Trouble is, he directed this sloppy black comedy, which veers wildly from morbid jokes and slapstick to curious seriousness. Kristy McNichol emerges unscathed playing Burt's trusting daughter, though the rest get stuck portraying caricatures, and the handling makes them ugly and pushy. "The End" is tiresomely ego-driven and incompetent. It made me itch. ** from ****

Burt's best and most unappreciated.

[thwingr · 10/10 · 12 June 2005]

Up there with Groundhog Day for philoso-comedy. Carl Reiner makes every second count. Dom is desperately lovable. Sally shows she can act. And Burt is at his understated best. Unfortunately for Burt, he was 25 years too early with this now timely reflection on death and dying -- boomers did not want to be worried about death in 1978. Now that we are beginning to realize that we too are mortal, this movie should get the appreciation it deserves. Those of you who are turned off by movies dealing with ethical and personal dilemmas won't like this movie. You would think that with all the attention paid to the ethics of extending life and assisted suicide that this movie would be required viewing for the right AND left. I am convinced the Burt will be remembered because of this movie. Death be not proud.

Reynolds is Hysterical

[tkdlifemagazine · 7/10 · 16 April 2022]

Burt Reynolds was one of the great action and dramatic stars of the 20th Century. He was also hysterically funny. This movie about a very serious topic-a man dying and coming to terms with the Knowledge-is very funny. Dom Deluise is hysterical and a great partner for Reynolds. Sally Field plus the straight role with Grace. The supporting cast is very good-Norman Fell as the Dr and Robby Benson as the young priest. The comedic direction is masterful in the underrated, now classic comedy. This holds up well.

Do you like life?

[jessedorjeirwin · 2/10 · 8 November 2007]

Then at all costs avoid this movie. I wasn't surprised to see this Burt Reynolds vehicle was directed by auteur Burt Reynolds: it takes a particular kind of vanity project to stink this badly. The fact that both he and costar Dom Deluise continued to thrive in Hollywood after this stinker is proof either of their prodigious personal charisma or the profound unjustness of the universe. Flatly lit and shot like a sitcom. Drastically unfunny. Perhaps if edited down to 10 or 15 minutes this would have made a merry jaunt, but as it is the story moves like glue. Peppered with casual racism. I saw this for free and still wanted a refund. The bright side is that compared to 'The End,' other movies seem just that much better. Also, Mr. Reynolds wears some nice-looking tracksuits.

That's All there is

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 15 August 2006]

For a guy diagnosed with a terminal disease, Burt Reynolds sure pumped a lot of life into this film.

This is the ultimate in black comedies, a man is told he's got a little over a year to live. We would all react in different ways. Burt Reynolds gets this cheerful bit of news and goes immediately berserk and starts acting all kinds of crazy.

Of course everyone around him sees him differently. Wife Joanne Woodward, girl friend Sally Field, parents Pat O'Brien and Myrna Loy. Burt pushes all their buttons except O'Brien who seems oblivious to all.

Reynolds always had a marvelous gift for comedy that in his prime period of the seventies was utilized rather well. His career seemed to go in the same path as Tom Selleck's, I think they could have played a lot of each other's parts.

Of course it was nice to see two veterans of old Hollywood, Myrna Loy and Pat O'Brien in support. They never disappoint.

My favorites though are Strother Martin as the officious head of a mental institution where Reynolds gets committed after some bizarrely unsuccessful suicide attempts and Dom DeLuise as another patient there.

DeLuise when he gets going approaches Robin Williams kind of zaniness and he was working on all cylinders in this film. He's ready to offer all kinds of help to Burt to fulfill his mission.

A fair comedy of a dark subject - saved by a couple of characters

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 24 January 2022]

"The End" is a comedy drama about a middle-aged guy who learns that he has toxic blood poisoning and will probably die within a year. Most of the film is spent in his ways to try to commit suicide - all of which fail. Obviously, this isn't a film for some who wouldn't find humor in it - especially anyone who has a family member, friend or other acquaintance with a terminal illness. Or, for those who lost someone under such circumstances in recent years. And some people may find parts of the film quite negative or distasteful.

There is a considerable cast with some prominent actors, even if most are cameo or short appearances. Burt Reynolds, in the lead as Sonny Lawson, makes it clear at the start that it's a comedy, so it never develops a dark edge. But the best he can do for humor is in his facial expressions, and his reducing the time he has to live to three months, then weeks and finally to three days, in succeeding scenes. Joanne Woodward, Sally Field, and Carl Reiner do well in their roles. Myrna Loy and Pat O'Brien have a short scene with Sonny's visit to his parents.

But the best part of this film, and what earns it six stars, is the role of Marlon Borunki, played by Dom DeLuise. This may be the best comedy performance in a film by DeLuise. It surely is of his films that I have seen so far. His scenes with Sonny bring life into a film that could otherwise be dark and dreary and drag on much of the time. Reiner's scene is also very good but short. Here are my favorite lines from this film.

Marlon Borunki, "You're in La Playa." Sonny Lawson, "The nut house?" Marlon, "That's a cruel label. We prefer, 'booby hatch.'"

Marlon, "I don't buy lands from television. I'm crazy, but I'm not that crazy."

Marlon, "You tried to kill yourself. Unsuccessfully, needless to add."

Marlon, "I'm writing a book on insanity. You should always write about something you know. You know? I'm calling it, 'Fruitcakes I have known.'"

Hit and Miss Comedy

[rollo_tomaso · 5/10 · 14 May 2001]

Some great scenes and imaginative ideas hold interest for the first half of the movie, but once Dom De Luise takes over, ironic satire is dwarfed by outrageous slapstick, and what remains is a feast for those who wish to see a 1970's updating of The Three Stooges, but the satirical dark humor of the first half is then rendered meaningless, except for one inspired bit near the very end of the film. If you don't mind a lot of slapstick, you should find this very amusing.