The End

At the beginning of The End, Wendell Sonny Lawson (Burt Reynolds) is informed by his doctor that he's dying from "the same thing Ali MacGraw had in Love Story." Lawson's first reaction is to cry uncontrollably, much to the discomfort of his fellow elevator passengers. He heads to a nearby church to ...more

Although it isn't as well remembered as Smokey and the Bandit or The Longest Yard, this is one of Burt Reynolds' finest all-around achievements. Jerry Belson's script is a marvel of black comedy, balancing its distinctly non-PC takes on life, family, and mental health with enough unexpected moments of heart and drama to keep it from devolving into a mean-spirited rant. Reynolds lives up to the daring of this offbeat material by throwing himself into it fearlessly, making the character of Sonny ...more