“Semi-Tough” is a sports comedy-drama movie starring Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, and Jill Clayburgh. The plot features a love triangle between the three and includes a parody of Werner Erhard’s New Age EST seminars, all set in the world of U. S. professional football.
All of this is more than enough to hold the viewer’s interest. Director Michael Ritchie (“The Candidate” 1972) did a good job of holding everything together in a watchable form and managing big name stars and their egos. The smooth screenplay was written by Walter Bernstein, Dan Jenkins, and Ring Lardner Jr., adapted from the 1972 novel of the same name by Dan Jenkins.
Some of the cast members were given interesting roles, such as Robert Preston as the owner of the football team (also Clayburgh’s father) and Burt Convy, often a television game show host, in this film played the off-beat New Age seminar leader. Co-stars include Roger E. Mosley, Lotte Lenya, Richard Masur, Carl Weathers, Brian Dennehy, Mary Jo Catlett, Ron Silver, Joe Kapp, Jim McKrell, Peter Bromilow, and Norman Alden.
Gene Autry’s cowboy music was featured in the football game scenes, adding to the off-beat charm of “Semi-Tough,” something of a Burt Reynolds vehicle, and a huge success at the box office for producer David Merrick and United Artists.
Semi-Tough (1977)
cinema
My Review
“Semi-Tough” is a sports comedy-drama movie starring Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, and Jill Clayburgh. The plot features a love triangle between the three and includes a parody of Werner Erhard’s New Age EST seminars, all set in the world of U. S. professional football.
All of this is more than enough to hold the viewer’s interest. Director Michael Ritchie (“The Candidate” 1972) did a good job of holding everything together in a watchable form and managing big name stars and their egos. The smooth screenplay was written by Walter Bernstein, Dan Jenkins, and Ring Lardner Jr., adapted from the 1972 novel of the same name by Dan Jenkins.
Some of the cast members were given interesting roles, such as Robert Preston as the owner of the football team (also Clayburgh’s father) and Burt Convy, often a television game show host, in this film played the off-beat New Age seminar leader. Co-stars include Roger E. Mosley, Lotte Lenya, Richard Masur, Carl Weathers, Brian Dennehy, Mary Jo Catlett, Ron Silver, Joe Kapp, Jim McKrell, Peter Bromilow, and Norman Alden.
Gene Autry’s cowboy music was featured in the football game scenes, adding to the off-beat charm of “Semi-Tough,” something of a Burt Reynolds vehicle, and a huge success at the box office for producer David Merrick and United Artists.