Amble shaggy dog movie which gets by on the charm of its cast, some excellent stunts, and sheer unpretentiousness of its concept. Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed have to transport some beer over state lines... which I didn't know was a thing but apparently was. The real plot is actually a screwball comedy of runaway bride Sally Field getting a lift from Reynolds.
Field was the X factor of this film - bright, sparky, flirty, game - helping the film do even better than typical Burt Reynolds car films. Jackie Gleason I'm sure has his fans - I didn't grow up with him. I guess he was a decent foil. Mike Henry is his son, the straight man, Jerry Reed's dog is fun (I got confused how the job split between Reed and Reynolds).
There's a lovely sense of camaraderie and fun. Hal Needham backed himself and was right to do so.
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Supposedly one of Alfred Hitchcock's favorite films, according to his daughter Pat. I was surprised to learn this until I realized it's the kind of movie Hitch liked to make: part cross-country chase, part screwball comedy.
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