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{{Short description|1977 US sports comedy film by Michael Ritchie}} | ||
| {{Infobox film | {{Infobox film | ||
| | name = Semi-Tough | | name = Semi-Tough | ||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
| | caption = ] by ] | | caption = ] by ] | ||
| | director = ] | | director = ] | ||
| | writer = ]<br>]<br>] | |||
| | producer = ] | | producer = ] | ||
| | screenplay = ]<br />] (uncredited) | | screenplay = ]<br />] (uncredited) | ||
| Line 17: | Line 18: | ||
| | country = United States | | country = United States | ||
| | language = English | | language = English | ||
| | budget = $5.7 million<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/55914-SEMI-TOUGH|title=AFI|Catalog|website=Catalog.afi.com|access-date=25 June 2022}}</ref> | |||
| | budget = | |||
| | gross = $37,187,139<ref name="mojo">{{Cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=semitough.htm|publisher=]|title=Semi-Tough, Box Office Information| |
| gross = $37,187,139<ref name="mojo">{{Cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=semitough.htm|publisher=]|title=Semi-Tough, Box Office Information|access-date=June 24, 2012}}</ref> | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''''Semi-Tough''''' is a 1977 American ] ] directed by ] and starring ], ], ], ], ], and ]. It is set in the world of American professional football. | '''''Semi-Tough''''' is a 1977 American ] ] directed by ] and starring ], ], ], ], ], and ]. It is set in the world of American professional football. | ||
| The plot involves a ] between the characters portrayed by Reynolds, Kristofferson, and Clayburgh. ''Semi-Tough'' also includes a parody of ]'s ] (''est''), depicted in the film as an organization called "B.E.A.T."<ref>{{cite book | last = Wakeman | first = John | title = World Film Directors | publisher = H.W. Wilson | year = 1988 | page = |
The plot involves a ] between the characters portrayed by Reynolds, Kristofferson, and Clayburgh. ''Semi-Tough'' also includes a parody of ]'s ] (''est''), depicted in the film as an organization called "B.E.A.T.".<ref>{{cite book | last = Wakeman | first = John | title = World Film Directors | publisher = H.W. Wilson | year = 1988 | page = | isbn = 0-8242-0757-2 | url = https://archive.org/details/worldfilmdirecto0000unse/page/890 }}</ref> | ||
| The film is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by ]. It was adapted for the screen by writer ] and director Ritchie, who added a new storyline that included a satire of the ] movement and ]. | The film is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by ]. It was adapted for the screen by writer ] and director Ritchie, who added a new storyline that included a satire of the ] movement and ]. | ||
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| ==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
| Wide receiver Marvin "Shake" Tiller and running back Billy Clyde Puckett are football buddies who play for a Miami pro team owned by Big Ed Bookman |
Wide receiver Marvin "Shake" Tiller and running back Billy Clyde Puckett are football buddies who play for a Miami pro team owned by "Big Ed" Bookman.<ref name="bergan">{{cite book | last = Bergan | first = Ronald | title = Sports in the Movies | publisher = Proteus | year = 1982 | page = 52 | isbn = 0-86276-031-3}}</ref> Bookman's daughter Barbara Jane is roommates with both men, and the film depicts a subtle love triangle relationship developing between Barbara Jane and her two friends.<ref name="columbia" /><ref>{{cite book | last = Giannetti | first = Louis D. | title = Understanding Movies | publisher = Prentice-Hall | year = 1987 | page = 48 | isbn = 0-13-936329-7}}</ref> Initially the three of them are just good friends, but she begins to have romantic feelings for Shake, who has become more self-confident after taking ] training from seminar leader Friedrich Bismark.<ref name="allmovieguide">{{cite news | last = Staff | title = Semi-Tough, section, Plot Synopsis | work = ] | publisher = All Media Guide, LLC. | url = http://allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:43686 | access-date = 2007-10-24}}</ref><ref name="variety" /> The program is called Bismark Energy Action Training, or B.E.A.T. After Shake completes his course, Barbara Jane and he have sex and start a relationship. They plan to marry after the football season ends. | ||
| Barbara Jane is determined to make it work, so she attends B.E.A.T. in an effort to "get it. |
Barbara Jane is not a follower of B.E.A.T., and Shake is warned by his leader Bismark that "mixed marriages don't work".<ref name="silvester" /> Barbara Jane is determined to make it work, so she attends B.E.A.T. in an effort to "get it".<ref name="silvester" /> At the end of the long training session, she is worn out from Bismark's "sadistic abuse, pious drivel, and sheer double talk".<ref name="silvester" /> She also feels guilty that she did not "get it". Shake is insistent that the training has had proven results for him, noting that he has not dropped a football pass since completing B.E.A.T.<ref name="silvester" /> | ||
| Billy Clyde also has feelings for Barbara Jane and, without telling Shake or Barbara Jean beforehand, enrolls in the same B.E.A.T. training session as Barbara Jane in order to understand what she is going through.<ref name="timereview" /> In the training, Billy Clyde is shown coping successfully with the seminar rules that prohibit going to the bathroom or talking to other trainees.<ref>{{cite book | last = Wakefield | first = Dan | title = How Do We Know When It's God?: A Spiritual Memoir | publisher = Back Bay | year = 1999 | page = 30 | isbn = 0-316-91719-2}}</ref> When the trainees are encouraged to express their most repressed feelings, he exhibits the strongest, most primal display of them all. Shake is surprised to see Billy Clyde emerge from Barbara Jane's B.E.A.T. training session. Billy Clyde "confesses" to Shake that he took the training so that he'd be able to mock it more effectively afterwards, but says that he actually "got it". For a time, he pretends he underwent a conversion to Bismark's way of thinking, often using B.E.A.T. terminology and clichés in everyday conversation. | |||
| Shake worries that Barbara Jane hasn't "gotten it", and Billy Clyde tries to reassure Shake that it doesn't matter, but Shake remains dubious. During the wedding, as Big Ed escorts Barbara Jane to the altar, the minister turns to Bismark and gives him some advice on how he can avoid ] in his business.<ref name="silvester" /> When the minister asks Shake if he takes Barbara Jane to be his wife, he hesitates and finally says "no". An outraged Big Ed vows to trade Shake to the worst team in the league, then tells Bismark to "experience this" as he punches him in the face, starting a general brawl. Billy Clyde makes a disparaging remark about Bismark to Barbara Jane, causing her to realize that he had been sandbagging all along about having "gotten it" from B.E.A.T. The two of them leave in the commotion, and reveal their feelings about each other as they walk along the beach in their wedding attire.<ref name="columbia">{{cite book | last = Rollins | first = Peter C. | title = The Columbia Companion to American History on Film | url = https://archive.org/details/columbiacompanio00roll | url-access = limited | publisher = Columbia University Press | year = 2003 | pages = –368 | isbn = 0-231-11222-X}}</ref><ref name="timereview" /> | |||
| ==Cast== | ==Cast== | ||
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| * ] as Marvin "Shake" Tiller | * ] as Marvin "Shake" Tiller | ||
| * ] as Barbara Jane Bookman | * ] as Barbara Jane Bookman | ||
| * ] as Big Ed Bookman | * ] as Ed "Big Ed" Bookman | ||
| * ] as Friedrich Bismark | * ] as Friedrich Bismark | ||
| * ] as Puddin Patterson Sr. | * ] as "Puddin" Patterson Sr. | ||
| * ] as Clara Pelf | * ] as Clara Pelf | ||
| * ] as Phillip Hooper | * ] as Phillip Hooper | ||
| * ] as Dreamer Tatum | * ] as "Dreamer" Tatum | ||
| * ] as T.J. Lambert | * ] as T.J. Lambert | ||
| * ] as Earlene Emery | * ] as Earlene Emery | ||
| Line 58: | Line 63: | ||
| ===Adaptation=== | ===Adaptation=== | ||
| ''Semi-Tough'' is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Dan Jenkins, and the screenplay was written by ].<ref name="variety" /><ref name="timereview" /> Bernstein and director ] used parts of Jenkins's novel and added parodies of self-help groups, new religions, and the ].<ref name="timereview" /> Ritchie was partially influenced by ] book, ''Powers of Mind''.<ref name="monaco" /> Though the screenplay altered his original work, Dan Jenkins wrote that ''Semi-Tough'' "wasn't a horrible movie in my opinion".<ref name="jenkins">{{cite book | last = Jenkins | first = Dan | |
''Semi-Tough'' is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Dan Jenkins, and the screenplay was written by ].<ref name="variety" /><ref name="timereview" /> Bernstein and director ] used parts of Jenkins's novel and added parodies of self-help groups, new religions, and the ].<ref name="timereview" /> Ritchie was partially influenced by ] book, ''Powers of Mind''.<ref name="monaco" /> Though the screenplay altered his original work, Dan Jenkins wrote that ''Semi-Tough'' "wasn't a horrible movie in my opinion".<ref name="jenkins">{{cite book | last = Jenkins | first = Dan | author-link = Dan Jenkins | title = You Call It Sports, But I Say It's a Jungle Out There | publisher = ] | year = 1989 | page = 311 | isbn = 0-671-69021-3}}</ref> Jenkins later commented that the film adaptation of his book ''Baja Oklahoma '' was: "a lot more faithful to the novel than ''Semi-Tough'' ever was".<ref>{{cite news | last = Staff | title = Jenkins praises 'Baja Oklahoma' | work = ] | date = January 24, 1988 }}</ref> | ||
| ===Preparation=== | ===Preparation=== | ||
| Burt Reynolds began training with Kris Kristofferson to get in shape before film production.<ref>{{cite book | last = Reynolds | first = Burt | |
Burt Reynolds began training with Kris Kristofferson to get in shape before film production.<ref>{{cite book | last = Reynolds | first = Burt | author-link = Burt Reynolds | title = My Life, by Burt Reynolds | publisher = Hyperion | year = 1994 | page = | isbn = 0-7868-6130-4 | url = https://archive.org/details/mylifereyn00reyn/page/222 }}</ref> Before work began on the film, actor Bert Convy attended one of Werner Erhard's est training sessions to prepare for his role as B.E.A.T. seminar leader Friedrich Bismark.<ref name="silvester">{{cite book | last = Silvester | first = Christopher |author2=Steven Bach | title = The Grove Book of Hollywood | publisher = Grove Press | year = 2002 | pages = 555–560 | isbn = 0-8021-3878-0}}</ref> Pro football stars were hired to give realism to the film, including ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite book | last = Cech | first = Jim | title = Oak Creek: 50 Years of Progress | publisher = Arcadia Publishing | year = 2005 | page = 29 | isbn = 0-7385-3392-0}}</ref><ref name="costello" /> The football scenes were shot at the ].<ref>{{cite book | last = Gordon | first = William A. | title = Shot on This Site | year = 1995 | page = | publisher = Citadel Press | isbn = 0-8065-1647-X | url = https://archive.org/details/shotonthissitetr00gord/page/167 }}</ref> | ||
| == Parodies of self-improvement, new religions == | == Parodies of self-improvement, new religions == | ||
| Bernstein and Ritchie's modified screenplay based on Jenkins' book includes a storyline with "satiric jabs" at new religions, self-improvement, and the Human Potential Movement. A form of ] is also parodied in the film by ], whose character Clara Pelf is seen as a spoof of "a Rolf-like masseuse".<ref name="silvester" /> Big Ed Bookman is seen crawling around on all fours practicing something called "creep therapy" or "movagenics".<ref name="silvester" /> Movagenics is seen in the film as a way for individuals to find their "lost center of consciousness".<ref name="timereview" /> Big Ed Bookman is also shown ] for "Movagenics", a fictional group in the film which '']'' referred to in its review as both a ] and a new faith.<ref name="timereview" /> | Bernstein and Ritchie's modified screenplay based on Jenkins' book includes a storyline with "satiric jabs" at new religions, self-improvement, and the Human Potential Movement. A form of ] is also parodied in the film by ], whose character Clara Pelf is seen as a spoof of "a Rolf-like masseuse".<ref name="silvester" /> Big Ed Bookman is seen crawling around on all fours practicing something called "creep therapy" or "movagenics".<ref name="silvester" /> Movagenics is seen in the film as a way for individuals to find their "lost center of consciousness".<ref name="timereview" /> Big Ed Bookman is also shown ] for "Movagenics", a fictional group in the film which '']'' referred to in its review as both a ] and a new faith.<ref name="timereview" /> | ||
| The film includes a parody with B.E.A.T. as a stand-in for est.<ref name="magill">{{cite book | last = Magill | first = Frank |author2=Stephen L. Hanson |author3=Patricia King Hanson | title = Magill's Survey of Cinema | url = https://archive.org/details/magillssurveyofc01magi | url-access = registration | publisher = Salem Press | year = 1981 | page= |
The film includes a parody with B.E.A.T. as a stand-in for ] .<ref name="magill">{{cite book | last = Magill | first = Frank |author2=Stephen L. Hanson |author3=Patricia King Hanson | title = Magill's Survey of Cinema | url = https://archive.org/details/magillssurveyofc01magi | url-access = registration | publisher = Salem Press | year = 1981 | page= | isbn = 0-89356-230-0}}</ref><ref name="mulligan">{{cite book | last = Mulligan | first = Pat | title = The Life and Times of a Hollywood Bad Boy | publisher = AuthorHouse | year = 2006 | page = 94 | isbn = 1-4259-5008-6}}</ref> In ''American Film Now'', Friedrich Bismark is simply described as "the Werner Erhard character".<ref name="monaco" /> ''The Grove Book of Hollywood'' describes Bert Convy as a "Werner Erhard-lookalike", in his portrayal of Friedrich Bismark. Barbara Jane Bookman's guilty feelings for not "getting it" after completing her B.E.A.T. seminar are seen as a reference to: "how creeds like est put nonbelievers on the defensive". The book also notes: "The film captures the peculiar mixture of spirituality and pragmatism that surrounded est", and also describes the minister's capital gains tax advice to Friedrich Bismark at Shake's wedding as "sardonic".<ref name="silvester" /> A 1977 review in ''TIME'' refers to Friedrich Bismark's B.E.A.T. as "an est-like movement", and notes: "the Ritchie-Bernstein version of an est seminar is done with marvelous malice".<ref name="timereview" /> ''Psychiatry and the Cinema'' characterizes the film as a "devastating parody" of the est training.<ref>{{cite book | last = Gabbard | first = Glen O. |author2=Krin Gabbard | title = Psychiatry and the Cinema | publisher = American Psychiatric Pub, Inc. | year = 1999 | page = 128 | isbn = 0-88048-964-2}}</ref> | ||
| After ''Semi-Tough'''s release in 1977, Bert Convy was contacted by a number of est followers, as well as by Werner Erhard.<ref name="silvester" /> After Convy appeared on '']'' and discussed his experiences attending Erhard Seminars Training in preparation for his role as Friedrich Bismark, he received a letter from Erhard stating: "it would be great for us to get together".<ref name="silvester" /> Of the est seminar itself, Convy recalled that when another attendee complained of a headache during the course, the group leader told him to "experience it", and when another attendee wet his pants, he was told to "experience the warmth".<ref name="silvester" /> In a scene from the film, a woman exclaims to Friedrich Bismark in the middle of a seminar: "I peed in my pants and it felt ''good.''"<ref>{{cite news | last = Taylor | first = Charles | title = 'Dogville': Lars von Trier's Depression-era fable has been labeled 'anti-American,' but it's even worse: It's anti-human. | work = ] | date = March 26, 2004 | url = http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/review/2004/03/26/dogville/index.html | |
After ''Semi-Tough'''s release in 1977, Bert Convy was contacted by a number of est followers, as well as by Werner Erhard.<ref name="silvester" /> After Convy appeared on '']'' and discussed his experiences attending Erhard Seminars Training in preparation for his role as Friedrich Bismark, he received a letter from Erhard stating: "it would be great for us to get together".<ref name="silvester" /> Of the est seminar itself, Convy recalled that when another attendee complained of a headache during the course, the group leader told him to "experience it", and when another attendee wet his pants, he was told to "experience the warmth".<ref name="silvester" /> In a scene from the film, a woman exclaims to Friedrich Bismark in the middle of a seminar: "I peed in my pants and it felt ''good.''"<ref>{{cite news | last = Taylor | first = Charles | title = 'Dogville': Lars von Trier's Depression-era fable has been labeled 'anti-American,' but it's even worse: It's anti-human. | work = ] | date = March 26, 2004 | url = http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/review/2004/03/26/dogville/index.html | access-date = 2007-10-26 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071127093546/http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/review/2004/03/26/dogville/index.html | archive-date = November 27, 2007 }}</ref> During actual filming on ''Semi-Tough'', Convy received a late-night phone call from actress ], known in Hollywood as a devoted student of Werner Erhard.<ref name="silvester" /> She related to Convy that Erhard was "pleased" with the role, and she wished him success in the film. Convy suspected that her real reason for calling was to subtly pressure him to go easy on his parody of Erhard in the film.<ref name="silvester" /> Harper is mentioned by name in the completed film. | ||
| ==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
| ===Box office and releases=== | ===Box office and releases=== | ||
| The film grossed $37,187,139 at the box office.<ref name="mojo"/> ''Semi-Tough'' was later developed as a |
The film grossed $37,187,139 at the box office.<ref name="mojo"/> ''Semi-Tough'' was later developed as a short-lived television series with a similar theme, and was a candidate to be picked up in the fall of 1980.<ref>{{cite news | last = Staff | title = Arts Gratia Arfis: TV's candidates for the fall | work = ] | publisher = Time Inc. | date = April 21, 1980 | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,924016,00.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090516071319/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,924016,00.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = May 16, 2009 | access-date = 2007-10-24}} | ||
| </ref> The |
</ref><ref name="hoff">Hasselhoff, David. ''Don't Hassel the Hoff: The Autobiography''. New York: St. Martin's P, 2007. Web. 23 Aug. 2022.</ref> The 1980 series starred ] playing Burt Reynolds' original role, with co-star ].<ref name="hoff"/><ref>P. Laurence, R. (2006, October 2). NETWORK GUILTY OF PILING ON. San Diego Union-Tribune, The (CA), pp. D-1. Available from NewsBank: Access World News: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.ccclez.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/1148EA9065EF1EE0.</ref> The film has since been released in both ] and ] formats.<ref name="variety" /> | ||
| ===Awards=== | ===Awards=== | ||
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| ], 1991: ] wrote that Reynolds' charm made up for deficiencies in the script of ''Semi-Tough''.<ref name="maltin" />]] | ], 1991: ] wrote that Reynolds' charm made up for deficiencies in the script of ''Semi-Tough''.<ref name="maltin" />]] | ||
| The press disagreed on the satire of Erhard in the film, some praising it, some not. '']'' criticized the film, save for its satirical nature: "The movie isn't much - an erratic ramble - but it has some pleasant moments, and a delicious send-up of the self-improvement guru Werner Erhard."<ref>{{cite news | last = Staff | title = Our Reynolds Rap -- Burt Is Inert; | work = ] | publisher = ] | date = May 27, 2005 }}</ref> '']'' praised Bert Convy's portrayal of the self-help guru Frederick Bismark, and called Convy: "… a hilariously smug consciousness-raiser with a more than passing resemblance to EST's Werner Erhard".<ref name="charlotte">{{cite news | last = Staff | title = Videos Bring Back Grit, Grime, Romance of Football Movies | work = ] | publisher = ] | date = January 25, 1987 }}</ref> ''Magill's Survey of Cinema'' described the film as a chiding of American "religious fads and philosophies",<ref name="magill" /> and ''The Grove Book of Hollywood'' called it a "cheeky film" that poked fun at the "est" craze and other human potential fads.<ref name="silvester" /> ''TIME'' called the film one of 1977's best comedies, and also noted that it was: "without a doubt the year's most socially useful film".<ref name="timereview">{{cite news | last = Schnickel | first = Richard | title = Good Ole Boys | work = ] | publisher = Time Inc. | date = November 21, 1977 | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,915740,00.html | The press disagreed on the satire of Erhard in the film, some praising it, some not. '']'' criticized the film, save for its satirical nature: "The movie isn't much - an erratic ramble - but it has some pleasant moments, and a delicious send-up of the self-improvement guru Werner Erhard."<ref>{{cite news | last = Staff | title = Our Reynolds Rap -- Burt Is Inert; | work = ] | publisher = ] | date = May 27, 2005 }}</ref> '']'' praised Bert Convy's portrayal of the self-help guru Frederick Bismark, and called Convy: "… a hilariously smug consciousness-raiser with a more than passing resemblance to EST's Werner Erhard".<ref name="charlotte">{{cite news | last = Staff | title = Videos Bring Back Grit, Grime, Romance of Football Movies | work = ] | publisher = ] | date = January 25, 1987 }}</ref> ''Magill's Survey of Cinema'' described the film as a chiding of American "religious fads and philosophies",<ref name="magill" /> and ''The Grove Book of Hollywood'' called it a "cheeky film" that poked fun at the "est" craze and other human potential fads.<ref name="silvester" /> ''TIME'' called the film one of 1977's best comedies, and also noted that it was: "without a doubt the year's most socially useful film".<ref name="timereview">{{cite news | last = Schnickel | first = Richard | title = Good Ole Boys | work = ] | publisher = Time Inc. | date = November 21, 1977 | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,915740,00.html | ||
| | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081215105421/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,915740,00.html | |||
| ⚫ | | |
||
| | url-status = dead | |||
| | archive-date = December 15, 2008 | |||
| ⚫ | | access-date = 2007-10-25}}</ref> | ||
| The film did not receive a positive review in '']'', where the reviewer commented: "''Semi-Tough'' begins as a bawdy and lively romantic comedy about slap-happy pro football players, then slows down to a too-inside putdown of contemporary self-help programs."<ref name="variety">{{cite news | last = Staff | title = V Film: Semi-Tough | work = ] | publisher = Reed Business Information | date = January 1, 1977 | url = https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117794740.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 | |
The film did not receive a positive review in '']'', where the reviewer commented: "''Semi-Tough'' begins as a bawdy and lively romantic comedy about slap-happy pro football players, then slows down to a too-inside putdown of contemporary self-help programs."<ref name="variety">{{cite news | last = Staff | title = V Film: Semi-Tough | work = ] | publisher = Reed Business Information | date = January 1, 1977 | url = https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117794740.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 | access-date = 2007-10-24 }}</ref> ''Variety'' noted that stars Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, and Jill Clayburgh were "excellent" within the "zigzag" script and poor direction they were given.<ref name="variety" /> Michael Costello of '']'' also criticized the script, and wrote: "While much of this is quite predictable, a number of the jokes score, Burt Reynolds works his charm overtime, and Jill Clayburgh and Kris Kristofferson are effective as comic foils."<ref name="costello">{{cite news | last = Costello | first = Michael | title = Semi-Tough, section, Review | work = ] | publisher = All Media Guide, LLC. | url = https://allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:43686~T1 | access-date = 2007-10-24}}</ref> In ''American Film Now'', author James Monaco commented on director Michael Ritchie's directing style in ''Semi-Tough'', stating that in the film Ritchie was "speaking in a professional voice".<ref name="monaco" /> Monaco noted that Ritchie's prior films evoked a more personal tone, and had more of a sense of wonder than ''Semi-Tough''.<ref name="monaco" /> | ||
| Chapman's ''In Search of Stupidity'' characterized the film as: "Possibly one of the best movies ever made by Burt Reynolds", and described the film's parody of est as accurate and amusing.<ref name="chapman">{{cite book | last = Chapman | first = Merrill R. (Rick) | title = In Search of Stupidity: Over 20 Years of High-tech Marketing Disasters | publisher = Apress | year = 2006 | page = xxix | isbn = 1-59059-721-4}}</ref> ] criticized parts of the script, stating that Reynolds' charm filled in for the film's other deficiencies.<ref name="maltin">{{cite book | last = Maltin | first = Leonard | |
Chapman's ''In Search of Stupidity'' characterized the film as: "Possibly one of the best movies ever made by Burt Reynolds", and described the film's parody of est as accurate and amusing.<ref name="chapman">{{cite book | last = Chapman | first = Merrill R. (Rick) | title = In Search of Stupidity: Over 20 Years of High-tech Marketing Disasters | publisher = Apress | year = 2006 | page = xxix | isbn = 1-59059-721-4}}</ref> ] criticized parts of the script, stating that Reynolds' charm filled in for the film's other deficiencies.<ref name="maltin">{{cite book | last = Maltin | first = Leonard | author-link = Leonard Maltin | title = Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide | publisher = PENGUIN Group (USA) Inc | year = 1998 | page = 1206 | isbn = 0-451-19582-5}}</ref> Hunsberger criticized Ritchie's screenplay adaptation in his work ''The Quintessential Dictionary'', complaining that the game of football should have supported the film as a plot device, but was instead left to the side in favor of other stories.<ref>{{cite book | last = Hunsberger | first = I. Moyer | title = The Quintessential Dictionary | url = https://archive.org/details/quintessentialdi00huns | url-access = registration | publisher = Hart Pub. Co. | year = 1978 | location = New York City | page = | isbn = 9780805512618 }}</ref> | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| ⚫ | {{Portal|Comedy|Film|Psychology}} | ||
| * '']'' | * '']'' | ||
| * ] | |||
| {{Clear}} | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist |
{{Reflist}} | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| * {{Allmovie title|43686}} | |||
| * {{IMDb title|0078227}} | * {{IMDb title|0078227}} | ||
| * {{Rotten-tomatoes|semitough}} | * {{Rotten-tomatoes|semitough}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 05:36, 22 December 2024
1977 US sports comedy film by Michael Ritchie| Semi-Tough | |
|---|---|
 film poster by Robert McGinnis | |
| Directed by | Michael Ritchie |
| Written by | Walter Bernstein Dan Jenkins Ring Lardner Jr. |
| Screenplay by | Walter Bernstein Ring Lardner Jr. (uncredited) |
| Based on | Semi-Tough by Dan Jenkins |
| Produced by | David Merrick |
| Starring | Burt Reynolds Kris Kristofferson Jill Clayburgh Robert Preston Lotte Lenya Bert Convy Brian Dennehy |
| Cinematography | Charles Rosher Jr. |
| Edited by | Richard A. Harris |
| Music by | Jerry Fielding |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5.7 million |
| Box office | $37,187,139 |
Semi-Tough is a 1977 American sports comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, Jill Clayburgh, Robert Preston, Lotte Lenya, and Bert Convy. It is set in the world of American professional football.
The plot involves a love triangle between the characters portrayed by Reynolds, Kristofferson, and Clayburgh. Semi-Tough also includes a parody of Werner Erhard's Erhard Seminars Training (est), depicted in the film as an organization called "B.E.A.T.".
The film is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by Dan Jenkins. It was adapted for the screen by writer Walter Bernstein and director Ritchie, who added a new storyline that included a satire of the self-help movement and new religions.
Semi-Tough follows the story of pro football friends Billy Clyde Puckett and Marvin "Shake" Tiller, who have a third roommate, Barbara Jane Bookman. A romance develops between Shake and Barbara Jane when he becomes self-confident after completing a self awareness course called "B.E.A.T.", at which point Billy Clyde slyly makes a play to win her for himself.
The film received mixed receptions. Some reviewers praised its parodies of the est training, Erhard and other new age movements such as Rolfing. Others criticized the script and direction, noting that some of director Ritchie's previous films had more of a personal tone. Still other reviews lamented the film's departure from the novel Semi-Tough, which dealt with football rather than the new age movement.
Plot
Wide receiver Marvin "Shake" Tiller and running back Billy Clyde Puckett are football buddies who play for a Miami pro team owned by "Big Ed" Bookman. Bookman's daughter Barbara Jane is roommates with both men, and the film depicts a subtle love triangle relationship developing between Barbara Jane and her two friends. Initially the three of them are just good friends, but she begins to have romantic feelings for Shake, who has become more self-confident after taking self-improvement training from seminar leader Friedrich Bismark. The program is called Bismark Energy Action Training, or B.E.A.T. After Shake completes his course, Barbara Jane and he have sex and start a relationship. They plan to marry after the football season ends.
Barbara Jane is not a follower of B.E.A.T., and Shake is warned by his leader Bismark that "mixed marriages don't work". Barbara Jane is determined to make it work, so she attends B.E.A.T. in an effort to "get it". At the end of the long training session, she is worn out from Bismark's "sadistic abuse, pious drivel, and sheer double talk". She also feels guilty that she did not "get it". Shake is insistent that the training has had proven results for him, noting that he has not dropped a football pass since completing B.E.A.T.
Billy Clyde also has feelings for Barbara Jane and, without telling Shake or Barbara Jean beforehand, enrolls in the same B.E.A.T. training session as Barbara Jane in order to understand what she is going through. In the training, Billy Clyde is shown coping successfully with the seminar rules that prohibit going to the bathroom or talking to other trainees. When the trainees are encouraged to express their most repressed feelings, he exhibits the strongest, most primal display of them all. Shake is surprised to see Billy Clyde emerge from Barbara Jane's B.E.A.T. training session. Billy Clyde "confesses" to Shake that he took the training so that he'd be able to mock it more effectively afterwards, but says that he actually "got it". For a time, he pretends he underwent a conversion to Bismark's way of thinking, often using B.E.A.T. terminology and clichés in everyday conversation.
Shake worries that Barbara Jane hasn't "gotten it", and Billy Clyde tries to reassure Shake that it doesn't matter, but Shake remains dubious. During the wedding, as Big Ed escorts Barbara Jane to the altar, the minister turns to Bismark and gives him some advice on how he can avoid capital gains tax in his business. When the minister asks Shake if he takes Barbara Jane to be his wife, he hesitates and finally says "no". An outraged Big Ed vows to trade Shake to the worst team in the league, then tells Bismark to "experience this" as he punches him in the face, starting a general brawl. Billy Clyde makes a disparaging remark about Bismark to Barbara Jane, causing her to realize that he had been sandbagging all along about having "gotten it" from B.E.A.T. The two of them leave in the commotion, and reveal their feelings about each other as they walk along the beach in their wedding attire.
Cast
- Burt Reynolds as Billy Clyde Puckett
- Kris Kristofferson as Marvin "Shake" Tiller
- Jill Clayburgh as Barbara Jane Bookman
- Robert Preston as Ed "Big Ed" Bookman
- Bert Convy as Friedrich Bismark
- Roger E. Mosley as "Puddin" Patterson Sr.
- Lotte Lenya as Clara Pelf
- Richard Masur as Phillip Hooper
- Carl Weathers as "Dreamer" Tatum
- Brian Dennehy as T.J. Lambert
- Mary Jo Catlett as Earlene Emery
- Joe Kapp as Hose Manning
- Ron Silver as Vlada Kostov
- Jim McKrell as Bud McNair
- Peter Bromilow as Kostov's Interpreter
- Norman Alden as Coach Alvin Parks
Production
Adaptation
Semi-Tough is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Dan Jenkins, and the screenplay was written by Walter Bernstein. Bernstein and director Michael Ritchie used parts of Jenkins's novel and added parodies of self-help groups, new religions, and the Human Potential Movement. Ritchie was partially influenced by Adam Smith's book, Powers of Mind. Though the screenplay altered his original work, Dan Jenkins wrote that Semi-Tough "wasn't a horrible movie in my opinion". Jenkins later commented that the film adaptation of his book Baja Oklahoma was: "a lot more faithful to the novel than Semi-Tough ever was".
Preparation
Burt Reynolds began training with Kris Kristofferson to get in shape before film production. Before work began on the film, actor Bert Convy attended one of Werner Erhard's est training sessions to prepare for his role as B.E.A.T. seminar leader Friedrich Bismark. Pro football stars were hired to give realism to the film, including John Matuszak, Paul Hornung, Joe Kapp, and Ed "Too Tall" Jones. The football scenes were shot at the Cotton Bowl.
Parodies of self-improvement, new religions
Bernstein and Ritchie's modified screenplay based on Jenkins' book includes a storyline with "satiric jabs" at new religions, self-improvement, and the Human Potential Movement. A form of Rolfing is also parodied in the film by Lotte Lenya, whose character Clara Pelf is seen as a spoof of "a Rolf-like masseuse". Big Ed Bookman is seen crawling around on all fours practicing something called "creep therapy" or "movagenics". Movagenics is seen in the film as a way for individuals to find their "lost center of consciousness". Big Ed Bookman is also shown proselytizing for "Movagenics", a fictional group in the film which TIME referred to in its review as both a cult and a new faith.
The film includes a parody with B.E.A.T. as a stand-in for est . In American Film Now, Friedrich Bismark is simply described as "the Werner Erhard character". The Grove Book of Hollywood describes Bert Convy as a "Werner Erhard-lookalike", in his portrayal of Friedrich Bismark. Barbara Jane Bookman's guilty feelings for not "getting it" after completing her B.E.A.T. seminar are seen as a reference to: "how creeds like est put nonbelievers on the defensive". The book also notes: "The film captures the peculiar mixture of spirituality and pragmatism that surrounded est", and also describes the minister's capital gains tax advice to Friedrich Bismark at Shake's wedding as "sardonic". A 1977 review in TIME refers to Friedrich Bismark's B.E.A.T. as "an est-like movement", and notes: "the Ritchie-Bernstein version of an est seminar is done with marvelous malice". Psychiatry and the Cinema characterizes the film as a "devastating parody" of the est training.
After Semi-Tough's release in 1977, Bert Convy was contacted by a number of est followers, as well as by Werner Erhard. After Convy appeared on The Tonight Show and discussed his experiences attending Erhard Seminars Training in preparation for his role as Friedrich Bismark, he received a letter from Erhard stating: "it would be great for us to get together". Of the est seminar itself, Convy recalled that when another attendee complained of a headache during the course, the group leader told him to "experience it", and when another attendee wet his pants, he was told to "experience the warmth". In a scene from the film, a woman exclaims to Friedrich Bismark in the middle of a seminar: "I peed in my pants and it felt good." During actual filming on Semi-Tough, Convy received a late-night phone call from actress Valerie Harper, known in Hollywood as a devoted student of Werner Erhard. She related to Convy that Erhard was "pleased" with the role, and she wished him success in the film. Convy suspected that her real reason for calling was to subtly pressure him to go easy on his parody of Erhard in the film. Harper is mentioned by name in the completed film.
Reception
Box office and releases
The film grossed $37,187,139 at the box office. Semi-Tough was later developed as a short-lived television series with a similar theme, and was a candidate to be picked up in the fall of 1980. The 1980 series starred Bruce McGill playing Burt Reynolds' original role, with co-star David Hasselhoff. The film has since been released in both VHS and DVD formats.
Awards
In 1978, Walter Bernstein received a nomination for a WGA Award from the Writers Guild of America in the "Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium" category, for his adaptation of Dan Jenkins' novel.
Critical reception
The press disagreed on the satire of Erhard in the film, some praising it, some not. The Wall Street Journal criticized the film, save for its satirical nature: "The movie isn't much - an erratic ramble - but it has some pleasant moments, and a delicious send-up of the self-improvement guru Werner Erhard." The Charlotte Observer praised Bert Convy's portrayal of the self-help guru Frederick Bismark, and called Convy: "… a hilariously smug consciousness-raiser with a more than passing resemblance to EST's Werner Erhard". Magill's Survey of Cinema described the film as a chiding of American "religious fads and philosophies", and The Grove Book of Hollywood called it a "cheeky film" that poked fun at the "est" craze and other human potential fads. TIME called the film one of 1977's best comedies, and also noted that it was: "without a doubt the year's most socially useful film".
The film did not receive a positive review in Variety, where the reviewer commented: "Semi-Tough begins as a bawdy and lively romantic comedy about slap-happy pro football players, then slows down to a too-inside putdown of contemporary self-help programs." Variety noted that stars Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, and Jill Clayburgh were "excellent" within the "zigzag" script and poor direction they were given. Michael Costello of Allmovie also criticized the script, and wrote: "While much of this is quite predictable, a number of the jokes score, Burt Reynolds works his charm overtime, and Jill Clayburgh and Kris Kristofferson are effective as comic foils." In American Film Now, author James Monaco commented on director Michael Ritchie's directing style in Semi-Tough, stating that in the film Ritchie was "speaking in a professional voice". Monaco noted that Ritchie's prior films evoked a more personal tone, and had more of a sense of wonder than Semi-Tough.
Chapman's In Search of Stupidity characterized the film as: "Possibly one of the best movies ever made by Burt Reynolds", and described the film's parody of est as accurate and amusing. Leonard Maltin criticized parts of the script, stating that Reynolds' charm filled in for the film's other deficiencies. Hunsberger criticized Ritchie's screenplay adaptation in his work The Quintessential Dictionary, complaining that the game of football should have supported the film as a plot device, but was instead left to the side in favor of other stories.
See also
References
- "AFI|Catalog". Catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Semi-Tough, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
- Wakeman, John (1988). World Film Directors. H.W. Wilson. p. 890. ISBN 0-8242-0757-2.
- Bergan, Ronald (1982). Sports in the Movies. Proteus. p. 52. ISBN 0-86276-031-3.
- ^ Rollins, Peter C. (2003). The Columbia Companion to American History on Film. Columbia University Press. pp. 365–368. ISBN 0-231-11222-X.
- Giannetti, Louis D. (1987). Understanding Movies. Prentice-Hall. p. 48. ISBN 0-13-936329-7.
- Staff. "Semi-Tough, section, Plot Synopsis". Allmovie. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- ^ Staff (January 1, 1977). "V Film: Semi-Tough". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- ^ Silvester, Christopher; Steven Bach (2002). The Grove Book of Hollywood. Grove Press. pp. 555–560. ISBN 0-8021-3878-0.
- ^ Schnickel, Richard (November 21, 1977). "Good Ole Boys". TIME Magazine. Time Inc. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
- Wakefield, Dan (1999). How Do We Know When It's God?: A Spiritual Memoir. Back Bay. p. 30. ISBN 0-316-91719-2.
- ^ Monaco, James (1984). American Film Now: The People, the Power, the Money, the Movies. Zoetrope. p. 359. ISBN 0-918432-64-2.
- Jenkins, Dan (1989). You Call It Sports, But I Say It's a Jungle Out There. Simon & Schuster. p. 311. ISBN 0-671-69021-3.
- Staff (January 24, 1988). "Jenkins praises 'Baja Oklahoma'". Chicago Sun-Times.
- Reynolds, Burt (1994). My Life, by Burt Reynolds. Hyperion. p. 222. ISBN 0-7868-6130-4.
- Cech, Jim (2005). Oak Creek: 50 Years of Progress. Arcadia Publishing. p. 29. ISBN 0-7385-3392-0.
- ^ Costello, Michael. "Semi-Tough, section, Review". Allmovie. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- Gordon, William A. (1995). Shot on This Site. Citadel Press. p. 167. ISBN 0-8065-1647-X.
- ^ Magill, Frank; Stephen L. Hanson; Patricia King Hanson (1981). Magill's Survey of Cinema. Salem Press. p. 395. ISBN 0-89356-230-0.
- Mulligan, Pat (2006). The Life and Times of a Hollywood Bad Boy. AuthorHouse. p. 94. ISBN 1-4259-5008-6.
- Gabbard, Glen O.; Krin Gabbard (1999). Psychiatry and the Cinema. American Psychiatric Pub, Inc. p. 128. ISBN 0-88048-964-2.
- Taylor, Charles (March 26, 2004). "'Dogville': Lars von Trier's Depression-era fable has been labeled 'anti-American,' but it's even worse: It's anti-human". Salon. Archived from the original on November 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
- Staff (April 21, 1980). "Arts Gratia Arfis: TV's candidates for the fall". TIME Magazine. Time Inc. Archived from the original on May 16, 2009. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- ^ Hasselhoff, David. Don't Hassel the Hoff: The Autobiography. New York: St. Martin's P, 2007. Web. 23 Aug. 2022.
- P. Laurence, R. (2006, October 2). NETWORK GUILTY OF PILING ON. San Diego Union-Tribune, The (CA), pp. D-1. Available from NewsBank: Access World News: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.ccclez.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/1148EA9065EF1EE0.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (1998). Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide. PENGUIN Group (USA) Inc. p. 1206. ISBN 0-451-19582-5.
- Staff (May 27, 2005). "Our Reynolds Rap -- Burt Is Inert;". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company.
- Staff (January 25, 1987). "Videos Bring Back Grit, Grime, Romance of Football Movies". The Charlotte Observer. The McClatchy Company.
- Chapman, Merrill R. (Rick) (2006). In Search of Stupidity: Over 20 Years of High-tech Marketing Disasters. Apress. p. xxix. ISBN 1-59059-721-4.
- Hunsberger, I. Moyer (1978). The Quintessential Dictionary. New York City: Hart Pub. Co. p. 103. ISBN 9780805512618.
External links
| EST and The Forum in popular culture | |
|---|---|
| Fiction | |
| Film | |
| Television | |
| Films directed by Michael Ritchie | |
|---|---|
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- 1977 films
- 1970s English-language films
- 1977 romantic comedy films
- 1970s sports comedy films
- American buddy comedy films
- American romantic comedy films
- American football films
- American satirical films
- American sports comedy films
- Films based on American novels
- Films directed by Michael Ritchie
- Films scored by Jerry Fielding
- United Artists films
- Films with screenplays by Ring Lardner Jr.
- Films with screenplays by Walter Bernstein
- 1970s buddy comedy films
- 1970s American films
- English-language romantic comedy films
- English-language sports comedy films
- English-language buddy comedy films