The End

R

Released May 10, 1978

1h 40m

Comedy

List

56%

16 Reviews

Tomatometer

50%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

After discovering that he has only months to live, Wendell Lawson (Burt Reynolds) tries to settle issues with his family, including his ex-wife (Sally Field). When he gets little empathy or even attention from his relatives, he becomes distraught and sets out to kill himself. Following many unsuccessful suicide attempts, Lawson winds up in a mental hospital, where he meets deranged fellow patient Marlon Borunki (Dom DeLuise), who is quite eager to help his new friend end his life.

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Audience Member

The late Burt Reynolds is Wendell Lawson co-starring next to Sally Fields, the late Norman Fell, and the late Dom Deluise He has a rare blood disease with no hope for a cure So he decides to make the pain easier by trying to kill himself Yet he goes through many unsuccessful attempts Everyone in his life from his attorney to his ex-wife to his current girlfriend are worried about his mental state Wendell ends up in a mental hospital and befriends Marlon Not too many laugh out loud moments and some of the satirical elements should've been written better Real lack of structure plot wise but Reynolds is watchable next to Deluise

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

uncle p

Summary: (2.5/5) The cast was middling, the story was weak, and the film felt too long. A thumbs down. Story/Screenplay: (2.5/5) Yawn. The humor in this comedy just didn't age well. Had potential, but it wasn't really funny. Duration/Tempo: (3/5) At 1 hour and 40 minutes, it's a shorter than average movie that felt about average in length. With little comedy in this comedy, there just wasn't enough content to drive the film. Cast & Crew: (3/5) If there were any laughs to be found, Dom DeLuise provided them. Burt Reynolds and Sally Field were good, but their performances suffered from a mediocre screenplay.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

While not the funniest film ever made, it is redeemed by the antics of Dom de Luise and the acting of the great Myrna Loy, in a small role, when she was almost 80.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great movie and funny as hell. Netflix should carry this.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best comedy movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

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Burt Reynolds

Director

Burt Reynolds

Wendell Sonny Lawson

Dom DeLuise

Marlon Borunki

Sally Field

Mary Ellen

Strother Martin

Dr. Waldo Kling

David Steinberg

Marty Lieberman

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The End: Official Clip - A Date With A .38

2:35

The End: Official Clip - The Coward's Way Out

1:13

The End: Official Clip - Death Therapy

2:01

The End: Official Clip - Straitjacket Surprise

2:02

The End: Official Clip - Meeting Marlon

2:38

The End: Official Clip - Elevator Tears

1:16

The End: Official Clip - It Ain't High Enough!

3:06

The End: Official Clip - Shooting Sonny

2:47

The End: Official Clip - A Game of Chicken

1:49

The End: Official Clip - Marlon's Last Straw

4:15

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Variety Staff

Variety

A tasteless and overripe comedy that disintegrates very early into hysterical, undisciplined hamming.

Feb 23, 2012

Full Review

Time Out

An engaging attempt to take the piss out of the crocodile tears that have been gleefully exploited since Love Story.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Vincent Canby

New York Times

This is half-heartedly satiric material that's been directed by Mr. Reynolds as if it were broad, knock-about comedy sometimes and, at other times, as if it were meant to evoke pathos, which it never does.

May 9, 2005

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

The End, in flagrant negation of its title, does not end. It ends up nowhere. [Full review in Spanish]

Jan 18, 2024

Full Review

Bernard Drew

Gannett News Service

So what's wrong? Practically everything. For all of its good intentions, The End is a tone poem in misgauged effects. It simply doesn't work.

Nov 1, 2019

Full Review

Fernando Trueba

El Pais (Spain)

An acceptable commercial product that's entertaining despite its notable lack of structure. [Full Review in Spanish]

Aug 2, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

After discovering that he has only months to live, Wendell Lawson (Burt Reynolds) tries to settle issues with his family, including his ex-wife (Sally Field). When he gets little empathy or even attention from his relatives, he becomes distraught and sets out to kill himself. Following many unsuccessful suicide attempts, Lawson winds up in a mental hospital, where he meets deranged fellow patient Marlon Borunki (Dom DeLuise), who is quite eager to help his new friend end his life.

Director: Burt Reynolds
Producer: Hank Moonjean
Screenwriter: Jerry Belson
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 1978, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 29, 2017
Runtime: 1h 40m

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