IMDb > Deliverance (1972)
Deliverance
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Deliverance (1972) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 6 NEW)
Deliverance (1972) -- Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's turned into one huge lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a river-rafting trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.
Deliverance (1972) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
Deliverance (1972) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
Deliverance (1972) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)
Deliverance (1972) -- Moviesbox.us - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   33,331 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Boorman
Writers:
James Dickey (screenplay)
James Dickey (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for Deliverance on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
30 July 1972 (USA) more
Tagline:
Deliverance from evil more
Plot:
Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's turned into one huge lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a river-rafting trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 10 nominations more
User Comments:
A true classic more (275 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jon Voight ... Ed

Burt Reynolds ... Lewis

Ned Beatty ... Bobby

Ronny Cox ... Drew
Ed Ramey ... Old Man
Billy Redden ... Lonnie
Seamon Glass ... First Griner
Randall Deal ... Second Griner
Bill McKinney ... Mountain Man
Herbert 'Cowboy' Coward ... Toothless Man
Lewis Crone ... First Deputy
Ken Keener ... Second Deputy
Johnny Popwell ... Ambulance Driver
John Fowler ... Doctor
Kathy Rickman ... Nurse
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
110 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director John Boorman's son Charley Boorman appears near the end of the movie as Ed's little boy. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Ed climbs to the top of the cliff to hunt the shooter, you can clearly hear the rapids below. However, when Ed is awakened the next morning, the rapids are silent. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Lewis: You w- you wanna... you wanna talk about the vanishing wilderness?
Bobby: Lewis, listen - what are you so anxious about this?
Lewis: Because they're buildin' a dam across the Cahulawassee River; they're gonna flood a whole valley, Bobby, that's why. Dammit, they're drownin' a river; they're drownin' a river, man.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Steve Martin/Jason Mraz (#34.14)" (2009) more
Soundtrack:
Duelling Banjos more

FAQ

What happend to "Drew" ...falling out of the canoe?
more
82 out of 112 people found the following comment useful.
A true classic, 2 October 2000
Author: Huge (haznet@bigfoot.com) from Washington, DC

This is without a doubt one of the best movies I have ever seen; a chilling account of a doomed canoe trip that will haunt your memory for years to come. It is disheartening to read the number of negative reviews for this excellent film, which I can only attribute to the one-dimensional nature of today's uber-blockbusters. It seems that the finer subtleties of good filmmaking present in Deliverance are lost on today's generation of moviegoers whose cinematic palates have been cloyed with multi-million-dollar special effects, unimaginative dialogue, mindless violence and saccharine plots. Every aspect of this movie has been wonderfully choreographed and combine to create a film that goes well beyond mere entertainment, simultaneously shocking and challenging the audience.

Everything that occurs in this movie serves a poignant purpose; the creators focus on quality rather than quantity. The plot, which seems simple enough, gradually takes on an eerily disturbing nature. The dialogue is sparse, but screenwriters and director use it as a strength, allowing events and cinematography to speak volumes about the characters. The violence, though disturbing, also acts as an integral piece of the film. The scenery is spectacular and Deliverance makes some of the best use of foreshadowing and silence I've ever seen in a movie.

Few movies leave such an impression on the viewer. To this day, I can't hear "Dueling Banjos"--or just about any banjo music for that matter--without thinking of this movie. Nor can I help but feel this movie doomed Ned Beatty's acting career (after seeing this film, every time you see Ned Beatty in any other role, you can't help but remember the infamous riverbank scene). Even people who have never seen the movie know the ghastly meaning of the words "squeal like a pig".

It is truly worth taking the time to see this film. It is an excellent treatise of the human reaction when challenged with fear, danger and adventure.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Deliverance (1972)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What exactly drove that hillbilly to do what he did to Bobby? JanelleOHanna
Who Shot The Hillbilly granto1990
What happened to Drew? SPOILERS driftwoodtx
Why didn't Bobby fight back? PhillyGal
Ned Beatty - should be proud of his rape scene sandman220
This is still a scary movie fluffymonk
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