I saw this about twenty years ago and remembered liking it. Came across a negative mention of it online recently which led me to looking at reviews and seeing the general opinion of it isn't that high. But the same is true for most Burt Reynolds movies I like so I decided to give it a shot and see if my opinion had changed since the first viewing. The short answer is no, it hasn't. I enjoyed the movie still but I can see why others might not. It's a particular style of humor that Reynolds is arguably not suited for. Think more Albert Brooks or Elliott Gould. But it's got plenty going for it, if you can make it past the first ten or fifteen minutes where Reynolds' character's whining is very annoying. The biggest plus is that the supporting cast full of recognizable faces is good. There are also bits of weirdness that keep it interesting like Robby Benson's childish priest or the bizarre scene where the camera lingers on Sally Field's body double's cleavage. Reynolds directed by the way. It's a dark comedy about an unlikable neurotic facing death starring an actor most known for "good old boy" comedies. But it's not the disaster you might think. Ringing endorsement!

I can applaud the folks who made "The End" for being daring. But the problem with this black comedy is that I just didn't find much of it very funny. I guess it all just depends on what you think of this type of humor.

When the story begins, Sonny (Burt Reynolds) learns that he's dying. It might be a month, it might be a year...but he's dying from a blood disease. And, since the end won't be particularly pleasant, he decides to kill himself. But first he wants to tie up a few loose ends with his girlfriend and his daughter.

When he actually does try to take an overdose, he awakens in a psychiatric hospital...a very goofy one like the sort you would expect in a Three Stooges film or the like. There he meets up with a really strange and BROADLY acted new friend, Marlon (Dom DeLuise). And, since Marlon really is insane and rather dangerous, he decides to help his new friend kill himself. What's next? See the film...or not.

While I appreciate the subject matter (it is quite brave),the problem I had is that the film just wasn't very funny to me. I found DeLuise to be too goofy...like a comic book character, not a real person in any way. In fact, the whole thing just came off as too goofy and silly...but not funny.

Thanks to my taping this on VHS 20 years ago (from network prime time, with the hard language dubbed over),our whole family was able to see it over the years. Even the kids loved it. We still do. While Burt Reynolds is well-known for macho action, this offbeat black comedy gives us one of his best characters: the fatally-ill Sonny is a selfish, shady man-child who can't maintain a relationship, but thanks to a clever script by Jerry Belson, Reynolds is able to make him funny, and at times, even poignant. He's surrounded by talented cast of veterans including Joanne Woodward, Pat O'Brien, Myrna Loy, Carl Reiner, Sally Field, and an unforgettable Dom DeLuise as the most lovable psychotic you'll ever see. Do not miss Sonny's early scene in the confessional with the wide-eyed, newbie-priest Robby Benson, where Reynolds delivers one of the unsung 'great movie quotes': "Bless me, Dave, for I have sinned." This is one of Burt's best comedies.