Semi-Tough

Semi-Tough (1977)
Director: Michael Ritchie
Cast: Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, Jill Clayburgh, Robert Preston, Burt Convy

Semi-Tough is one of the movies that works so well in its time and place, but doesn't wear so well over the years. When it was released, it really captured the era, though.

The Plot of Semi-Tough
Billie Clyde (Reynolds) and Marvin (Kristofferson) are teammates on the highly successful pro football team and also best friends. The only problem is that the third wheel in their friendship is Billie Clyde's long time friend who also happens to the owners daughter, Barbara (Clayburgh).

The era the team is the transition from the turbulent '60s to the 70's where everyone is trying to find themselves. Team owner (Preston) brings in a self-help guru (Convy) to help the team find itself.

During this process, Marvin finds himself getting closer and closer to Barbara. This puts an unspoken strain on his friendship with Billie Clyde, but he won't stand in their way, even if it leads the two his friends to the alter.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Semi-Tough
The two big problems with Semi-Tough is that it has trouble riding it's tone and also it's cultural references date it, making it difficult for current audiences to relate to. For the most part the film is a well made comedy, but at times, the poignancy of the how it pokes fun the the era of enlightenment tries to take itself too seriously. I think this puts a strain on the performers and Reynolds manages this balance the tone as well in of the actors. Kristofferson gets to play it straight and Clayburgh has a balancing act that, as talented as she is, doesn't always pull off.

The direction doesn't fare as well as the actors. At times, the film just looks rough and meanders round trying to find it's center.

Summary Judgment on Semi-Tough
When it was released, Semi-Tough was quite effective and garnered some huge laughs, but now it's cultural references are lost and the film seems rudderless in many places. To further hurt the film, the ending turns into a real train wreck and the resolution isn't very satisfying.