Squeal Like a Pig

For years I've heard references to the movie Deliverance. I never bothered watching it, as I've heard the "squeal like a pig" scene quoted so many times, I've felt like I've seen the movie...why bother? With nothing better to do on New Year's Eve, and only a paltry selection of movies available for Netflix Instant movies (which recommended the movie to me), we decided to watch it. I thought that it was finally time to give up the sham...to stop quoting a movie that I'd never actually watched. If I'm going to tell someone they have a "purty mouth" or to "squeal like a pig" in a hillbilly accent, I at least need the correct context and visualization.

All in all, the movie wasn't bad. We get to see a young Burt Reynolds before he hit his stride and perfected his acting chops with the classics Smoky and the Bandits I, II and III, Cannonball Run I and II, and Stroker Ace. Burt is in his element when he's driving a fast car. This movie was also before Burt fully developed his signature 'stache. He did have a stache in Deliverance, but it lacked the soul of his Bandit-era stache.

We also see a young Ned Beatty, before he reached his peak 6 years later as the weasely sidekick of Gene Hackman's Lex Luther in Superman. It's clear from the beginning that he was going to be the victim in the 'squeal like a pig' scene. Stacked up against the alpha-male Burt Reynolds, it's obvious that Ned would be the target of the hillbilly love.

The 'squeal like a pig' scene happens much earlier than I expected. With the way I've heard this quoted, I thought this was the climax of the movie. I almost shut the movie down after the scene, as I didn't see a point in continuing the movie. At that point, I could legitimately continue quoting the movie...goal achieved. For some reason I kept on watching...glad I did. It stayed suspenseful, and got better as a movie...mainly because the movie focused less on Burt Reynolds' jackassery and more on solid acting from Jon Voight.