Stick

• Directed by Burt Reynolds
• April 26, 1985
• Based on the 1983 novel Stick by Elmore Leonard

Released from prison, an ex-con meets up with a friend and joins him on a job delivering a bag. When his friend gets killed in the setup and he gets away, he is ready to forget all but those behind it will not.

Stick vaguely tickles my memory. I somewhat remember seeing it advertised when it came out but based on its earnings it clearly didn’t make any impact on the public. I can’t even recall seeing it on those weekend movie marathons that introduced me to so many films. Yet it’s not bad. It’s very much a product of its time, but not in a bad way.

Elmore Leonard adaptions are known for their quirkiness. And this is certainly quirky, but it tries to move that quirkiness more into what one would expect from a Burt Reynolds vehicle. It is an oddball movie where Burt plays the sexiest, most charming guy in the story who is a bit of an asshole-like usual-and it works in my opinion.

Our film here has an albino named Moke (Dar Robinson), Charles Durning in a weird wig as a criminal named Chucky, and Burt Reynolds as the recently released Ernest “Stick” Stickley who is not on the straight and narrow but also has no desire to go back to jail. George Segal is rich criminal groupie Barry Braun with Candice Bergen as his accountant Kyle McClaren. And there is even a voodoo obsessed drug dealer called Nestor (Cástulo Guerra) who seeks to use Barry’s money to produce a movie as part of a tax scam though this is unbeknownst to Barry. That is a ton going on!

In contrast to many films, the character of Stick is not seeking revenge for any reason at the start. He just wants the money he was supposed to get for being part of the deal so he can reconnect with his daughter and start over. If he got that then we would not have a story of any kind.

For me the weirdest part of this whole movie is Charles Durning in a blondish wig and fake eyebrows. It’s just an unusual look for, well, anybody! His real eyebrows can be seen these days on higher definition media. Durning is good in the part but ends up looking like a poorly made Trump-on-vacation cosplay. Tell me you don’t see it.

Burt is still the coolest cat around, but there’s something a little more subdued about his performance here than in some other projects of his. Candice Bergen is his romantic interest in this with the two having good chemistry, but she doesn’t really do too much for the story other than screw the hooch in a scene in favor of Stick. George Segal is funny as the borderline delusional rich guy who likes to hang out with criminals. Not a criminal himself, but he gets off on being around them. He even hires them. Segal is entertainingly crazy in this and his character allows Stick to be in a position to fight.

There is one thing and it is from the opening. I just can’t figure out how Stick’s buddy knew to pick him up at the fruit stand. Or why if it was communicated offscreen such a location would be their meeting place. That bugged me throughout the entire movie. I bought why Stick would seek revenge (eventually), but I just don’t know why the fruit stand and why Stick had to cross like a hobo into Miami. Made absolutely no sense other than allowing gratuitous establishing shots.

Stick is not a thrill a minute but more a slow-moving film. Reynolds-as-director works to build the characters general situation and even the romance along with humanizing our hero as he seeks to reconnect with his daughter. If you don’t see how that fits into the climax, I can’t help you. And that is a weakness. Many bits are telegraphed in what they mean well before they need to mean anything.

There are a few jokes here and there as our male characters basically have sword fights to establish social dominance. It’s 107 minutes of Burt Reynolds jerking around the bad guys. He tries to maneuver them into a position where he can get his revenge which even his character seems a little bit unsure of doing. Stick does struggle with whether or not to go after the baddie or walk away. Events though keep making that harder.

I’m not exactly sure why this never connected with audiences. It’s a good revenge movie. Maybe not great or groundbreaking but it’s entertaining. Burt Reynolds is in fine form and his direction here is serviceable. He does nothing that’s harmful or makes it less than it could be. There were far weaker films from the time that made bank.

Stick was a bit of a surprise. I found myself greatly enjoying this movie. It has interesting characters and while the plot has been used plenty of times it’s a good execution of that type of plot. Maybe not a must-see but worthwhile and underrated.