Semi Tough

Billy Clyde Puckett [Burt Reynolds] and Shake Tiller [Kris Kristofferson] are both in love with the same woman - Barbara Jane Bookman [Jill Clayburgh]. This is a bit embarrassing to Billy Clyde, not only because he has a reputation for being a perennial ladies man, but also because Shake is his best friend and seems to be gaining the upper hand in his relationship with Barbara Jane. In order to keep his reputation as a lady killer intact, Billy Clyde starts out on a one man crusade to try and help Barbara Jane "fall out of love" with Shake. What follows is an amusing collection of incidents, the majority of which concern Billy Clyde's attempts to convince Babara Jane that Shake's obsession with consciousness-raising proves him unworthy of her affections. [Various scenes capture people crawling around on the floor, pummelling one another with various torture techniques under the guise of "body massage" and humilliating oneself publicly all for the sake of coming into contact with one's consciousness.] The result is a racy comedy set within the world of professional football; Burt Reynolds gives one of his most relaxed and engaging performances in this film directed by Michael Ritchie [THE CANDIDATE, SMILE, THE BAD NEWS BEARS]