The Reivers (1969)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Mark Rydell

Writers:

William Faulkner (novel) and
Harriet Frank Jr. (writer)

Release Date:

25 December 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Boon is a reiver (that's a cheat, a liar, a brawler and womaniser) and he had just four days to teach young Lucius the facts of life (like cheating, lying, brawling and womanizing).

Plot:

In turn-of-the-century Mississippi, an 11-year-old boy comes of age as two mischievous adult friends talk him into sneaking the family car out for a trip to Memphis and a series of adventures.

Plot Keywords:

Mississippi | Coming Of Age | Horse | Automobile | Hugging

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Steve McQueen	...	Boon Hogganbeck
Sharon Farrell	...	Corrie
Ruth White	...	Miss Reba
Michael Constantine	...	Mr. Binford
Clifton James	...	Butch Lovemaiden
Juano Hernandez	...	Uncle Possum
Lonny Chapman	...	Maury McCaslin
Will Geer	...	Boss
Rupert Crosse	...	Ned McCaslin
Mitch Vogel	...	Lucius McCaslin
Diane Shalet	...	Hannah
Pat Randall	...	May Ellen
Diane Ladd	...	Phoebe
Ellen Geer	...	Sally
Dub Taylor	...	Dr. B.F. Peabody

Also Known As:

The Yellow Winton Flyer (UK) (video title)
Boon il saccheggiatore (Italy) [it]
Der Gauner (West Germany) [de]
Koniokrady (Poland) [pl]
Les reivers (France) [fr]
Leva rövare (Sweden) [sv]
Los rateros (Spain) [es]
Veijarit (Finland) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief nudity, language and thematic elements. (2004 re-rating)

Runtime:

Germany:107 min | USA:107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | UK:AA (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Australia:PG | Norway:16 (1970) | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (2004 re-rating) | UK:12 (re-rating) (2005)

Filming Locations:

Carrolton, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Cinema Center Films

Trivia:

Actor Charles Aidman was originally cast to play the role of Maury, but Lonny Chapman replaced him when Aidman was called in by CBS temporarily to replace Ross Martin on "The Wild, Wild West" (1965).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Boon, Ned and Lucius begin their trip to Memphis in the Winton the beginning of the scene is filmed in a traveling shot. As the journey proceeds we hear noticeably on the soundtrack the camera truck's motor in addition to the Winton's.

Quotes:

[Boon giving directions to Ned on how to use the Winton Flyer]
Ned: Boon, when do you think I can have it?
Boon Hoggenbeck: String bean you so much to lay a hand on this automobile, I'll jump down your throat, and tap dance on your lungs!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Steve McQueen: The King of Cool (1998) (TV)

a treasure

Have not read the Faulkner story on which this is based, so I can't comment on how much of this delightful film can be credited to him (doubtless Burgess Meredith's voiceovers are Faulkner's words), but this wonderful film about the pain of growing up is laced with plenty of adventure and fun and deserves to become a classic. I cannot account for its relatively low user rating. The John Williams score is superb. The acting is wonderful from all the leads, including the boy. This is one of the underrated Steve McQueen's best roles, and Will Geer is perfect in the small but rich part of Boss. The characters are all wonderfully and richly fleshed out, and there are many moments of human insight. To top it off, the cinematography makes the movie beautiful to look at. Has all you could want in a movie. I give this one a 9.