An Unexpectedly
Hilarious Couple

The first time I saw Sally Field was in Steel Magnolias, and she was amazing. As M'Lynn, she gave one of the best dramatic performances ever. Who could forget her iconic monologue about losing her daughter? It's one of those scenes that never fails to make me cry again and again.

After watching her give a performance of a lifetime, I was surprised when I watched Smokey and the Bandit soon after. From one of the saddest to one of the funniest, she truly is one of the best actresses ever. I didn't know someone who always makes me cry in one movie could make me laugh out loud in another.

And when I say laugh out loud, I mean howling! I could've never watched Smokey and the Bandit in the theater because they would've thrown me out for making too much noise. It's one of those wacky buddy comedies—yes, I consider it a buddy comedy—that knocks out joke after joke in every scene.

Sally Field and Burt Reynolds deserve all the credit. A plot like that could've turned B-movie in a second, but with their incredible touch, it became one of the best comedies of the 1970s. I also have to throw a bone to Jackie Gleason, who was just as funny as Sheriff Buford T. Justice.

One of the best parts of the film is the great, seamless dynamic between Sally Field and Burt Reynolds. They're just so natural on-screen, expertly working off each other to make their budding romance just as entertaining as the comedy.

And you know what? I never expected this from both of them. I'd only ever watched their dramatic movies, so seeing them be this rambunctious in a comedy was a nice change. Moreover, the fact that they famously became a real couple off-screen was just the cherry on top.

I wish I could've met both of them and gotten their autographs, but I always missed my chance with the late Burt Reynolds. I don't think the man disliked me; heck, I don't think he knew I existed. But whenever I went to an event he was attending, someone or something always got in the way. And then, in 2018, he was gone.

I really wanted to get his and Field's autographs on my Smokey and the Bandit movie poster, which my older cousin passed down to me. He had already gotten Mike Henry, who played Junior Justice, to sign it, so I figured I'd at least get the main couple, too.

But unfortunately, I only got to meet Sally Field. I saw her at the New York premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in April 2014, where fans lined one side of the carpet, and she was just as nice as I expected. She's always been one of my favorite actresses, so I was honored to see her in person and get her autograph on this poster.

That was the last time I ever got that privilege, but I'm still hoping there's a next time, especially since she's still working. I already have a mountain of regrets for never meeting Burt Reynolds, so I'm working extra hard to meet Sally Field again while she's here.