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Deliverance

1972, Adventure/Drama, 1h 49m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Given primal verve by John Boorman's unflinching direction and Burt Reynolds' star-making performance, Deliverance is a terrifying adventure. Read critic reviews

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Deliverance   photos.

Four city-dwelling friends (Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox) decide to get away from their jobs, wives and kids for a week of canoeing in rural Georgia. When the men arrive, they are not welcomed by the backwoods locals, who stalk the vacationers and savagely attack them in the woods. Reeling from the ambush, the friends attempt to return home but are surrounded by dangerous rapids and pursued by a madman. Soon, their canoe trip turns into a fight for survival.

Genre: Adventure, Drama

Original Language: English

Director: John Boorman

Producer: John Boorman

Writer: James Dickey

Release Date (Theaters): Jul 30, 1972  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2011

Runtime: 1h 49m

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Cast & Crew

Burt Reynolds

Lewis Medlock

Bobby Trippe

Drew Ballinger

Bill McKinney

Mountain Man

Herbert "Cowboy" Coward

Toothless Man

James Dickey

Aintry Sheriff Bullard

Seamon Glass

First Griner

John Boorman

Vilmos Zsigmond

Cinematographer

Tom Priestley

Film Editing

Lynn Stalmaster

Fred Harpman

Art Director

News & Interviews for Deliverance

New on Netflix in July 2022

David Gordon Green’s Five Favorite Films

New on Netflix October 2019

Critic Reviews for Deliverance

Audience reviews for deliverance.

Really really memorable and menacingly powerful, Deliverance succeeds in doing the hard job of creating a film that is both terrifying and not really a horror film. I wouldn't give it five stars as the film is so harrowing that its really not one of the most enjoyable films that one could decide to watch. John Boorman does well in composing an envious addition to his frame of work in motion directing, gracefully tracking the canoe as it parades down Georgian rivers. Its mildly exploitave plot can be forgiven by its tasteful production.

canoe trip movie

I don't think it ages well.

Four friends explore the whitewater rapids of country backwoods, but their fishing trip turns tragic when one of their members is sexually assaulted. In what could be a cliche horror/slasher film, <i>Deliverance</i> explores themes of civilization and ethical dilemmas. The scenes between the backwoods, redneck natives and the cultured, civilized explorers take on a unique significance because we're meant to question the characterizations with which we approach these people. Are the civilized really that civilized? Does one have to respond to violence with violence in a violent context? Strong performances by Jon Voight, whose character acts as a kind of moral center to the film (the film is - in some ways - a battle for Ed's soul), and Burt Reynolds, the adaptable tough guy, carry the film. Overall, this is a classic for good reason, a film that takes serious issues with the gravity they deserve.

Deliverance is harsh. it is of course the canoe trip that you don't want to find yourself trapped in..one through the dark side of America. Scenes stick in your memory that perhaps you would rather they do not. It nonetheless does not detract from the stunning visuals.

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The 17 Best Kayaking Movies And Documentaries Of All Time

Kayaking is a super exciting adventure in nature, and it gets even more thrilling when you watch it in movies and documentaries. These films let you feel like you’re right there with the kayakers as they go on amazing journeys through beautiful waters, challenging rapids, and the wonders of nature.

These movies make kayaking look awesome, showing how fun and tough it can be and how gorgeous the places they paddle in are. Even if you’re nowhere near a river or ocean, you can still feel the excitement of kayaking just by watching.

So, in this exploration of kayaking movies and documentaries, we’re going to go on a movie adventure. We’ll see kayakers going through fast rapids, calm lakes, and faraway places on expeditions. We’ll show you “The 17 Best Kayaking Movies and Documentaries of All Time.” These films will take you on thrilling adventures and soothing paddles, showing you the many cool sides of kayaking.

So, let’s get started and have a blast exploring the world of kayaking on the big screen!

kayaking movies and documentaries

The 17 Best Kayaking Movies and Documentaries

Get ready for an adrenaline-filled list of the best kayaking films ever made. Get set to dive into some really cool movies and documentaries about kayaking. You’ll feel the thrill of paddling in tricky waters, finding stunning places, and seeing incredible stuff, all without leaving your home. These are the best choices for you.

#1. Deliverance (1972)

“Deliverance,” directed by John Boorman, is a famous adventure movie that guides you through an exciting adventure in the wild outdoors. It’s about a group of friends who go on a canoeing trip down a wild river. Along the way, they face both the dangers and the excitement of river paddling.

The intense and iconic whitewater rapids scene on the Cahulawassee River.

Also read: Top 7 Whitewater Kayaking Spots in California

In “Deliverance,” the exciting part is how they show kayaking and canoeing. The movie has exciting scenes with turbulent, fast water that makes your heart race. It makes you feel as if you’re in the kayak with the characters, going through all the action and excitement.

Experience one of cinema’s most iconic kayak scenes in this must-watch movie.

In the movie, there’s a scene that you will remember. Burt Reynolds, one of the characters, takes on a tough journey down a fast and wild river. This part is really popular with folks who enjoy kayaking, and many say it’s one of the most famous kayak scenes in movies.

#2. The River Wild (1994)

The River Wild

“Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon star in “The River Wild” a really exciting movie. It’s all about a family who goes on a whitewater rafting adventure, but things get super dangerous when they meet some bad guys during the trip. It’s full of action and keeps you on the edge of your seat.”

In this exciting movie, Meryl Streep plays a character named Gail, who is a tough and clever mom. She has to guide her family through tough river rapids to keep them safe. You can see how determined and skilled she is in the intense kayaking scenes, where she’s up against the strong forces of nature.

“The River Wild” was filmed in two beautiful places: the Kootenai River in Montana and the Salmon River in Idaho. The amazing natural scenery in the movie makes it even more exciting. The wild and stunning background gives you a feeling of adventure and risk as the characters deal with both fast rapids and encounters with wild animals and the untamed wilderness.

A great part of this movie is how it shows river kayaking as both a super exciting sport and a way to stay safe. The Fast River scenes are really well done, and they make you feel like you’re right there in the action. You get to see Gail trying to outsmart the bad guys while she’s kayaking through these wild rivers, and it’s really intense.

#3. Paddle to the Sea (1966)

In “Paddle to the Sea,” we follow the adventure of a little wooden kayak as it travels through different Canadian waters. This short film is perfect for families and is based on a popular children’s book by Holling C. Holling. It’s all about exploring and getting close to nature.

This movie lets us go on an exciting trip with a little wooden canoe. It travels all the way from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean. We see all the cool things it does and the people it meets along the way. It goes through fast rivers and peaceful lakes, showing us Canada’s many different waterways in a special way.

“Paddle to the Sea” is a movie that is both fun to watch and teaches us about taking care of the environment. It does this by showing a kayak traveling through different waterways. This movie tells us how important it is to protect our natural resources. It also shows how all these water systems are connected and why it’s really important to keep them safe for the people who come after us.

At its core, “Paddle to the Sea” is a heartwarming story that captures the essence of nature and exploration.

#4. The Call of the River (2004)

“The Call of the River” is an exciting documentary that brings you into the world of professional kayaking. It gives you a special look at the lives and adventures of top kayakers as they tackle the toughest, wild river rapids all over the world.

Immerse yourself in stunning visuals as professional kayakers tackle treacherous rivers worldwide. From rushing rapids to towering waterfalls, this documentary captures it all in high-definition cinematography. You’ll witness jaw-dropping stunts and extreme maneuvers that will leave you breathless.

“The Call of the River” goes deep into the tough challenges that these courageous people face when they follow their passion for whitewater kayaking. It looks at the physical effort and mental strength they need to go through dangerous courses.

Also read: Is Whitewater Kayaking Dangerous? Thrills Vs. Dangers

  • Discover how these kayakers overcome obstacles such as strong currents, submerged rocks, and unpredictable weather conditions.
  • Learn about their strong commitment and determination as they practice really hard to become experts in what they do.
  • Learn about the risks involved in navigating hydroelectric projects and how these athletes adapt to ever-changing river conditions.

#5. Riding Giants (2004)

“Riding Giants” is mainly about big-wave surfing, but it also talks about the history and love for extreme water sports, like kayaking. It’s made by Stacy Peralta, who is famous for skateboarding documentaries. This movie gives a really interesting look at the history of big wave surfing and how it’s related to kayaking.

“Riding Giants” showcases the evolution of extreme water sports and their cultural impact. The movie shows amazing scenes of people riding huge waves, and it’s really exciting. It also talks about kayaking. It looks at the people who were the first to ride these giant waves on surfboards and kayaks and how they helped make these sports what they are today.

This documentary shows us how big wave surfing has changed over time. It starts by going back to really old Polynesian cultures where riding waves was a big deal. Then, it goes to Hawaii in the 1950s, when surfers started to be more daring by riding even bigger and harder waves.

“Riding Giants” reveals that kayaking played a significant role in the early days of big-wave surfing.

#6. Into the Tsangpo Gorge (2002)

In this documentary, we join a group of kayakers led by famous kayaker Scott Lindgren. They’re on an exciting adventure to conquer the challenging Tsangpo River in Tibet. These adventurers test their limits as they tackle dangerous rapids, huge waterfalls, and remote places.

“Into the Tsangpo Gorge” is a documentary about kayakers dealing with tough situations on one of the world’s hardest rivers. The film puts you right in the thrilling action as they battle strong currents and big obstacles. They have to steer through tight gorges and avoid huge boulders. Every twist and turn is a new test of their skill and determination.

In this documentary, the kayakers encounter not just tough physical hurdles but also nature’s challenges on their trip. The Tsangpo River goes through far-off areas in Tibet, like places no one has explored much. They have to be flexible and smart because they handle weather that can suddenly change, limited supplies, and they’re in a very remote location.

#7. Kayaking the Aleutians (2013)

This documentary is about an amazing sea kayaking trip in the far-off Aleutian Islands in Alaska. It’s like a mesmerizing adventure that shows the stunning beauty of the islands and the animals in the Alaskan wilderness.

Also read: The 3 Best Tours For Orcas Cove Sea Kayaking

The Aleutian Islands are famous for their tough weather, and this makes the kayak expedition really hard. The adventurers have to deal with winds that can change quickly, strong currents, and rough seas as they paddle through this rugged group of islands.

When you watch this, you’ll see amazing views, like really tall volcanic mountains and super clean, beautiful beaches that seem to go on forever. And you’ll also get to spot awesome animals like seals, sea otters, whales, and seabirds during your virtual trip.

#8. Expedition: Africa (2009)

This TV show is about a bunch of adventurers who go on a risky journey down the Lualaba River in Africa in kayaks and canoes. They’re trying to make the same trip that Henry Morton Stanley and David Livingstone did a long time ago. During their exciting trip, they see beautiful landscapes, get really close to wildlife, and learn about the local cultures.

One of the most captivating segments of Expedition: Africa is the team’s kayaking journey along the historic Lualaba River. This segment showcases both the beauty and challenges of African waterways. As viewers, we get to witness firsthand how kayaking becomes an integral part of this exploration.

In the expedition, they’re copying what Henry Morton Stanley did, but they’re making it adventurous by using kayaks. This mixes history and today’s challenges. They use kayaks to travel, and it shows how determined they are to explore new places.

When we look at the new expedition and Henry Morton Stanley’s old trip, we see that kayaking was important in both.

#9. The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young (2014)

It is a documentary that covers an extreme adventure race, which includes a kayaking segment.

This documentary is not only about kayaking. It’s mostly about a super tough adventure race called the Barkley Marathons. This race is so hard that many people think it’s one of the toughest races in the world. It’s also tricky to apply for, and the start time is a surprise. The people in the race are pushed to their limits both in their minds and their bodies as they go through really tough terrain and deal with scary challenges.

The Barkley Marathons are different from the usual marathons you see. It’s a really tough event that lasts for several days, and it takes place in the wilds of Tennessee. One cool thing about this race is that it’s a mix of running on trails and kayaking through rough river rapids. People who compete in this race have to show they’re good both on land and in the water, and that’s what makes it so special and unique.

Participants in the Barkley Marathons endure unimaginable physical and mental challenges throughout the course of the race. They face steep climbs, dense forests, unpredictable weather conditions, and treacherous river crossings.

#10. Nelo (2019)

A documentary profiling renowned kayak designer Manuel Ramos and his quest to create the fastest racing kayak.

The movie “Nelo” is about competitive kayaking, and it focuses on Manuel Ramos, a famous kayak designer. It shows how they make racing kayaks, which is something you don’t see in movies very often. They talk to Ramos and show his cool kayak designs, so you get to learn about the hard work and clever ideas that go into making these super-fast kayaks.

Crafted as a profile piece on Manuel Ramos, “Nelo” delves into his contributions to the world of competitive kayaking. His expertise and dedication have made him one of the most respected figures in the industry. In the documentary, you can see how much Ramos loves making faster and better racing kayaks. He comes up with new designs and tries them out in real situations to make sure they work well.

A great part of “Nelo” is when it shows Olympic-level kayak racing with Portuguese athlete Fernando Pimenta. As you watch Pimenta’s story, you get to understand how hard he trains, how dedicated he is, and how he tries to be the best in his sport.

#11. Chasing Niagara (2016)

In the exciting movie “Chasing Niagara,” we join the brave kayaker Rafa Ortiz on an amazing journey to conquer Niagara Falls in a kayak. This crazy adventure pushes the limits of extreme sports and shows how determined, skilled, and bold Ortiz is.

Come along with pro kayaker Rafa Ortiz as he tries to tackle one of nature’s famous spots: Niagara Falls. The movie shows stunning pictures and tells a personal story about how determined Ortiz is to overcome this huge challenge.

In “Chasing Niagara,” we learn about the really tough physical and mental challenges that Ortiz faces on his journey. He trains for a long time and deals with dangerous river currents. With each step, he gets closer to his daring goal. We get to see how he gets ready in both his body and mind for this amazing accomplishment.

“Chasing Niagara” allows us to experience the awe-inspiring power of Niagara Falls through Ortiz’s eyes. As he navigates its thunderous waters, we are immersed in a world where adrenaline meets nature’s raw beauty.

#12. Dream Result (2019)

A documentary that explores the journey of extreme kayakers chasing their dreams and conquering challenging rivers.

“Dream Result” is an exciting movie about extreme kayakers who love the sport. The movie tells their stories and shows the adventures they go on to make their dreams come true. They deal with tough river currents and huge waterfalls, and it’s about more than just their physical skills but also how determined they are to do things in kayaking that nobody thought were possible.

This movie really looks into why extreme kayakers love to take on such tough challenges. It’s all about what drives them to find new places to kayak and do things that seem impossible. Some want to see how far they can go and prove their abilities to themselves. Others just really enjoy the excitement of conquering tough natural forces. But no matter why they do it, it’s clear they all really want to live life on the edge and have amazing adventures.

#13. Paddle to Seattle: Journey Through the Inside Passage (2009)

In the documentary “Paddle to Seattle: Journey Through the Inside Passage,” we watch two friends go on an amazing adventure. They kayak from Alaska to Seattle, traveling through the beautiful Inside Passage. This journey is about 1,300 miles long and took them four months. It shows us how wonderful the coastal area is in this part of the world.

While these brave adventurers kayak, they see amazing views that will amaze you. The Inside Passage is famous for its big mountains, thick forests, and really clear water. As our kayakers go along the coast, they see huge glaciers, steep cliffs, and peaceful fjords. The sheer beauty of these natural wonders is truly a sight to behold.

But what really grabs their focus isn’t just the scenery; it’s the amazing wildlife moments that make this trip so special. During their journey, our kayakers get up close to incredible animals like humpback whales leaping in the distance or curious seals coming up near their boats. They also see bald eagles flying above and playful sea otters having fun in the water.

#14. Facing Waves (2011-2018)

It’s a TV series where really good kayakers go to some of the most amazing places in the world to kayak. They show us different beautiful places where you can kayak, from really cold ones near the Arctic to warm and sunny spots, to show that kayaking can be done in lots of different places.

Dive into this TV series that showcases incredible paddling destinations around the world. In every episode, you get to go on an adventure with amazing videos of kayakers going through really cool waterways. They go from fast rivers to calm lakes, and it shows you what kayaking is all about.

While you watch these episodes, you’ll see beautiful places and also find out about the people who live there and what it’s like to be in those places. The series isn’t just about kayaking; it also tells us about the history, traditions, and how people live in the places they visit. You’ll gain a deeper appreciation for different cultures while experiencing thrilling kayak journeys.

The captivating episodes featured in Facing Waves will undoubtedly inspire you to plan your own kayaking trips.

#15. Liquid Logic (2001)

It’s not only the beautiful views that catch their eye but also the amazing animals they meet that make this trip unforgettable. As they paddle along, our kayakers get to see cool creatures like humpback whales jumping in the distance or friendly seals coming up close to their boats. They also see bald eagles flying above and cute sea otters playing in the water.

Liquid Logic is a famous company that makes really good kayaks that are known for being innovative and high-quality. Their designs have changed the way people kayak on rough rivers because they keep trying to make them work even better.

The company is really good at making kayaks. They pay close attention to the small things use fancy materials, and the latest technology. They know it’s important to focus when going through rough waters, so they make kayaks that are stable, easy to control, and can be moved around easily.

Liquid Logic has added cool stuff to make whitewater kayaking better. One cool feature is their “Bad Ass Outfitting” system. It helps you make your kayak seat super comfy and supportive when you’re paddling for a long time.

Another cool thing is their “Planing Hull Design.” It makes the kayak more stable by spreading the weight evenly across the bottom of the kayak.

#16. WildWater: A Love Story (2017)  

There’s a documentary about Wildwater racing in kayaking. It’s a really exciting type of kayaking where athletes go through tough, rapid-filled courses. The film gives a special look at this part of the sport that many people don’t know much about, but it’s just as interesting.

The documentary provides historical context about wild water racing, shedding light on the origins and evolution of this exciting discipline. Viewers get a glimpse into the early days of competitive kayaking and how it has grown over time. They learn about the pioneers who pushed the boundaries and laid the foundation for modern-day wild water racing.

One of the highlights of “WildWater: A Love Story” is watching athletes take on really tough water courses. The movie is like a thrilling adventure as these skilled kayakers go through dangerous rapids, showing how quick and strong they are and how determined they can be. You’ll be captivated by their skillful maneuvers and heart-pounding descents down roaring rivers.

In addition to exploring the world of wild water racing, “WildWater: A Love Story” also weaves in a touching love story.

#17. Paddling Film Festival World Tour (Annual)

The Paddling Film Festival World Tour is a special yearly event. It’s not just one movie; it’s a collection of the best kayaking films from the year. People from all over the world who love kayaking and adventure films come together to enjoy the beauty and excitement of paddling. Each year, they show new and exciting films about kayaking adventures and stories.

The Paddling Film Festival World Tour shows lots of different kayaking adventures and movies from all around the world. It’s a chance for you to watch various types of films with different stories and ways of telling them. There’s stuff for everyone, like exciting whitewater kayaking and peaceful trips along the coast, so you’ll definitely find something you like.

Going to the Paddling Film Festival World Tour means you can really get into the world of paddling and meet other people who love it, too. It’s a time to talk about your kayaking hobby and hear stories from people who enjoy it just like you. This festival makes you feel like you’re part of a group where everyone loves paddlesports, and you all have a great time celebrating it together. 

Final Words

To sum it up, kayaking movies and documentaries are like exciting journeys that bring the thrill and beauty of kayaking to your screen. Whether you’re an experienced kayaker reliving your adventures or just curious about kayaking, these films make you feel like you’re part of the action.

These movies and documentaries feature various kayaking adventures, from heart-pounding expeditions to peaceful paddles. They let us experience the fun and challenges of kayaking and take us on trips to explore the wonders of nature. So, as you begin watching these films, may they inspire and amaze you and deepen your love for the exciting sport of kayaking.

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Burt Reynolds in Deliverance

Deliverance at 50: a violent battle between urban and rural America

John Boorman’s critical and commercial smash may have leaned on grotesque stereotypes but it remains a fiercely thrilling piece of exploitation

T wo sounds leap to mind at the mere mention of Deliverance . The first is the tuneful bluegrass plink of Arthur Smith’s Dueling Banjos, performed by the eponymous instrument and an acoustic guitar harmonizing with it. The second, much less pleasant sound is the high, pained yelp of Ned Beatty, squealing like a pig to appease the depraved stranger violating him. So crucial are both to the enduring power of John Boorman’s 1972 nightmare in the boonies that the first can’t help but evoke the second: five decades later, that banjo tune still sounds like a warning – an omen of danger ahead, especially the kind that lies off the beaten path, south of the Mason-Dixon.

It’s a version of America nearly extinct, the more wild and dangerous one traversed by the explorers of legend, that the four city slickers of Deliverance go searching for on their ill-fated canoe trip down the fictional Cahulawassee River. Revisiting the film, on the verge of its 50th anniversary, feels like its own choppy expedition into the rough-and-tumble past. When else but the heyday of New Hollywood could a shocking survival thriller featuring an infamously grueling scene of sexual violence become one of the biggest hits of the year?

Deliverance didn’t just make money and the careers of most of its cast. It earned strong reviews, too, and picked up some major academy award nominations, even inching its way into the best picture race. (It would lose the big one to a more sweeping portrait of American violence, The Godfather.) Boorman, the British genre specialist who made the Lee Marvin existential noir Point Blank, situated the film at the intersection of prestige and exploitation. Depending on who you ask, it’s either a sturdy studio drama jolted alive with B-movie savagery or a B action picture with pretensions of seriousness.

Written by James Dickey, faithfully adapting his own 1970 novel, Deliverance quickly, cleanly lays out its trajectory through the ventricles of a heart of darkness. Gathering for some old-fashioned male bonding by way of wilderness adventure are four businessmen from Atlanta: the self-aggrandizing macho bully Lewis (Burt Reynolds), thoughtful strummer Drew (Ronny Cox), good-sport accountant Bobby (Beatty), and level-headed audience surrogate Ed (Jon Voight). Together they’ll cross a stretch of Georgia on a rushing river destined to become a still lake, thanks to a dam being constructed by the state.

Lewis, presumably named for one of America’s most famous adventurers, complains of such “progress”, waxing nostalgic about an America untouched by industry. “We’re going to rape this landscape,” he sighs – one of several lines of dialogue that foreshadows the hellish gauntlet to come. When Ed later notes that “No one can find us up here,” he’s relishing the seclusion of their sojourn off the grid, unaware that he’ll come to regret it. One dark irony of the film is that it gives these four men an extreme version of what they’re supposedly seeking: a more primeval America, further from civilization than they bargained for.

You could call Deliverance the “reputable”, mainstream cousin to contemporaneous classics of deep-south-west mayhem like The Hills Have Eyes and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Boorman’s backwoods bogeymen aren’t quite as inhuman as the cannibalistic redneck monsters of those movies, but they’re still ghoulish caricatures, fulfilling the quintessential stereotype of the rural south as an enclave of toothless, depraved cousin-fuckers. It’s pure turf war on the banks of the river, the endless national conflict between city and country values given a grotesquely visceral shape. Still, however much the film made the Peach state look like a playground for inbred deviants, it also spurred tourism to the area, boosted the whitewater rafting industry, and helped turn Georgia into the go-to Hollywood filming locale it is today.

Boorman’s action has a ruthless spontaneity, born of the bumbling nature of the exploits – all of these characters are in over their heads, figuratively and literally – and the reckless conditions of a shoot that cut corners and risked injury. (That there were no stunt doubles becomes shockingly clear during the scenes on the river, the film’s stars plainly plummeting off their canoes.) The most notorious moment, when Bobby is brutalized by the gun-toting rapist, has lost none of its queasy intensity: its awful hicksploitation power comes from the way Boorman cuts dispassionately from stark wide shots to closeups that conceal the sexual violence while centering Beatty’s simulated anguish. It seems to go on forever – and in fact, Reynolds later claimed that Boorman kept the camera running for an uncomfortably long time, until he stepped in to object.

This was, of course, the film that made Reynolds a movie star. Which makes sense, as he’s downright iconic in the role, a magnetically obnoxious cowboy blowhard. Boorman basks in his rugged sex appeal but also slyly subverts it, both in emphasizing Lewis’s brutish cruelty and in eventually reducing him to a mewling shell of himself, all his machismo drained out of him by a gnarly fracture of the femur. It’s possible to read Deliverance as an indictment of America’s obsession with traditional masculinity. Where does Lewis’s back-to-nature trial of manhood lead but physical and psychological destruction? And what is Bobby’s heinous ordeal but a kind of horror-movie escalation of the emasculating, fat-shaming harassment he endures from Lewis on the rapids?

Ned Beatty, Jon Voight, Ronny Cox, Bill McKinney and Burt Reynolds

Released in the same era as Dirty Harry and Death Wish, the film also works as an interrogation of vigilante revenge thrillers. Whatever righteous satisfaction Deliverance provokes by putting an arrow straight through Bobby’s assailant (character actor and Clint Eastwood favorite Bill McKinney) slowly dissipates in the aftermath, as our heroes relinquish any moral high ground, even as they gain a literal one. Open questions complicate everything that follows. Is Drew actually shot on the river, or is it mere shock that sends him into the water? And is the man Ed kills on the bluff the same one who held him at gunpoint, or just another backwoods other subjected to his wrath and fear? In the nightmare that closes the film, it’s guilt and uncertainty that really come floating to the surface, a bloated corpse bobbing in Ed’s subconscious.

Fifty years after Deliverance, Hollywood has smoothed its own raging river. The jaggedness of Boorman’s movie is ancient history, a long-lost quality in studio thrillers. Yet the tensions the film exploited still snake through the culture like tributaries. Which is to say, Deliverance remains relevant to a country eternally hand-wringing about the supposed erosion of masculine ideals and forever divided down lines of geography and topography. If anything, the movie’s violent conflict looks like a premonition of the culture wars of today. And through that lens, there’s an extra sad resonance to the famous duel of stringed instruments that more or less opens the movie: a fleeting harmony between urban and rural America, doomed to give way to discordance.

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Is Deliverance (1972) Based on a True Story?

Dhruv Trivedi of Is Deliverance (1972) Based on a True Story?

‘Deliverance’ is a 1972 adventure drama that follows Lewis Medlock ( Burt Reynolds ), an outdoor enthusiast who takes his friends on a canoeing trip. Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it is dammed and turned into a lake, Medlock and his three companions embark on a journey that turns more dangerous than they could have ever imagined.

Directed by John Boorman, ‘Deliverance’ has become a classic for its depiction of the horrors of the wilderness. The film’s visceral scenes tie together a remarkable narrative of adventure. Now, are you wondering if what ‘Deliverance’ depicts events that actually happened in real life? Then let’s take a look for ourselves!

Is Deliverance a True Story?

No, ‘Deliverance’ is not based on a true story. The survival thriller is adapted from a script based on James Dickey’s 1970 eponymous novel, which was not just his debut novel but also marked his shift from poet to author. Although Roman Polanski and Sam Peckinpah were considered to lead the project, John Boorman was ultimately selected. The director made significant changes to the script, which was also penned by Dickey.

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Interestingly, Dickey claimed a few times that his novel was inspired by actual events that he experienced, but it appears that most people didn’t take his claims too seriously. Upon being told by the author that “it really happened” while referring to a death in the film, Burt Reynolds stated that he didn’t question him further. Furthermore, Dickey allegedly took Boorman aside and told him that everything in the book had actually happened to him. However, the director went on to say that nothing in the book really happened to Dickey.

Nonetheless, the canoe trip that inspired the book did happen with Dickey and his friend Lewis King, who later came on as technical advisor on the film. The two took a canoe trip together years ago, which Dickey enjoyed so much that he dedicated his novel ‘Deliverance’ to King. Though King doesn’t corroborate that the events of the novel (and subsequent film) did happen in real life, he did share once that Dickey likely drew reference from their encounter with a father and son during the canoeing trip.

There was a good amount of back and forth on the script, with Dickey proclaiming that he once again made modifications to the script after Boorman redid the original document. In the end, the writer said that both he and the director could claim equal credit for the script, which ended up being something that satisfied both of them, at least for a time. There were later reports that Dickey tried to get the film remade because he felt Boorman’s film wasn’t true to his novel.

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Despite its made-up narrative, what makes the film especially hard-hitting is its authentic depiction of the nerve-wracking danger that the central characters go through. The grueling production process centered around a turbulent river, and many pivotal scenes were shot without special effects. In fact, Reynolds cracked his hip bone and coccyx while filming a scene in which Lewis goes over a waterfall, while actor Ned Beatty almost drowned in another sequence.

Thus, ‘Deliverance’ is based on a fictional story inspired by the author’s experiences and from a script subsequently embellished by the director. The film’s themes of overcoming adversity and how people react to extreme situations are perfectly depicted through the turbulent river and the characters that decide to follow it in their canoes. On a related note, the filming location also adds to the authenticity and stays faithful to the book’s North Georgia setting. Ultimately, ‘Deliverance’ is a masterfully told fictional tale that has the semblance of a true story.

Read More:  Where Was Deliverance Filmed?

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A Look Back at ‘Deliverance’s’ Iconic ‘Dueling Banjos’ Scene

The movie Deliverance is unforgettable for an especially evil scene. You know the one: "Squeal like a pig." But Deliverance also brought to life "Dueling Banjos," a bluegrass tune first composed in 1954. As a spontaneous duet between an Atlanta businessman and a provincial local boy, "Dueling Banjoes" introduced audiences to the eerie, rural Georgia setting. The song reemerges as a complicated theme throughout Deliverance , distinct strings flashing back to the group's wholesome (naive) expectations for their voyage downstream.

The "Dueling Banjos" Scene

Deliverance is about the devastating canoe trip of four Atlanta professionals trying to hack it in the country. The enthusiastic Lewis, played by (a perpetually sleeveless) Burt Reynolds , leads his friends into the wilds of Northern Georgia before the Cahulawassee River is dammed. Jon Voight as Ed has a bit of Lewis' survivalist streak, but newcomers Bobby and Drew are in over their heads completely on the camping excursion.

Drew was played by Ronny Cox, a talented guitarist who made his on-screen debut in Deliverance . As Drew would later find, he did not have what it takes to survive. His only moment of true enjoyment on the trip was at their first stop: a backwoods gas station. While Bobby (an oafish Ned Beatty) spends time condescending to the poor locals, Drew strums his guitar and garners notice from a striking young banjo player, Lonnie. Lonnie, played by Billy Redden, appears mute and even inbred. Director John Boorman scouted Redden at a nearby Georgie high school. Although the first-time actor was perfectly healthy, Boorman felt his unusual appearance fulfilled what the Deliverance script described as "inbred."

Billy Redden: "Deliverance"

"Dueling Banjos" unfolds between Lonnie and Drew like a conversation. With nothing in common, the pair banters without words through flipping camera angles. Lonnie, reticent at first, picks up the tune slowly, complete with a Yankee Doodle fakeout — before revealing the scope of his talent and jamming out "clawhammer" style. Delighted, Drew follows suit, and "Dueling Banjos" plays in its entirety. For a moment, the gas station seems like a peaceful place. Bobby claps along (offbeat). An old man dances a jig. Another local whistle happily. It's the only calm scene in Deliverance , as the tender, the temporary union between Drew and Lonnie inspires the crowd. But the pastoral enchantment covers for a community with sinister intentions. In turn, the hubris of the "city boys" that view locals like authentic props will be violently punished.

Billy Redden could not play the banjo. (Following the popularity of  Deliverance , he played a "Banjo Man" in  Big Fish  but never actually learned to play.) In order to film alongside Ronny Cox, who really played, Redden wore a special shirt that allowed local musician Mike Addis to strum the instrument, hiding his own arms in Redden's sleeves.

The History of "Dueling Banjos"

Related Content

'dueling banjos' picker eric weissberg dies at age 80, the evolution of 20th century bluegrass in 12 songs, these 5 film soundtracks introduced country and old-time music to the masses.

Although Deliverance surged "Dueling Banjos" to popularity — it charted #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks (second only to Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly with His Song") — the song did not originate with this country thriller. Esteemed musician Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith composed the instrumental in 1954 and originally performed it with bluegrass banjo player, Don Reno. In 1963, the song gained wide recognition when it featured prominently in an episode of The Andy Griffith Show : "Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee." On Andy Griffith , "Dueling Banjos" was played by a visiting musical family called The Darlings. ( The Darlings were actually portrayed by real-life Bluegrass band, The Dillards. )

The Deliverance film version of "Dueling Banjos," altered from Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith's original, was arranged and recorded by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell. However, the filmmakers did not credit fully credit Smith, leading the songwriter to sue Warner Bros. And win. Smith finally received proper crediting as well as handsome royalties. And while the musician never revealed just how much he made off the hit, he did buy a yacht following the lawsuit. In 2014, Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith died at the age of 93.

In the 48 years since Deliverance premiered, audiences have been gripped by the grand, failed experiment in American masculinity. And though the film's events turned this fun banjo tune into a dark reminder for Ed, Lewis, Drew, and Bobby, it did not stop "Dueling Banjos" from entertaining the nation, on and off-screen.

Editors Note: This article was originally written on Rare.us.

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In WITHOUT A PADDLE, three friends from Philadelphia decide to go on a canoeing trip in Oregon after the death of a friend. While canoeing down the Columbia River, the trio soon finds themselves in trouble as the river turns dangerous and they encounter a crazy mountain man who lives nearby.

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  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.75 inches; 0.01 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ MFR097360513646#VG
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Steven Brill
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Color, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC, Collector's Edition, Closed-captioned, Special Edition
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 35 minutes
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Matthew Lillard, Seth Green, Dax Shepard, Matthew Price, Andrew Hampton
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ Spanish
  • Language ‏ : ‎ Unqualified (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Paramount
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0006FO8HK
  • Writers ‏ : ‎ Fred Wolf, Harris Goldberg, Jay Leggett, Mitch Rouse, Tom Nursall
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‘Deliverance’ Has an Infamous Rape Scene, and Men Keep Failing to Understand It

45 years later and the subtext of John Boorman’s thriller is still widely misunderstood.

Deliverance wouldn’t seem like a film that begs for a re-watch. That’s probably because its two most iconic moments, a banjo session at a truck stop and a man’s rape in the woods, have been co-opted for numerous hillbilly exploitation moments ever since; many of us probably associated the roots of mainstream hillbilly parody coming from this film.

The banjo chords alone can be used as a you’re not welcome here sound from afar whenever a stranger enters the woods or played for laughs whenever a city slicker enters the rural south. And a redneck man’s desire to rape another man has been used in films as varied as Pulp Fiction and Dumb & Dumber ; after 1972, confederate flags and bad teeth all became easy story codes to imply danger to another man that a rape could be coming.

Deliverance has now been in the world for 45 years. And it demands a re-watch but not for the reasons you might think. Sure, in America, many who are grappling with the current state of the White House have turned the The Hillbilly Elegy into a bestseller through a desire to “get to know” the people in the states that bleed Republican red. And there’s been a backlash against J.D. Vance ’s bootstrap success book because his descriptions of impoverished learned helplessness sure seems to echo a governmental down-speak to the rural poor. Yes, there’s definitely strife between city folks and rural folks in Deliverance , but just like a purchase and then dismissal of Vance’s book because it doesn’t share a similar worldview is a kneejerk oversimplification, the view of Deliverance being modern city men vs. un-evolved rural men is also a gross oversimplification.

Deliverance is about men who feel weak around other men, regardless of social or regional status, but it’s also about the freedom that men take for granted. And the two scenes that Deliverance is most well known for play out entirely differently than you probably remember.

Before dissecting those two scenes, let’s discuss the four men who come from the city into Appalachia for a canoe trip. Burt Reynolds is the alpha male who is constantly shown in a state of trying to prove himself, even though all the other men in the group have already conceded to his machismo superiority; from his leather vest to his fast off-road driving, and his back-to-the-earth passionate description of why they need to traverse this river before a dam gets built turning it into a staid, motionless lake—Reynolds’ Lewis is always attempting to show that he’s in charge. Ned Beatty is the waggish fellow who doesn’t flex an attunement to back-to-the-earth survival. No one seems to respect him but they like having him around to feel superior to and to feel adulated by. Ronny Cox is Drew, someone of refined talents in books and musical instruments, and is described to be “about the best damn person” you’d ever meet. Drew’s declarations don’t come with gruff language and ultimatums like Lewis’, despite his intelligence grounding the entire group. Whereas Drew doesn’t appear to be enamored with Lewis or engaging in any pissing matches, Jon Voight ’s Ed is somewhere in between Drew and Lewis. He’s attracted to Lewis’ bravado because he wished he had it himself. Drew and Bobby’s existences are plainer and Lewis’ appears more primal and manly. Lewis can sense this affection and so those two men frequently pair off together, the admired and the admirer as Lewis either tests Ed’s resolve or shows him his superior nature by racing through the woods, leaving the other car behind, and Ed holding onto his seat with a scared look on his face.

Lewis, the boorish type, describes the necessity of their river trip because “they’re building a dam across the Cahulawassee River. They’re gonna flood a whole valley, Bobby, that’s why… Just about the last wild, untamed, unpolluted, un-fucked up river in the South. Don’t you understand what I’m saying?...They’re gonna stop the river up. There ain’t gonna be no more river. There’s just gonna be a big, dead lake… Why? To just push a little more power into Atlanta, a little more air-conditioners for your smug little suburb, and you know what’s gonna happen? We’re gonna rape this whole goddamned landscape. We’re gonna rape it.”

It’s important that Lewis uses the word “rape” not because it foretells Bobby’s rape but because it shows how cavalier men are in using the language of one of the worst things that can happen to a person but is predominantly only likely to happen to women; he uses it to signify that something beautiful will become tainted. And that type of language use can even imply that a victim of rape makes someone worthless to society, i.e. victim shaming, something that ‘s inherent in the lower percentage reports of rapes vs. the number of men and women who actually are raped. Victims don’t want to face accusatory words or have their behavior analyzed down to every minute detail in order to ascertain whether or not sex was coerced. I can feel some of our readers rolling their eyes, but men freely use that word out of context because their gender doesn’t have the innate context of what it feels like to be statistically likely to be raped and thus adding protection measures to numerous situations in which it would feel foreign for a man to protect himself from unwanted sexual attention.

Reynolds and Cox understand this, too. In a 2012 interview with Huffington Post, Reynolds first attributes this thought to Cox and then says, “women get this movie much quicker than men. Women also understand. You know, for so many years men throw the word ‘rape’ around and never thought about what they were saying. And I think the picture makes men think about something that’s  very  important, that we understand the pain and embarrassment and the change of people’s lives.” And though this movie is 45 years old, the loose use of the word is still normal amongst many men, ranging from our current President to even movie pundits using the word “rape” to describe what it felt like to have DC fans react negatively to his opinions of the DCEU or what George Lucas “did to [your] childhood”. Your eye roll should be reserved for the flippant use of this word to imply victimization on trivial matters.

The freedom to use that word without consequences is the same freedom that the four men enjoy in going to a remote area to travel down a river, without thought of any potential harms that might befall them other than nature’s natural order. The river trip and Lewis’ description of it is a perfect vessel for analyzing manhood because the river pushes the men via a “wild and untamed” force. Not only does it test the men’s resolve but it enhances their feeling of freedom; much like men can wander the streets drunk and alone at night, and though they might be on edge or aware of others who might want to fight or rob them, sexual assault is not on their mind like it would more likely be for a woman in that same scenario.

(To be safe, perhaps this is where I should mention that I myself was sexually abused as a youth, but even despite living through that I do not feel unsafe in many scenarios that a woman would start to feel unsafe or at least acutely aware of her surroundings; and though sexual violence is also established to be more frequent than our data shows for boys and men, without speaking for everyone, I do think that most male survivors would say that their gender affords them a privilege in many situations to not feel unsafe.)

Sexual assault being the last thought of what could go wrong for a man in a situation is very important for Deliverance . After experiencing the freedom to traverse the last wild river in the South, Ed and Bobby pull their canoes over to a bank for a break. This is where they encounter their tormenters; and for most of their encounter with the hunters, you can sense that Ed and Bobby are only worried about being roughed up and robbed. The main instigator (played by Bill McKinney ) is picking on Bobby in a method that would be very familiar to many men; he’s sized him up as being the weaker man in the lot and makes fun of his weight with words and standing very close to him, showing dominance. When he flicks Bobby’s clothed nipple he’s testing Bobby’s resolve, how much can he get away with before this guy might stand his ground? Despite what follows next, you don’t get the sense that this mountain man had rape on his mind when seeing these two. It escalated as a power trip.

What set off a chain reaction was Bobby insinuating that the hunters were bootleggers. That comment, which was truly Bobby’s way of standing his ground, is what turns this humiliation game into something personal for the men. It’s an outdated preconceived notion that those from the city believe that the rural poverty south engages in illegal outlaw activity to make what little money they have. By insinuating that they’re bootleggers, Bobby has shown that he feels superior to them. And that’s when he’s taken back into the woods by gunpoint, forced to strip, and Ed is tied to a tree forced to watch, as it does escalate to rape because Bobby complies with each demand thinking that the alternative would be death.

The four men we spent time with before this moment have also engaged in battles for superiority in moments within their group but they were able to do freely as friends. During the initial encounter with the mountain men, when each faction was trying to establish superiority over the other, the main threat would appear to be violence from their guns or fists. When women deal with a man or a group of men, they have to be very aware of their words, posture, etc. so as to not stoke this fragile ire of superiority amongst them.

The shocking rape scene in Deliverance has made many men wonder why it happens. It’s important to note that in the more frequent rape scenes of women the motives of the man aren’t questioned. We don’t condone it, but we accept that it happens, and most don’t need to know extra motivation. John Boorman introduces the rapist the same way that many films have always introduced a rape scene involving a man and woman: as a stranger who simply emerges, commits a horrific act, and then vanishes. For decades of storytelling, writers and directors felt no need to add motivation to that scenario, it’s just accepted that that’s a threat. And that’s how Boorman sets up this scene and it’s ingenious because it should force men to grapple with why this movie is so uncomfortable for them but perhaps so easy to accept and not question a rape scene involving a woman. It also essentially plays out the sickening “she was asking for it” argument equivalent with another man substituted for a woman. Bobby’s simple bootlegging comment shifted the whole situation into something where the mountain man felt he needed to show his power and superiority over him. And of course a man in the audience will think that is wrong and can hopefully make the leap to all “asking for it” defenses are disgustingly wrong.

Deliverance should be something that, if they aren’t there already, puts men in a victim’s shoes, simply by being another man, and teaches them that it is the most debasing thing that a human can do to another human. When Lewis shoots the mountain man, Deliverance uses that to set up a thriller aspect of needing to cover up that crime due to the distrust of local authorities perhaps being related to the dead. It doesn’t say it outright—in fact the men of Deliverance don’t even mention what happened to Bobby outside of the man needing to be shot for the injury he caused—but going to any authorities to report a rape is going in with the deck stacked against the victim because proving rape is very hard and that’s where the questions of how and why the rape occurred, starts twisting the knife of shame and fault in the victim.

Bobby has a witness in Ed for the whole act, and Lewis and Drew witness the very end; but Bobby also doesn’t want to go through with publicly admitting that this had happened to him, something that all four men agree with and it’s perhaps the only way they put themselves in Bobby’s place, that they wouldn’t want others to know. The death of the mountain man allows for a different survival plot to kick in, how will they get back to their trucks without authorities finding the dead man and zeroing in on them for murder, but the distrust of local authorities is key. It’s heavily implied that the regional jury would be their undoing due to blood ties, but one can’t overstate that watching this 45 years later—with many horrific rapes going unpunished due to juries determining lack of facts or judges even admitting a stance of boys will be boys—men should read that extra layer of the fault within our judicial system that has shown repeated difficulty to side with, or even acknowledge, the victim.

Let’s backpedal for a moment to the other iconic scene. The banjo scene, it is a different side of the coin than the rape scene. Drew begins plucking his guitar at a one-car gas station and a boy with features that imply familial inbreeding begins mimicking his song; the two do a call and response and eventually speed up into a rollicking tune. It easy to say that Deliverance feels superior to the rural south, but I don’t think that’s the case. The banjo scene has been twisted in pop culture into something that foretells something awful to come, but the scene itself is actually quite delightful and fun. It shows Drew’s willingness to engage with the locals and his immense respect for the child’s musicianship.

Because the child rebuffs his handshake, it implies that the city vs. rural game has set motion but the ending of the film is key. After surviving the trip down the river, the men mostly receive kindness from the community. The medical facilities are not archaic, the doctors are every bit as talented as the ones you’d find in the city. The police are equally discerning, too, those who have authority in the area are not shown as hicks. However in a flip of the rape narrative, it’d be impossible for the police to prove anything that they have a hunch on, without finding the evidence of a body. With the river about to be dammed and flooding the rest of the valley, that body is likely never to be found, and so the men are just told to never ever come back to this place.

This tug of war between the rural area and the men from out of town is emphasized by the city essentially wiping this town off the map. The dam is being built to send more power to the city of Atlanta. The town where the men receive aid and need to deceive their way out of in order to get back to Atlanta needs to move everything to a higher ground. But don’t forget the word that Lewis, the supreme male specimen of the group, uses to describe this process. He describes it as “rape.” And Deliverance is about everything that that word implies, except it shows it as a physical act instead of a flippant loose word; it’s the power that the city has over rural areas, physically removing them, it’s the power of pre-conceived notions that overrides juries and it is, of course, the overpowering nature of rape itself. As Reynolds said, “women get this movie quicker than men” and 45 years later now is the best time for men to re-watch it and become aware of their privilege to venture anywhere they please.

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canoe trip movie

The Ultimate Guide to 'Deliverance'

Ride the rapids to these 'Deliverance' filming locations

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Created by Roadtrippers - July 20th 2016

Ok, I'll admit it; Deliverance is a really, really disturbing movie. However, that being said, there's no denying that the surrounding scenery the four main characters canoe through is gorgeous-- despite the messed up stuff that happens to them. Everything is so green and wild-looking, and it's not hard to understand why Burt Reynolds' character is so eager to explore it before the river is flooded by the dam and it all disppears underwater. The book and movie were inspired by the creation of Carters Lake from the Coosawattee River in the 1970's, but since everything had been flooded and stripped by the time Deliverance was being filmed, the production chose a river some 50 miles away for filming.

Photo of Chattooga River - Deliverance

Chattooga River - Deliverance

The fictional river that the friends want to canoe down is called the Cahulawassee, but the movie was filmed on a 10 mile stretch of the Chattooga River, between Northern Georgia and Southern South Carolina. The Chattooga is notoriously difficult to canoe, with tons of intense rapids-- and, much like the Cahulawassee, it was selected as a filming location because it's so isolated from civilization; just a few things to keep in mind, should you elect to visit.

Photo of Chattooga Whitewater Outfitters

14239 Long Creek Hwy, SC, US

Chattooga Whitewater Outfitters

Or, I would suggest having someone guide you down the river, maybe from Chattooga Whitewater Outfitters.

Photo of Lake Tugalo

Lake Tugalo

The Chattooga empties into Lake Tugalo, which also makes an appearance in the film.

Photo of Tallulah Gorge State Park

338 Jane Hurt Yarn Drive, Tallulah Falls, GA, US

Tallulah Gorge State Park

The scenes in calmer waters, after Drew dies (sad face), were filmed at the lovely Tallulah Gorge State Park, which is close by. Tallulah Gorge, unlike the Chattooga, is a popular park for hikers and canoers of all experience levels-- and they have campsites as well, so you don't have to rough it too much while exploring the movie's filming locations.

Photo of Devils Fork State Park

161 Holcombe Cir, Salem, SC, US

Devils Fork State Park

The lake that's being flooded at the end is Lake Jocassee in Devils Fork State Park... and there really is a former graveyard, Mount Carmel Baptist Church cemetery, that is now at the bottom of it.

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Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "canoe-trip"

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1. The Burning (1981)

R | 91 min | Horror

A former summer camp caretaker, horribly burned from a prank gone wrong, lurks around an upstate New York summer camp bent on killing the teenagers responsible for his disfigurement.

Director: Tony Maylam | Stars: Brian Matthews , Leah Ayres , Brian Backer , Larry Joshua

Votes: 22,220

2. Alfie (1966)

Unrated | 114 min | Comedy, Drama

An unrepentant ladies' man gradually begins to understand the consequences of his lifestyle.

Director: Lewis Gilbert | Stars: Michael Caine , Shelley Winters , Millicent Martin , Julia Foster

Votes: 15,807 | Gross: $18.87M

3. Calendar Girl (1993)

PG-13 | 90 min | Comedy, Drama

Three young men go on an end of the summer trip to Hollywood, California. Their quest: to fulfill the fantasy of meeting Marilyn Monroe.

Director: John Whitesell | Stars: Jason Priestley , Gabriel Olds , Jerry O'Connell , Joe Pantoliano

Votes: 2,475 | Gross: $2.57M

4. White Water Fury (2000)

96 min | Thriller

Four guys are out kayaking. They meet two sisters and decide to camp and party together. After a wild night the youngest sister is gone.

Director: Jon Lindström | Stars: Emil Forselius , Rafael Edholm , Alexander Skarsgård , Peter Lorentzon

5. Surviving Crooked Lake (2008)

PG-13 | 89 min | Thriller

A summertime canoe trip turns into a nightmare for four 14-year-old girls.

Directors: Sascha Drews , Ezra Krybus , Matthew Miller | Stars: Alysha Aubin , Candice Mausner , Morgan McCunn , Stephannie Richardson

6. The Legend of Beaver Dam (2010)

12 min | Short, Comedy, Horror

When a ghost story around the campfire awakens an evil monster, it's up to nerdy Danny Zigwitz to be the hero and save his fellow campers from a bloody massacre. Crank up the volume and get... See full summary  »

Director: Jerome Sable | Stars: L.J. Benet , Seán Cullen , Rick Miller , Kailey Nicole

7. Beautiful Excursions (2006– ) Episode: Écosse (2011)

Documentary

Beginning of the journey in Glasgow: Jérôme meet Coinneach Maclean : in the 17th century Glasgow was an important port for the trade of tobacco, sugar and cotton with America, later Glasgow... See full summary  »

Director: Damien Pourageaux | Star: Jérôme Pitorin

8. SparkShorts (2018–2024) Episode: Loop (2020)

PG | 9 min | Animation, Short, Comedy

In LOOP, two kids at canoe camp find themselves adrift on a lake, unable to move forward until they find a new way to connect and see the world through each other's eyes.

Director: Erica Milsom | Stars: Madison Bandy , Chachi Delgado , Louis Gonzales , Asher Brodkey

Votes: 2,776

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VIDEO

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COMMENTS

  1. Deliverance (1972)

    Deliverance: Directed by John Boorman. With Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox. Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's dammed and turned into a lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a canoeing trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.

  2. Deliverance

    Movie Info. Four city-dwelling friends (Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox) decide to get away from their jobs, wives and kids for a week of canoeing in rural Georgia. When the men ...

  3. Without a Paddle (2004)

    Without a Paddle: Directed by Steven Brill. With Matthew Price, Andrew Hampton, Jarred Rumbold, Carl Snell. After their friend dies, three men decide to fulfill their childhood dream by going on a camping expedition for the lost D. B. Cooper bounty, with calamitous results.

  4. Deliverance (1972)

    It was the weekend they hoped for, a great adventure, without their golf clubs. Soon enough, the trip becomes a nightmare when they run into creepy rednecks, God's forgotten creatures. Based on the novel by James Dickey, it's a thriller with drama, a story of survival, a hellish nightmare. The weekend they should have brought their golf clubs.

  5. 10 Best Awesome Kayaking, Rafting, and Canoeing Movies

    The Sweet Escape (Comme un Avion) (2015): A mid-life crisis propels graphic designer Michel into a newfound passion for kayaking and a pastoral adventure sparkling with lighthearted charm. The Sweet Escape is a French film with the movie's actual title being "Comme un avion," which means, "Like an airplane.".

  6. The 17 Best Kayaking Movies And Documentaries Of All Time

    Burt Reynolds, one of the characters, takes on a tough journey down a fast and wild river. This part is really popular with folks who enjoy kayaking, and many say it's one of the most famous kayak scenes in movies. #2. The River Wild (1994) "Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon star in "The River Wild" a really exciting movie.

  7. Deliverance

    Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman, and starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, with the latter two making their feature film debuts.The screenplay was adapted by James Dickey from his 1970 novel of the same name.The film was a critical and box office success, earning three Academy Award nominations and five Golden Globe ...

  8. Watch Alone Across the Arctic

    Alone Across the Arctic. Explorer Adam Shoalts embarks on an estimated 4000 km journey across the Canadian Arctic by canoe and on foot, alone. 288 IMDb 7.1 1 h 26 min 2019. X-Ray 7+.

  9. Deliverance at 50: a violent battle between urban and rural America

    Written by James Dickey, faithfully adapting his own 1970 novel, Deliverance quickly, cleanly lays out its trajectory through the ventricles of a heart of darkness. Gathering for some old ...

  10. Is Deliverance (1972) Based on a True Story?

    The two took a canoe trip together years ago, which Dickey enjoyed so much that he dedicated his novel 'Deliverance' to King. Though King doesn't corroborate that the events of the novel (and subsequent film) did happen in real life, he did share once that Dickey likely drew reference from their encounter with a father and son during the ...

  11. The 9 Paddling Films We Loved Most In 2022

    Kwanza is the story of Mike Dawson, Dewet Michau and Jake Holland, who embrace the challenge of the wild Kwanza River and race against time to kayak its mighty rapids before dams drown them. Director: Mike Dawson. Producers: Mike Dawson, Jake Holland. [ Kwanza is included in our Adventure 2022 Virtual Program .

  12. A Look Back at 'Deliverance's' Iconic 'Dueling Banjos' Scene

    The "Dueling Banjos" Scene. Deliverance is about the devastating canoe trip of four Atlanta professionals trying to hack it in the country. The enthusiastic Lewis, played by (a perpetually ...

  13. The River Wild (1994)

    The River Wild: Directed by Curtis Hanson. With Meryl Streep, Joseph Mazzello, Stephanie Sawyer, David Strathairn. Rafting expert Gail takes on a pair of armed killers while navigating a spectacularly violent river.

  14. Without a Paddle (Full Screen Edition)

    In WITHOUT A PADDLE, three friends from Philadelphia decide to go on a canoeing trip in Oregon after the death of a friend. While canoeing down the Columbia River, the trio soon finds themselves in trouble as the river turns dangerous and they encounter a crazy mountain man who lives nearby.

  15. Deliverance's Infamous Rape Scene, Explained

    Lewis, the boorish type, describes the necessity of their river trip because "they're building a dam across the Cahulawassee River. They're gonna flood a whole valley, Bobby, that's why…

  16. The Story Of The Only Surviving Canoe From Deliverance

    The last surviving wood-canvas canoe from Deliverance is discovered. In the Oscar-nominated 1972 film Deliverance, four friends—two of which are played by Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds—canoe down a fictional Georgia river before it's dammed. The group faces a number of challenges, including some fierce whitewater that ends up splintering ...

  17. The Ultimate Guide to 'Deliverance'

    Chattooga River - Deliverance. The fictional river that the friends want to canoe down is called the Cahulawassee, but the movie was filmed on a 10 mile stretch of the Chattooga River, between Northern Georgia and Southern South Carolina. The Chattooga is notoriously difficult to canoe, with tons of intense rapids-- and, much like the ...

  18. Without a Paddle (2004)

    FilmFanInTheHouse 24 November 2007. Without a Paddle (2004, Dir. Steven Brill) Three friends, whose lives have been drifting apart, reunite for the funeral of a fourth childhood friend. When looking through their childhood belonging, they discover a trunk which contained details on a quest their friend was attempting.

  19. 10-Day Wilderness Canoe Trip in Algonquin Park

    100km, 27 portages, 16 lakes, 2 rivers, 1 hell of a trip!Join us on this EPIC 10-day wilderness canoe trip in Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada! Canoeing, po...

  20. Sort by Popularity

    IMDb's advanced search allows you to run extremely powerful queries over all people and titles in the database. Find exactly what you're looking for! Menu. Movies. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight.