Smokey and the Bandit

[aclivity]

This is not a rant, nor an issue-du-jour, but I need to get it off my chest as it has bothered me (off and on) for several years.

Last night I happened to catch a few minutes of that classic american comedy "Smokey and the Bandit". How I roared with laughter at those crazy antics. But then I recalled what had bugged me about this film from the very start.

What is the point of the Bandit?

I understand the point of Snowman, in the big truck to carry the elephant / whatever other load we are supposed to guffaw with laughter about.

I understand Sherriff Buford T. Justice. In a way. At least the reason for having him in the escapade.

But WHY the bandit? As a student of classical American culture (4 hour module, coursework only, no exam) I know that in other films about truck drivers ("Convoy", of course, and the risible "Maximum Overdrive") the trucks appear to be able to get across the country without a pillock in a "sports" (ha!) car doing silly things around them. I've also seen some thousands of trucks over here in blighty, perfectly able to navigate from East to West and even North to South without requiring another vehicle to be part of the journey. Just as well, I suppose, or it would cost Eddie Stobart a fortune to have all of those extra cars and drivers on the roads.

Anyway, what is the point?

Am I reading too much into this, or being too demanding of my film entertainment expecting it to have a plot that makes sense?

[Juz]

He was the blocker, having the police chase him rather than pull the truck.

Juz

[SoggyFox]

Its taken you 20 plus years to think that through and come up with the realisation that fact and reality having nothing to do with a good film (or Hollywood in general).

I always thought Smokey was the owner of the truck or something and was making sure that the delivery made it through. Now come to think of it he was just some maniac nutter trying to wind up the red-neck tobaccco chewing law.yeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaa.

[Deep Baloo]

He did also occasionally throw hamburgers into the lorry to save him having to stop and fight bikers(as seems to happen in every american road movie).
Being a lorry driver myself i can see the benefits of this,so the question should be "What is the point of NOT having a Bandit"

[Conor]

....and as for Maximum Overdrive, wasn't that just an extened AC/DC music video?

[recurve]

Originally Posted by SoggyFox

Its taken you 20 plus years to think that through and come up with the realisation that fact and reality having nothing to do with a good film (or Hollywood in general).

I always thought Smokey was the owner of the truck or something and was making sure that the delivery made it through. Now come to think of it he was just some maniac nutter trying to wind up the red-neck tobaccco chewing law.yeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaa.

Ummmm, isn't Smokey the law?

[Woz]

If you really want a film puzzle to split your wig, how about:

In Predator, if he can't see mud and twigs and stuff, how come he didn't trip over all the time?

[Jen]

There's only one place for this kinda talk and that's on www.nitpickers.com

[dry suit diver]

Originally Posted by Woz

If you really want a film puzzle to split your wig, how about:

In Predator, if he can't see mud and twigs and stuff, how come he didn't trip over all the time?

Quite a lot of Arnie films have gaping errors, the Terminator time travel bit is a good one.

[SoggyFox]

Originally Posted by recurve

Ummmm, isn't Smokey the law?

pedant, Bandit then.