Parents' Guide to

Smokey and the Bandit

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Car stunts, romance, and salty language in 1970s comedy.

Movie PG 1977 96 minutes
Smokey and the Bandit Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 1, 2022
age 13+

Trans Ams in all of their splendor!

Fun, frivolous, silly, and all for Coors. It seems a preposterous premise in the current cultural moment, but is very culturally specific in 1977, which is part of this film's charm. It does not change the world, but it helps you forget about it for 90 minutes...oh! and that Trans Am!
himydudes
himydudes Parent of 13-year-old
December 27, 2018
age 15+

Great film!!!

Awesome film, however there are multiple uses of swearing. For example, words like sh-t and son of a bit-h are used many, many times. Many other swear words, not too much sexy stuff, but jokes about it, and violence at a bar. Awesome movie for me and my 14 year son, though! Age 15+

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Bandit (Burt Reynolds) and Cledus (Jerry Reed) are hell-bent on illegally transporting a truckload of Coors beer from Texas to Georgia in SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. They have a 28-hour deadline, and they've made an $80,000 bet that they can do it. It isn't long before Texas troopers are alerted and the chase is on. The stakes get higher when Carrie (Sally Field), a runaway bride, convinces Bandit to help her escape. Her jilted bridegroom's father is a "Smokey" (a local term for "sheriff" -- played by comic actor Jackie Gleason), who has vowed to get Carrie back. Will Bandit and Carrie fall in love? Will Smokey be humiliated during endless encounters? Will Bandit and Cledus get the beer to Georgia? It's a mad dash across borders as the trio attempts to outwit and outrun their hapless pursuers.​

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (10):

Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, and Jackie Gleason have a high time in this silly car-chase movie that was a big hit and spawned several sequels. Smokey and the Bandit is all crashes and booms, with a budding romance evolving between two very popular stars. It's Burt Reynolds at his most ingratiating and Sally Fields at her most adorable (well before her serious acting skills had been discovered by fans). It's always predictable and often funny; there's pratfall humor, with Smokey and his dim-witted son being made the butt of most of the jokes. The PG rating (issued well before the addition of PG-13) doesn't quite take into account the continuous swearing and sexual repartee.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about all the comic car accidents in Smokey and the Bandit. Why is awareness of the real consequences of such accidents important, particularly to kids and teens?

  • Clowns make wonderful villains in some comedies. In what ways is Sheriff Buford Justice a clown? How is he different from real police and law-enforcement officers?

  • In this movie the heroes constantly break laws, and it's all in fun. Do you think that may influence a younger viewer's attitude about laws and following rules? How can parents help clarify the issue?

Movie Details

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