A wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country road race. However, the eccentric entrants will do anything to win the road race, including low-down, ... Read allA wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country road race. However, the eccentric entrants will do anything to win the road race, including low-down, dirty tricks.A wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country road race. However, the eccentric entrants will do anything to win the road race, including low-down, dirty tricks.
- Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis movie was originally planned as an action movie starring Steve McQueen. After McQueen's death, the lead went to Burt Reynolds, and the movie became a comedy.
- GoofsEven though the beginning of the race makes a blatant point of explaining that racers are scored by time, not order of arrival at the finish line, the ending seems to suggest the contrary. Since time is the main factor, any racer who started after the Lamborghini team should still have been able to check-in and beat them. Instead, everyone fights over being the first one to clock in, and the instant she checks in, everyone else simply gives up.
- Quotes
Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing: I'm Nikolas Van Helsing, professor of proctology and other related tendencies. A graduate of the University of Rangoon and assorted night classes at the Knoxville, Tennessee School of Faith Healing.
J.J. McClure: You may be a little overqualified for this job.
- Crazy creditsOuttakes are shown during the credits.
- Alternate versionsFor some reason, the video version dubs over some of the language heard in the big screen and pay channel versions. For example, when Bert Convy asks Peter Fonda what he wants, Fonda answers "Your ass" in the original, but is heard to say "You're asking me?" on the video version.
Another title in the era of entertainment that was best described as "Fast cars, fast crashes, and fast women". The era that produced such films as Smokey and the Bandit, Convoy, and the Dukes of Hazzard TV show. The era that was pointed more at the blue-collar working class than the white-collar office class or the critic.
It certainly wouldn't hold up to Lawrence of Arabia, Citizen Kane, or any other masterpiece, but it isn't trying to be that. It's just trying to be a fast, fun film that loads of people can enjoy.
Instead of a 5-star wine with a 5-star steak in a 5-star restaurant, this film's more of a greasy burger and fries in a roadside dinor. They both cannot be equaled objectively, but they're both 10/10 stars in their own right.
If I could represent the height of American film, I might choose Casablanca, Citizen Kane, or Ben-Hur. If I could choose a film to show the height of American freedom, to show somebody who wasn't American what American freedom and liberty feels like, I'd choose The Cannonball Run.
- teslacoil-54245
- Feb 11, 2018
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Cannonball Trophy
- Filming locations
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA(Motel at start of race)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $18,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $72,179,579
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $11,765,654
- Jun 21, 1981
- Gross worldwide
- $72,179,579
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![Adrienne Barbeau, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. in The Cannonball Run (1981)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjk5YWQ1NmItY2NkNS00NjI0LTgyNzktNGI0MWU1NWQ1MTNhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,2,90,133_.jpg)