MovieChat Forums > Deliverance (1972) Discussion > Drew was right ---not even close

Drew was right ---not even close

posted 12 years ago by rimnod
16 replies | jump to latest

Its the late 60's early 70's and me and my friends go up from Atlanta to Rabun County, Georgia for a canoe trip. There are four of us--three of us are middle-aged respected business men from Atlanta and the other is a dope-no account bonehead. On the second day of the trip we encounter two cretins with shotguns (we have only a single bow and arrow between the four of us) and they assault two of us --sexually assault- and also inflict knife wounds on one of us--and then we manage to kill one of the guys with the bow and the other one runs away. The question is what do we do now?

The dope no account bonehead of the group argues that we need to hide the body and head home without reporting the incident to the police. His chief argument is that we will be brought to trial in this backwoods locality and have either the family or friends of the dead man sitting on a jury ready to convict us of murder (an impossibility). Another one of our group aruges that it would be nuts for us to do anything other then to report the incident (self defense) to the police ASAP--to do anything different would be to set all of us up to face a murder charge. The question is --who makes more sense?

There is another thread on the board where I see the majority of people saying they would side with the nitwit who wants to hide the body and not report the incident. If you believe this and are much over the age of 18 --you represent the portion of the country that really amazes me for their stupidity. Its the kind of warped "real world" thinking that beleives that 09/11 was a U.S. Government conspiracy and Kim Kardashian is the height of feminine beauty.

The only way that the scenario put forth by Lewis in the movie would even be an interesting possibility is if the guys from Atlanta were black. But they weren't.

I doubt if the case would have even come to trial --they probably would have been cleared after a corner's inquest.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rimnod 12 years ago

Whoa--wait a minute back up---at the point of the movie where Lewis argues that they should hide the first dead hillbilly the second hillbilly is alive and has run off into the woods---so we are talking one dead hillbilly and one live hillbilly who is not likely a bulwark of the commmunity---it'd be his word against the 4 guys from Atlanta. Even Lewis conceeded that the live hillbilly wouldn't go to the police----and it turned out that he didn't --he felt his best (and only) option was to kill the four guys from Atlanta before they got back to AINTRY and the authorities.

Can you imagine being the prosecutor in that country actually bringing charges against the Atlanta guys---? What was their motive for attacking these two shotgun wielding morons with a single bow and arrow. Likely both of the hillbillies had extensive criminal records. The case never would have went to trial --justifiable homicide just like Drew said.............

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] chrismovieman 12 years ago

"Can you imagine being the prosecutor in that country actually bringing charges against the Atlanta guys---? What was their motive for attacking these two shotgun wielding morons with a single bow and arrow. Likely both of the hillbillies had extensive criminal records"

Keep in mind, its later revealed that one of the men they killed was the brother in law of the local Sheriffs Deputy. That would have complicated things a bit. The Sheriff's Deputy might have had a pretty strong bias against these three outsiders in his town who just confessed to KILLING someone in his own family!

[–] iraqiwarbride 12 years ago

Have to agree with you here. Lewis's reasoning is very clouded. On one hand he believes that they will be railroaded by the police and at the same time he says that the other hillbilly would be too afraid to go to the police. The other hillbilly had it right---he knew that he was the one in troulbe with the the law and he was determined to kill they guys before they got back to Aintry. I can understand Bobby's motives for wanting to hide the body ---and of course as you said Lewis was a bonehead from start to finish --but don't see why/how Ed was so easily convinced to side with Lewis--I guess there wouldn't ahve been a movie then.

Also the notion that Lewis was trying to sell that the dead hillbillies ma and pa or friends would be in jury box----very silly---almost childish.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 10 years ago

Anything can happen in a court of law. They could've been convicted of killing a man even if it was justifiable.

[–] Degree7 12 years ago

To me it seems that while Drew did make sense, the fear that Lewis was brewing up in them (as well as the fact that he just saved their life) caused them to act irrationally and panic, hiding the body and attempting an escape.

Of course, the fact that Bobby was horribly violated and didn't want the story to surface and destroy his reputation, and Ed almost having been mouth raped himself, would have weighed heavily on their minds. And when they get back the Sheriff is seen wanting to get some revenge on the men who killed his sister's husband.

It does show that by the end, they perhaps made the wrong decision, with Ed having to live the rest of his life in paranoia.

But I think that under the circumstances, they just wanted to get out of there asap. To me, this film seems similair to "Thelma and Louise", where they kill a rapist in self defense and choose to go on the run rather than face the consequences of their actions.

Being is the great explainer.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 10 years ago

If it happened to me I wouldn't want to be looked at as a rape victim.

Truth anything can happen in a court of law or a police investigation, not only Lewis would be convicted of murder but Ed, Bobby and Drew would likely be convicted of accessory to murder and spent the rest of their lives in jail.

[–] Degree7 10 years ago

would likely be convicted of accessory to murder and spent the rest of their lives in jail.

And if the bodies were found in the river after they drained it, Ed, Bobby, and Lewis definitely would be convicted.

And Drew died in the process. Was it worth it? Tough question. I guess that's what makes the story so damn great. There are no black or white answers.

Limit of the Willing Suspension of Disbelief: directly proportional to its awesomeness.

[–] ring911 12 years ago

That's not how it would happen in the real world. Their lawyers will try to convince them to plead guilty or no contest for a lesser sentence, and tell them that they would face the death sentence if they're convicted of the murder.

My girlfriend finished her internship at The Innocence Project last year, and the horror stories of prosecutor gross misconduct still haunt me. The justice system is broken. When a prosecutor's career is based on his conviction rate, innocent people are going to have a bad time.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] iraqiwarbride 12 years ago

Ring --ask your girlfriend how many of those who were found to be victims of "gross misconduct" by prosecutors were well respected, white, middle aged businessmen (with no prior criminal records) who were being brought up together on the same charges by a small time rural county prosecutor. I 'm think the number is pretty much zero percent. Prosecutor miscondcut of the type you are referencing invariably is directed against minorties and or the poor or against those who fit a profile with a previous criminal history. Also I imagine most of those who are victims were either being represented by public defenders or by low priced hacks. The guys from Atlanta in this movie would have had funds to hire first rate defense lawyers --they would also had plenty of evidence on their side.

I am with the OP on this ---I don't think this case would have even been prosecuted in the real world. It wouldn't have went any farther then a corner's inquest.

[–] garrytreat 12 years ago

Drew was right without a doubt ----Think anything different and you're deluding yourself

[–] techbox14 12 years ago

Drew was shot!

[–] rimnod-17089 9 years ago

Allegedly

[–] lonniemac 8 years ago

Lewis was right, the locals would not have taken their side and would have sided with the hillbillies..like the local cop. I wouldn't want any jury deciding my fate ( in any trial) especially in this case. Don't be so naïve Boyscout.