Classic Movie Review: 'Continental Divide' starring John Belushi

This will not be a widely held opinion, but it’s mine: Continental Divide is my favorite John Belushi movie. Don’t misunderstand, I enjoy Bluto Blutarsky and the comic shenanigans of Animal House but that’s not the best of Belushi. The Blue Brothers? You’re going to hate me, but The Blues Brothers is a desperately overrated vanity piece. No, for me, Continental Divide, the mostly forgotten 1981 romantic comedy from director Michael Apted gave John Belushi the best vehicle for his talents.

Continental Divide stars John Belushi as reporter/columnist Ernie Souchak. Ernie is a famous writer for the Chicago Sun Times. So beloved in Chi-town is Ernie that folks stop him in the street to enthusiastically praise his latest takedown of corruption in City government. Naturally, not everyone is a fan of Ernie’s brand of truth telling, opinionated writing. One Chicago alderman in particular, really doesn’t like Ernie for his repeated shots at the Alderman’s business interests.

When the alderman has finally had enough, he sends a pair of thugs, dressed as cops, to send a message to Ernie, one that lands the reporter in the hospital. Worried for his star columnist, Ernie’s editor, Howard (Alan Garfield), decides that Ernie needs to get out of town for a little while. Over Ernie’s objections, Howard assigns him to get an interview with a reclusive ornithologist living in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains. It’s not exactly the environment that the hard drinking, constantly smoking Ernie is used to, to say the least.

The reclusive ornithologist is Nell Parker (Blair Brown), a surly and far from romantic figure who has dedicated her life to protecting the bald Eagle. Nell has moved to a cabin so remote that it takes a full day's hike, with a professional guide, to reach her place. Once there, Ernie will be trapped for two weeks until his guide has planned to return for him. All of this is without Nell’s prior okay that he be there. Ernie’s arriving on a whim and not at all welcome.

Nell has no interest in publicity or members of the media in general. But, naturally, there is something rather cuddly and appealing about Souchak that she can’t quite resist, much as she may try. Continental Divide is a romantic comedy so the various obstacles to love are likely to be overcome but one thing director Michael Apted has over other similar directors, is a nose for clever twists on convention. One of which is an ending that is satisfyingly unconventional.

John Belushi sadly only got one shot as a romantic leading man and he knocked it out of the park. Souchak may be a hardened, dyspeptic and grizzled Chicago newsman but he’s also a big teddy bear at heart and he’s smart about how he reveals that soft quality. The role is not without problematic elements, there are some moments of questionable male sexual aggressiveness but the movie does well to allow Blair Brown to defuse those moments when Souchak’s less admirable intentions come to the fore.

The key to any good romantic comedy is chemistry and Belushi and Brown have chemistry to spare. Unlike what we’ve heard about Belushi behind the scenes, the drugged out Wildman stories, he appears in Continental Divide to be focused, fully engaged and falling head over heels in love with Blair Brown. For her part, she brings out that tender side of Belushi that is so wonderfully unexpected. It’s a lovely combination and one I was not expecting to fall for as someone who’d only heard about Continental Divide in documentaries that always end with Belushi’s tragic death, not long after the film was released.

Kino Lorber is releasing a new Blu-Ray edition of Continental Divide featuring NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Filmmaker Daniel Kremer and Film Historian/Biographer Nat Segaloff. Continental Divide will be available on Blu-Ray from Kino Lorber on December 1st.