This weekend, the mountain region of Georgia and South Carolina along the Chattooga River is recognizing the fortieth anniversary of the release of the movie Deliverance (1972). The Chattooga served as the fictional Cahulawassee River in the film about four businessmen canoeing the river and camping on a vacation when they encounter some trouble.
Understandably, some locals opposed celebrating the movie in an area unfairly stereotyped by the film, which does not portray the local residents in a very flattering light. For example, one of the most iconic scenes in the film features rapists telling one of the men to “squeal like a pig.” But organizers reasoned that Deliverance, which was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award, helped draw other filmmakers as well as people interested in outdoor activities to the area.
Organizers plan to continue this new Chattooga River Festival after this year’s Deliverance-themed festival. This weekend, they will feature a screening of the film and a concert by singer-actor Ronnie Cox, who played the banjo on “Dueling Banjos” in this iconic scene from the film.
Ronnie Cox also will be signing copies of his new book about the making of Deliverance, entitled Dueling Banjos: The Deliverance of Drew
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