Georgia Mountain Communities Celebrate 'Deliverance'

As Georgia movies go, it's up there. And it introduced the scenery of north Georgia to the world.

"Deliverance," which rolled out in 1972 and starred Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight, turns 40 this year. And Rabun County and towns along the Chattooga River are having a celebration this weekend in its honor, according to media reports.

What are your memories of "Deliverance" and of the area. Tell us in the comments below.

Events include a concert by Ronny Cox, one of the four lead actors in the movie and who played on “Dueling Banjos” in the movie. (See the attached video.)

Also, the movie helped create the $20 million rafting and outdoor sports industry along the Chattooga River, which splits Georgia and South Carolina. Several movies have filmed in the area because of “Deliverance,” including next year’s “Killing Season” with Robert DeNiro and John Travolta, according to the Associated Press.

The movie, which is based on a novel by Georgia native James Dickey, got an Academy Award nomination.

The honors for the movie are part of an annual festival that will feature a different theme each year.