City, grossing $11.9 million. It opened in other Northern states at the end of July. With an original budget of $5.3 million (cut to $4.3 million two days before initial production), the film eventually grossed $126,737,428 in North America, making it the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 (only Star Wars earned more, with $221.3 million). The worldwide gross is estimated at over $300 million. Reynolds said in 2015 that he most enjoyed this film, and had the most fun making it, of his career. Critical response Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film a good rating (3 stars out of a possible 4) and characterized it as "about as subtle as The Three Stooges, but a classic compared to the sequels and countless rip-offs which followed". In his review in the Chicago Tribune, Gene Siskel gave the film two stars and complained that the film failed to tell the audience when the clock started on the beer run, thus reducing suspense. He claimed that the Bandit is never made aware of Frog's leaving Junior at the altar, which is why the Bandit continually asks why a Texas sheriff is chasing him. However, this is inaccurate; within seconds of Bandit picking her up, Frog tells him "there is a wedding in search of a bride" and goes on to explain her ill-advised romance with Junior, as the Bandit holds up the CB mic for the Snowman to hear. The film's editors, Walter Hannemann and Angelo Ross, were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 78% rating based on 32 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Not much in the head but plenty beneath the hood, Smokey and the Bandit is infectious fun with plenty of car wrecks to keep your eyes glued". Alfred Hitchcock claimed that the film was one of his favorites. Upon meeting Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton told him that the South considers the film to be less cinema and more documentary. Smokey and the Bandit was released in the United Kingdom on August 28 and was a success there, garnering positive reviews. American Film Institute Lists AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs – Nominated AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – Nominated AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains: Bandit (Bo Darville) – Nominated Hero Cultural impact Pontiac Trans Am After the debut of the film, the Pontiac Trans Am became wildly popular,