The End 1978

Wendell “Sonny Lawson” [Burt Reynolds] is an unscrupulous Los Angeles real estate promoter who learns he has a fatal blood disease and has between three months and a year to live. After visiting a hospital ICU, he decides to die by suicide rather than endure the slow, painful death his doctor describes. He takes the time to meet with several friends and family members for the last time, including his daughter Julie [Kristy McNichol], and ex-wife Jessica [Sally Field], hiding his prognosis and his intentions from most of them. However, he reveals his plan to Marty [Norman Fell], his best friend and lawyer.

Sonny takes an overdose of sleeping pills but wakes up in a mental institution, in which he has been committed by Marty and Jessica. He befriends fellow patient, Marlon Borunki, a paranoid schizophrenic with dissociative identity disorder who has been committed for murdering his father in a fit of rage. Marlon is sympathetic to Sonny’s continuing desire to die, and so helps him in various unsuccessful attempts, including jumping from a tower, crushing his head in the hospital bed, and being hanged. Sonny meets Dr. Maneet, a psychiatrist with a fatal diagnosis himself, who briefly reawakens Sonny’s desire to live and find meaning in the time he has left; unfortunately, immediately after this breakthrough, Dr. Maneet dies in Sonny’s arms.

Sonny and Marlon break out of the institution, and Sonny retrieves a gun from his girlfriend’s house, intending to shoot himself. This too fails when the gun jams, so he drives to the coast and swims into the sea to drown. He “hears” Jessica and Julie talking about him at his funeral and realises he doesn’t want to die, and miraculously swims back to land, promising God a share of his future profits if he lives; first 50%, then 30%, and finally, when it is clear he will make it back to shore, 10%.

Marlon, having found Sonny’s gun, fires at him repeatedly, trying to fulfil his wish to die; he misses every time, and Sonny tries to convince him that he now wants to live. Marlon seems to understand, but then pulls a knife and chases Sonny down the beach, and Sonny renews his higher offer to God if he can escape.