Semi-Tough is a 1977 movie irected by Michael Ritchie and starring Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, Jill Clayburgh, Lotte Lenya, Bert Convy, and Brian Dennehy. The plot involves a love triangle between the characters portrayed by Reynolds, Kristofferson and Clayburgh. Semi-Tough also includes a parody of Werner Erhard's est training, depicted in the film as an organization called "B.E.A.T." The film is based on the novel Semi-Tough, by Dan Jenkins, and was adapted for the screen by writer Walter Bernstein and director Michael Ritchie. Ritchie and Bernstein added a new storyline which included a satire of the self-help movement and new religions.