Goin' South is a 1978 American Western comedy film directed by and starring Jack Nicholson, with Mary Steenburgen, Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi, Richard Bradford, Veronica Cartwright, Danny DeVito and Ed Begley Jr.. Henry Lloyd Moon is a third-rate outlaw in the late 1860s; a convicted bank robber, horse thief and cattle thief.

A local ordinance dictates that a man convicted of any crime other than murder may be freed, if a lady will marry him and take responsibility for his good behavior.

Although they do spend the night together in a cave, she regrets her decision the following morning, and in anger, Moon ties her to the bed and, it is implied, sexually assaults her.

Julia convinces Moon that they take their gold and money and follow his dream of opening a cantina in Mexico, where the Texas authorities can't touch him.

The film was co-written by John Herman Shaner and produced by Harry Gittes, both longtime friends of Jack Nicholson from his early days in Hollywood.

Goin' South was John Belushi's second film—after Animal House, having been a Saturday Night Live cast member for several years.

"[5] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times was positive, writing: "There ain't much to it, to drop into the cackling vernacular of the movie, but what there is, is choice.

Nicholson, directing for the first time since Drive, He Said, has a fine way with actors, including himself, and he sets and sustains a tone that is larger than life but not so broad as to be only farcically foolish.

"[6] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post called the film "a stupefying throwback" that "expires right before your eyes from a terminal case of the feebles," with Nicholson and Steenburgen "a bust" as a romantic comedy team.

Unfortunately, after a highly inventive first half, the tale gets mighty thin, and the waifish Steenburgen doesn't have enough range to carry her share of the romantic burden.

"[8] Lawrence O'Toole wrote in Maclean's: "Every time Nicholson beams his gin-soaked grin into the movie, Goin' South is momentarily salvaged; but everything and everybody outside him seem to atrophy in the sun.