Out-of-Towners, the

 

 

Create your own review

i really enjoyed this movie,written by Neil Simon and directed by Arthur Hiller.Simon really has a gift for words.the dialogue in this movie is smart,funny and sharp.having Jack Lemmon and sandy Dennis play the leading roles is also a good thing.Lemmon and Dennis portray husband and wife George and Gwen Kellerman.George and Gwen live in a small town,and are on their way to the big city(New York)for a very important job interview which will kick George's career into high gear.should be routine.the only problem will be getting there.as i said earlier,Neil Simon really knows what words to use and how to get the most out of them.But Lemmon and Dennis also deserve a lot of credit.they really bring their characters to life and work so well off each other,Lemmon playing the high strung,uptight worry wart to Dennis's more down to earth calming influence.anyway,this movie really is worth seeing,in my opinion.i give "The Out of Towners" 4/5

the characters are kind of dumb, but loveable. I love the chase through Central Park (where Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis' characters are chased by a police man on a horse.) I think the script is good and also the acting.

Probably in its initial release, THE OUT OF TOWNERS was considered a great comedy. However, today's audiences might find it trite and annoying...especially native New Yorkers or even the New York City travel bureau. It does capture a moment in time just before New York City was on the verge of urban decay in the late 70's, so it has its merits for being a time capsule. Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis are husband and wife George and Gwen Kellerman, mid-westerners who are about to relocate to New York City for a job promotion. Their business trip becomes a "Murphy's Law" film as anything that can go wrong...does go wrong. From lost luggage, missed trains, long waits,a garbage and transportation strike, being rained on, muggings, a kidnapping, an unintentional cancelled hotel reservation, an unintentional mugging of hispanic child, etc., the couple suffer every conceivable mishap Neil Simon (screenwriter) can bestow upon his hapless characters. 'George' is a typical Jack Lemmon character. The performance is not exactly "phoned-in",but it is a familiar Lemmon persona. At first, this viewer sympathizes with George Kellerman. However, with each mishap, he becomes (understandably) mean, irritating, and illogical. The one comic gem about the character is that he writes down every person's name he feels has not given the proper customer service (i.e. airport personnel, hotels clerks) or courtesy after each plan on his itinerary has failed. Then he threatens them that they're going to hear from his lawyer. Sandy Dennis has perfect comic timing as the patient and supportive wife of Lemmon and the location shots of New York City play a major "support character" in the film. Overall, the film should be viewed with caution depending on one's disposition at a given moment meaning it can be hilarious or annoying. Lastly, the film is a showcase of a couple of future stars and well-known character actors. A young Billy Dee Williams (STAR WARS:THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK) shows up in an airport sequence. Note: Look for actor Sandy Baron as the "TV-man in church". He played the recurring character Mr. Klompus on TV's SEINFELD and had a very funny role in the comedy film IF IT'S TUESDAY, THIS MUST BE BELGIUM.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 38 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but you just want to shoot the both of them.
Having successfully avoided the apparent train wreck of a remake of this starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, I thought I'd rent the original Neil Simon film starring Jack... Read more

Published on Feb 23 2004 by Mr. Christopher L. Cox

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Classic American Comedy.
THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS was written by Neil Simon and remains one of his best works, even though Simon is mainly a playwrite. Read more

Published on Jan 20 2004 by tvtv3

5.0 out of 5 stars George and Gwen go to the big bad city of New York
I met Sandy Dennis backstage at a play once and wanting to say something more than the usual remarks of admiration I told her that my father stayed up one night to watch "The... Read more

Published on Jan 9 2004 by Lawrance M. Bernabo

2.0 out of 5 stars Fake widescreen buyer beware!
This dvd release is not presented in the true aspect ratio the movie was originally filmed and shown in theaters in. Read more

Published on Dec 5 2003 by ed600

3.0 out of 5 stars Vintage sour Lemmon
Simply put, this movie is one of a half dozen films for which Jack Lemmon deserved an Oscar (which he didn't get). Read more

Published on Nov 30 2003 by Edmond Gauthier

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth watching! Nice DVD transfer.
I decided to buy this movie recently, and watched it.I have to say I agree with the editorial review in regards to Jack Lemmon's performance started running thin. Read more

Published on Nov 29 2003 by Phillip Neumann

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!
Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis are marvelous as two small town folks trying to relocate to New York. As if by Murphy's Law, everything that can go wrong in Manhatten, does. Read more

Published on Nov 25 2003 by Michael A. Newman

5.0 out of 5 stars THE FILM I GREW UP WITH!
I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE 'OUT OF TOWNERS' FOR ALMOST TWENTY YEARS. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON A LOCAL FLORIDA STATION WHEN THEY AIRED IT AS PART OF THE LATE LATE SHOW (FOR THOSE OF... Read more

Published on Aug 31 2003 by greekjewstud

5.0 out of 5 stars Feels Like This To All Sheltered Life First Time Traveler's!
I always loved, The Out Of Towners. I saw it first as a movie of the week when I was in high school or there abouts and I saw it as just plain funny and interesting. Read more

Published on Aug 17 2003 by THE AUTISTIC WEREWOLF

5.0 out of 5 stars i think that movie was very good
that movie was good.and 5 stars up.

Published on Aug 7 2003 by matthew j. barbato

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 38 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!