THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS

US, 1999, minutes, Colour.
Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn, John Cleese, Oliver Hudson.
Directed by Sam Weisman.

The Out of Towners is a re-make of the 1970s comedy by Neil Simon. While that film featured Jjack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis, it also captured the atmosphere and touches of paranoia about outsiders coming to New York City.

While this re-make takes up some of Neil Simon’s humour and jokes, it is adapted to the 1990s, and is far more farcical and frantic. To that extent, it is often rather silly instead of witty and amusing.

It is a star vehicle for Goldie Hawn who does a mixture of her daffy comedy with some serious touches. Steve Martin also does his thing, with many sardonic and condemnatory one-liners. John Cleese does a variation on his Fawlty Towers hotel manager routines as well as doing a cross dressing, high-kicking song and dance routine. Oliver Hudson, Goldie Hawn’s son, appears in the opening airport sequence.

All in all, it is a rather frantic comedy and, to that extent, a disappointing interpretation of Neil Simon’s humour.

1. A comedy vehicle for Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn? The comic styles? Frantic comedy? Deadpan lines? Situations and slapstick? Wit?

2. A screenplay based on a Neil Simon screenplay? His style of comedy, one-liners? The adaptation from the 1970s version to the 1990s?

3. The comedy on people from Ohio, the Ohio way of life, quiet, middle America, reticent, especially on personal and sexual matters? Coming to New
York, feeling out of place, exhilarated at New York?

4. The comedy on New Yorkers, brash, the way they forge ahead walking, mugging, taxi drivers, robberies, hotel staffs, snobbish and rude managers? Intense personal groups? The mayor, Rudy Giuliani, the Tavern on the Green? Police, prisons? Corporations and managing directors? The motto: only in New York?

5. Henry and Nancy, the airport, farewelling their son, each commenting on the fragility of the other, time for each other, arguing about it? At home, the emptiness, the estrangement? Henry not telling Nancy about his being fired, the interview in New York, his going, her staying at home, kerfuffle at the plane, and shouting over the seats, together, not eating?

6. Henry, sardonic remarks, critical of others, Nancy apologizing? The plan for the new job? His being too old and let go?

7. Fog in New York, re-routing to Boston, the loss of a luggage, the mix-up at the toilet, taxi, to the station, the wrong train, hiring the car, the only one available, driving, missing the turnoff, crashing in the fish market?

8. Getting to the hotel, the manager and his smooth talk, change of heart with the failure of the credit card, the revelation about Susan and her using her parents’ card, a drama student? Going to her apartment, the critical couple wanting identity, the dog, the big dog and chasing them down the street, the salami?

9. Going to the group, listening to the people, sexual problems, masturbation, promiscuous sex, couples and relationships? Henry uncomfortable, revealing the truth about being fired, the surfacing of their own sexual problems?

10. The taxi, the robbery and the getaway? Getting out?

11. The Tavern on the green, Rudy Giuliani, the speech, the lights, sex on the grass?

12. The night in the park, Henry and his arrest for urinating, in prison, the aspirin, his getting high? Nancy and her phoning the manager, the blackmail, his getting them out? back to the hotel, Henry and his bizarre behavior?

13. Nancy and her picking up Greg, her manner in the bar, drinks and nuts, his key, going to his room, ordering the big meal, his return, covering the situation, Greg seeing the meal, causing the upset, the climbing out the window, on the sign, the blackout, seeing the manager and his cross dressing and dancing?

14. Getting to the office, dressing in the street, the elevator, the change of appointment, Nancy returning, feeling that Henry had no zest for something different? His going into the office, his pitch, success, the key to the office, the key to her office?

15. The jokes about giving people a break, Nancy and the police officer and the phone? Henry and the secretary?

16. Back to the hotel, the manager’s exasperation, seeing Susan in the play, the happy ending?

17. A farcical and frantic American-style comedy?