The Out-of-Towners (1999)

When more than a hundred people have reviewed a particular film, I usually don't follow up. But here I feel I must.I really like Steve Martin. And I often really like Goldie Hawn. Goldie comes off all right here. Steve Martin doesn't. And why? Well, the original film starred Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis. Hawn is every bit as good here as Sandy Dennis was back in 1970. But as much as I like Steve Martin, he's no Jack Lemmon.And then there's the script. With the original film I find myself laughing out loud. Here, not a chuckle. Maybe an occasional smile. Someone else described the film as being "banal", and that pretty well sums it up.And then, I really don't want to watch any film with Rudy Guliani, even if he's only in it for a few minutes.The only other actor in the script that stands out is John Clesse, and although I'm not a fan, he was funny here.Take my simple advice: watch the Jack Lemmon version. It's a great lesson on not only how good Lemmon was, but also how good Neil Simon was.

After seeing this film's low rating and reading some negative reviews, I was prepared to see a rather bad film. However I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are several worthy comedic moments throughout, which then leaves me puzzled as to the film's reputation. It's really not all that bad. And 'the worst film ever?' Whoever wrote that (and there are a few here) must not have seen very many films in his or her life. I mean, seriously. There are countless films WAY worse than this...just from 1999 it's not a stretch to say "The Phantom Menace" is more of clunker than "The Out-of-Towners." Now, is this comedic gold? No, not quite. There are a few scenes that didn't work so well, maybe they could have been re-worked or discarded altogether. However there is enough here that kept me laughing, whether they be one-liners from Steve Martin or Goldie Hawn, or longer bits like Hawn's attempt to seduce an unsuspecting bar patron. And there was certainly enough to keep my interest.It was also a nice addition to have not just John Cleese (Monty Python, Fawlty Towers) but Mark McKinney (Kids in the Hall) in the cast. Cleese was superb in his role as basically a revival of his Fawlty Towers character, Basil. Anyone familiar with that BBC series who enjoyed it won't be disappointed with Cleese here.As with most comedies, there is a 'silliness' quotient, but even the best ones aren't immune to that. "Some Like It Hot," for all its brilliance, still has a high silliness factor but it doesn't damage the film's genius. These are comedies, after all, not dramas.In closing I say it's good enough for me to watch again. My personal barometer is "7 or better" = worthy of a re-watch. It was OK-to-decent without Cleese, add him in and it gets you to 7/10.

The out of towners starring Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin is just an alright movie overall. It's not horrible, but it certainly is not what I would call good. As I mentioned before, I'm a Goldie Hawn fan, I loved her in the first wives club, seems like old times, and the sugarland express. That's the main reason I watched this movie, because of Goldie. But to be honest, even good comedic actors like Goldie and Steve cannot save this remake of a 1970s comedy film. The main issue is that the script does not contain enough good quality funny lines and moments. The one main funny moment in the movie was when John Cleese is caught by Goldie Hawn dancing around in heels and women's clothing, and Goldie's reaction is just priceless Lol. And Steve martins reaction and line of dialogue to this has me laughing out loud. But unfortunately that is not the majority of the film, it is the minority. The majority is just not too funny, and many scenes meant to be comical end up falling pretty flat. So overall, yes, I love Goldie Hawn, and Martin is a talented actor, but this movie just is not all that great. 5/10.

A remake of a 1970 film by the same name, 'The Out-of-Towners', comes across as a time-pass fair, that offers some laughs in the goings-on. It has some moments, that work on it's advantage. 'The Out-of-Towners' Synopsis: The remake of the 1970 Neil Simon comedy follows the adventures of a couple, Henry and Nancy Clark, vexed by misfortune while in New York City for a job interview.'The Out-of-Towners' is not a hilarious/joyride of a film, but, has decent humor nonetheless. The journey the 2-protaganists go through, appeals in bits, especially in the second-hour, which is fast. However, the Writing Material could've been better, and even the humor could've been grander. Sam Weisman's Direction, is passable. Cinematography is ordinary. Performance-Wise: Steve Martin & Goldie Hawn shines in lead-roles. Also, their on-screen chemistry, is good. John Cleese gets it right & raises some genuine laughs. Others offer support. On the whole, A Decent Attempt.