The Out-of-Towners Synopsis: The remake of the 1970 Neil Simon comedy follows the adventures of married couple Henry and Nancy Clark as they are vexed by misfortune while in New York City for a job interview.
With both of their children now out of the house, Nancy and Henry travel from Ohio to New York City so Henry can make a job interview. Unbeknownst to Nancy, Henry has been laid off from his job at an ad agency, so the interview is a must-happen. After their flight reroutes them to Boston, Nancy, and Henry encounter a number of unfortunate shenanigans in their attempt to get to New York City by morning.
Nancy and Henry are going through a transition, not only professionally but also personally. Nancy feels like their marriage is in a rut, and Henry, of course, is completely oblivious. That or he’s content with the state of their marriage. This creates a conflict between the two that is much larger than anything New York City could throw at them.
Steve Martin has perfected the art of barely contained frustration and rage, especially when it finally boils over into a complete meltdown. We’ve seen it in Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), and to a lesser extent, we witness it again in The Out of Towners. Goldie Hawn is just as funny as the woman who keeps it together even as Henry begins to lose it.
The Out-of-Towners had enough to keep me entertained, although not every pratfall and joke landed. Most of the situations felt contrived and unoriginal, saved only by the comedic genius of the film’s leading duo. John Cleese is a particularly bright spot in the film as the snotty, arrogant hotel manager, Mr. Mersault, a character who feels reminiscent of Cleese’s iconic character Basil Fawlty from Fawlty Towers. I’m unsure if that was on purpose, but it worked.
The Out-of-Towners is a remake of the 1970 film of the same name, written by Neil Simon. As with so many remakes, I have yet to see the original, but it’s definitely on my to-watch list. Marc Lawrence (Two Weeks Notice, Music and Lyrics) reworked Simon’s screenplay, which may have been part of the issue here. I do enjoy a lot of Lawrence’s films, but Neil Simon is Neil Simon. How much does one really have to change from the original source material?
But I digress. The Out-of-Towners is not terrible. I think it’s worth a watch for Goldie and Steve and definitely for John Cleese’s shenanigans, but as a whole, the film is fairly unforgettable. I know this because I watched it a few weeks ago, but it’s hard for me to pick out anything worthwhile about it beyond the cast.
Watched: 01/19/2022
Notable Song: (Just Like) Starting Over by John Lennon
