Dish of the Day

Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:

Thursday, April 4, 2024

Today’s “Dish of the Day” has a brief review of mine that was inspired by a post in one of the film related Facebook chat rooms. This includes the Cinema Cafe group (all readers are encouraged to join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/902349343110685).

The Out-of-Towners (1970)

The N.Y. setting's "obstacles" that repeatedly interfere with Lemmon's character getting to his meeting may tend to undermine whatever humorous affect the filmmakers were going for. Some, like myself, might find it hard to laugh at having to circle an airport for hours or a manhole cover exploding in the street, * not to mention many of the other calamities that arise, especially if the viewer has even a little first-hand experience in dealing with these type of stressful big city disasters. Plus the fact that the growing weariness our “out-of-towners” feel cannot help but rub off on anyone the least bit sympathetic to their plight. Others might be in a more accepting mood, and therefore quite amused, by the fact that the dysfunctional universe the pair inhabit (and it does help that the two stick by one another) result from a series of natural events outside of their control unlike, say, many of the predicaments that befall our married couple in 1985’s Lost in America. For the rest of us, more liberally applied New York-based "absurdity," à la Putney Swope (1969), Where's Poppa? (1970) or say, the first part of Bananas (1971), would have taken reality's edge off, alleviating the viewer's identification with such recurring negative circumstances. It seems, however, the storytellers had a bit of an axe to grind regarding the type of Big Apple pot holes and booby traps they’ve become familiar with, therefore wanting us to experience them "as is" as well. Unfortunately, that can easily translate into a kind of endurance test: the more one relates to what's happening, the less funny everything becomes. Of course, just like practically every other high concept film, this too was remade and released in 1999 with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn replacing Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis in the earlier version.  

* Speaking of New York reality, this man-hole was not meant to explode so high into the air. It almost landed on Jack Lemmon’s head which would have instantly killed him. As it is, he was injured when it bounced after hitting the ground. The actor stayed in character and this is the scene that was used in the film.

All responses are not only welcomed but encouraged in the comments section below.

Hope to see you tomorrow.

A.G.