The Out-of-Towners (1999 film)


The Out-of-Towners is a 1999 American comedy film starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. It is a remake of the 1970 film of the same name written by Neil Simon and starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis. It was Anne Haney's final role acting film before she died on May 26, 2001.

Plot

Henry and Nancy Clark are a couple living in a quiet Ohio town. Married for 27 years, their last child has left home and Nancy is suffering from empty nest syndrome. Unbeknownst to her, Henry has lost his job due to corporate downsizing and has an interview in New York. Nancy sneaks on the plane with him and they begin a disastrous series of misadventures. Their plane is rerouted to Boston, their luggage is lost, they are mugged at gunpoint and their daughter has used their credit card to the point where it has reached its limit. They are thrown out of their hotel by a pompous manager named Mersault who also indulges in cross dressing. Forced to live by their wits on the street, the couple find themselves caught up in a robbery, chased by the police through Central Park and also finding renewed love between them. In the end, Henry aces his job interview and the two begin a new life together in New York City. Henry and Nancy go to see their daughter perform on Broadway.

Cast

Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn first worked together in Housesitter.
Henry and Nancy Clark's son Alan is played by Goldie Hawn's real son, Oliver Hudson.
Much footage from the film was reportedly stolen, which resulted in many scenes having to be reshot.

Reception

The film was a disappointment critically and commercially. It has a 27% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website, with Roger Ebert commenting that the movie "was not a proud moment in the often-inspired careers of Martin and Hawn." Most of the negative reviews point to Cleese as the only redeeming factor of the film.