The Out-of-Towners (1999 film)

The Out-of-Towners
File:Outoftownersmp.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Sam Weisman
Written by	Marc Lawrence
Produced by	Robert Evans Robert Cort David Madden Teri Schwartz
Starring	Steve Martin Goldie Hawn Mark McKinney John Cleese
Cinematography	John Bailey
Edited by	Kent Beyda
Music by	Marc Shaiman
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	April 2, 1999 (1999-04-02) (United States)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$40 million
Box office	$28 million (US)

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.

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 secretly cross dressing using guests' clothing. Forced to live by their wits on the street, the couple find themselves caught up in a robbery and chased by the police through Central Park. In the end, Henry aces his job interview and the two begin a new life together in New York City. Henry and Nancy (as well as Mersault openly in full-drag) go to see their daughter perform on Broadway.

Cast

• Steve Martin as Henry Clark
• Goldie Hawn as Nancy Clark
• Mark McKinney as Greg
• Oliver Hudson as Alan Clark
• John Cleese as Mr. Mersault

Production

Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn first worked together in Housesitter (1992).

Henry and Nancy Clark's son Alan is played by Goldie Hawn's real-life son, Oliver Hudson.

Much footage from the film was reportedly stolen, which resulted in many scenes having to be reshot.

Reception

The Out-of-Towners was a disappointment critically and commercially. It has a 26% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website from 38 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Solid source material and a cast of talented comedians aren't enough to make The Out-of-Towners worth hosting on a screen of any size." Roger Ebert commented 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.

See also

• List of American films of 1999

External links

• The Out-of-Towners at IMDb
• The Out-of-Towners at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Out-of-Towners at Box Office Mojo