MovieChat Forums > The Out of Towners (1970) Discussion > A movie which can be learned from....

A movie which can be learned from....

posted 10 years ago by brendanchenowith
9 replies | jump to latest

I found myself thinking "I wouldn't have done that..." during some of George's rants and carryings-on, especially at the Waldorf when he thumbed his nose at the offer of a free room at 7 am - only five hours away from their eventual arrival in New York.

I just watched it yesterday, it's very fresh in my mind, and now I'd like to see what I can learn from this as I go on with life.

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked.

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

I didn't enjoy the movie at all because it's annoying and frustrating. I thought almost every single thing that happens to them i because they overreact, waste time arguing, complaining and expecting people to control things that were outside their control.

I also cannot stand people who feel the need to yell at and blame company employees who are doing their jobs and trying to accommodate all not just the loudest jerk in the room. Running around New York city acting like total idiots and jerks, they're lucky they didn't have a much worse experience.

What should people learn from this movie?

- Don't waste your time watching this movie

- In life, be patient, be kind, and calmly resolve the issues you encounter

- Don't have a complete breakdown when things don't go as planned

- Expect that some things will go wrong so have a contingency plan

- Look at the big picture; keep things in perspective

- Don't marry an idiot, overreacting hot head; nothing good will come from it

- Again, don't bother watching this movie; it's annoying!

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] singjohn 8 years ago

How about just double and triple checking their travel plans? Also if Gwen and George had just spent the night in Boston, they could have had dinner, found a nice hotel, and taken the early train into NY to get to George's interview on time.

[–] mdonln 8 years ago

singjohn says > How about just double and triple checking their travel plans?

You are absolutely right but I took that as a given. One should verify all their plans ahead of time to avoid any problems. However, in life, stuff happens. Even after one checks, double checks, triple checks, their plans there is still the possibility that things can go wrong.

Also if Gwen and George had just spent the night in Boston, they could have had dinner, found a nice hotel, and taken the early train into NY to get to George's interview on time.

Naturally, we both know if they had done that there would have been no movie but this is what frustrates me about the whole thing. When a story is based on, what I think is, a bad premise or sheer nonsense I just can't play along. This movie should not have been made. It was dumb.

Instead of feeling sorry for their predicament, I really couldn't care less. I didn't find it funny either; just pathetic. Had it been written in a way that did not have them coming across so dumb I might have felt differently.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] singjohn 8 years ago

True. The premise is a bit flimsy because George totally seems like the type that would double and triple check everything. However, this movie is just a silly parody of urban life in the late 60s/early 70s. All of the terrible things in the movie actually happened in NYC: transit and garbage strikes, crime, political unrest. It was just a way to poke fun at it. I think it's entertaining to look back at it with nostalgia.

[–] mdonln 8 years ago

singjohn says > this movie is just a silly parody of urban life in the late 60s/early 70s. All of the terrible things in the movie actually happened in NYC: transit and garbage strikes, crime, political unrest.

I understand what you're saying and even agree to a certain extent. I've had my own unexpected issues, encounters, and roadblocks in New York. I've also dealt with my share of annoying and uncooperative people but I still like New York and go there. One can't really blame the city.

As I recall, the movie ended with the couple deciding to just go back and stay in their hometown instead of pursuing the job for which they had made the trip. It suggests the city was the problem; at least that's how I remembered it. Obviously a big city like New York has a different, faster pace than a lot of places especially a small town but it's the nature of the beast. For many reasons things simply could not work there as they do in a small town.

Whether we're in a big city or a small town, in life we will run into all kinds of obstacles that have to be overcome. I didn't like the way the characters went about it; I couldn't relate, that's what turned me off. I've also never been a big fan of Jack Lemmon or Sandy Dennis for that matter.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] g_dekok 8 years ago

I've never seen this movie, and loved it!

[–] cananny 9 years ago

The last scene with the Cuban hijackers would they still put a hijacker in a comedy?

[–] singjohn 8 years ago

There have been comedies that involve terrorists, murders, and other horrific things.

[–] elrigby65 8 years ago

It's a movie. If they had a perfect trip it would have been boring. Did you want to see his interview? It would have been a 15 minute movie. lighten up.