City Slickers
City Slickers
PG-13 | 07 June 1991 (USA)
City Slickers Trailers

Three New York businessmen decide to take a "Wild West" vacation that turns out not to be the relaxing vacation they had envisioned.

Reviews
Clevercell

Very disappointing...

... View More
Mjeteconer

Just perfect...

... View More
GazerRise

Fantastic!

... View More
Catangro

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

... View More
eric262003

By the time you reach your forties, you start to have this belief that your days of fun and celebration could be winding down and fast. Yes for middle-aged men, "City Slickers" is not about lacing up your saddles dressing up cowboy duds and have an adventure out in the Wild West. It's about getting to enjoy as much about life while you can before it's too late. Even though it may have a cynical approach that middle-aged people are through with having fun according to the characters, "City Slickers" contradicts that approach by saying that happiness begins at forty and doesn't stop there. It also features an engaging performance by the underrated Jack Palance who also got his long overdue Oscar Award for Best Supporting Actor as Curly Washburn.Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) is hit the dreadful age of despair, 39. He fears there is more he could've done in life and fears he will never get that chance because of his advanced age. He's not alone in this as his friends Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby) feel the pinch as well. So the trifecta embark on a two week sabbatical to redeem themselves by saddling up their horses and ride off into the Old West from New Mexico to Colorado. They are led by an experienced cowboy named Curly (Palance) who shows them how it's done and gives them a life's lesson about the meaning of life while driving cattle to the open country.Even though the story is rich in character and performance, the plot is actually quite weak and predictable. We know that the triad will learn that that midlife isn't the be all to end all in the cycle of life. The real fun underlies within the interaction between the city folk and the country folk and though it might be a bit stereotyped from both party members, Curly's lessons about life lingers the whole way through.The juxtapose of witty comical banter and slapstick moments are carries the film in its entire 1 hr. 52 min. duration. The laughter is always there and holds up like a stampede can be caused due to the sound of a coffee grinder or the cynical gripes from Billy Crystal's Mitch. And sure the set pieces are there for a surreal goofy film that lampoons the Western genre, it all seems to be in place like it was intended to be. This may be due to the trio's realization that they had a good thing coming for them all along and that they are novice ranchers and are not cut out to hold this job. It never feels one-sided and gives equal balance between the witty banter and slapstick quality this movie has making it feel more organic and less forced.When it comes to who utilizes their acting chops at best Billy Crystal was perfectly cast as the lead role by using his cynical wit to his best capacity while succeeding in a deadpan delivery. Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby are great as the unlucky Phil and the philandering Ed respectively. The trio offer their own blend of humour as they work off their humour upon each other as they each stand out on their own. The chemistry works splendidly for each other and the jokes and the humour makes the pacing of the film flow so much easily.As the smoke clears, the mass will truly say the scene-stealing performance is Jack Palance's performance as Curly. With his menacing smile and his frontier knowledge, this has been a role he has played over the course of his 60 year career. Not to undermine him in any way some of the more funnier scenes are when he's yakking it up with Billy Crystal. It's a bit questionable if Palance deserved an Oscar win in this role due to the fact he was Oscar-worthy in other performances.("Shane" and "Sudden Fear" come to mind), nonetheless his role as Curly was fun.To say that the film was dated would be a cliche on my part, but why lie about it? The clothes, the style and the trends are permanently locked in the early 1990's. Also the humour is a lot more lighter in tone even though there is some swearing, but it's handled with precaution. The delivery has a sweeter tone (not overly sugary) but tamer than compared to most comedy themed film you get today.In a nutshell, "City Slickers" manages to successfully convey a great lesson in life and by adding a humourous take on it. That way it wouldn't go off as being preachy or self-serving. It's not the most original script and does feel 1990's stamped, but with comedic performances from Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby, along with the enjoyable performance by Jack Palance, this movie is a winner.

... View More
classicsoncall

So is this the quintessential mid-life crisis film or what? Not to mention the life long buddies team-up at the heart of the story. I watched this one again after many years and I couldn't stop cracking up. My summary line from Billy Crystal's Mitch Robbins was just one of the many quips that left me rolling, in fact I had to pause the picture when Crystal started his second eulogy - 'What can one say about Skyrocket and Buttercup...'.The casting of the principals here couldn't have been better. The era offered any number of possible players like Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Steve Martin, and on and on, but Crystal, Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby gelled in a very believable way as a trio of friends who had grown up together and been there for each other through thick and thin.And then there's Jack Palance. Introduced as the mysterious and potentially deranged trail boss Curly. Palance and Crystal play off each other in wonderful fashion leading to a strange new friendship just before Curly's unscheduled ride off into the sunset. If you've ever seen the movie, you'll forever be inspired by Curly's embrace of the 'one thing'. If you haven't seen the film yet, you owe it to yourself.

... View More
kai ringler

Billy Crystal does a great job in this, and I'm really not a big fan either,, I'm more of a Jack Palance fan, by the way he was great as the trail boss.. I don't know what I would do if I had the money and two weeks off, cattle drive,, maybe not so much , but the movie provides an interesting premise for us guys in their late 30's early 40's . 3 men with jobs in the city , work their butt's off for a year and save up their vacation time to go on a cattle drive,, and in two weeks,, try to find themselves as men,, as each one of them has something different that he wants to accomplish. but the main thing is that they all have fun doing it,, along the way the meet "Curly" ,, Jack Palance as the trail boss,, I don't know why he wasn't in the whole movie,, but that's another subject all together,, my favorite character however without a doubt was little "Norman" the cow,, excellent funny movie,, love the river chase scene, this is one of those movies that I can watch once or twice every year and not get tired of it .

... View More
blanche-2

A wonderful, wonderful film, and if you're my age, you'll cry.From 1991, "City Slickers" stars Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Jack Palance, Patricia Wettig, and Helen Slater. Three men (city folk) whose lives range from unhappy to disastrous go on a two week holiday in the wild west driving cattle from New Mexico to Colorado. There, on the open range, away from their responsibilities, they can perhaps sort out what they want and who they are.Crystal is Mitch, a happily married man with children who hates his job and is depressed most of the time. When he gets a 30th birthday gift from his pals to do the cattle drive, his wife (Wettig) insists that he go rather than visit her family. If he hesitates, it's because his friend Ed's last idea, of running with the bulls in Pamplona, was a horror.Phil (Stern) is humiliated at Mitch's 30th birthday party when a woman who works for him comes in and announces she's missed her period, thus causing his wife to dump him on the spot - though they've been miserable for years.Ed has a lingerie model girlfriend who wants a family, but he's having trouble making a commitment.So all three go.There, they meet some real cowboys, and the oldest one, Curly (Palance), is one tough cookie. But Mitch is able to spend some time with him, and Curly tells him that only one thing matters. Just one. But you have to figure out what that one thing is. When Mitch has a crisis, he finally finds out what it is for him.I really loved this film. It was absolutely hilarious, with some of Billy Crystal's fabulous delivery, and yet very touching at the same time. A perfect combination, something that's not always easy to achieve. Very well acted and directed, the film moves along beautifully.Highly recommended. Full of wit, with some excitement, and poignant moments.

... View More