City Slickers

Plot synopsis:
Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) and his best friends Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby) are in their mid-30's, and going through major problems.Ed is always suggesting adventurous outings or activities that the three can participate in. The latest, running with the bulls in Pampalona, Spain, leaves Mitch with an embarrassing visit to the doctor. Mitch is not altogether happy when Ed eagerly suggests that they go target-parachute jumping shortly thereafter.Some time passes after the trip to Spain, and Mitch wakes to his 39th birthday. Per tradition, his Mother rings him up with a standard speech of her remembrance of the race to the hospital for his birth.Mitch's morning is further complicated when he gets to work, and his latest efforts for the radio station he works for are seen as subpar. Per his manager, all decisions must be approved first.Mitch also leaves work to go to his son's career day. His career is met with less than average enthusiasm by the kids, and Mitch soon ends up lamenting the changes that have been made to his job, as well as a small story about getting older.Later that evening, Mitch's wife Barbara (Patricia Wettig) holds a birthday party for Mitch. Phil and Ed show up, along with their wives. Phil's wife Arlene (Karla Tamburrelli) treats him like dirt, and once again, Mitch finds Phil pretending to sleep at the party to avoid talking to her. Ed's girlfriend Kim (Walker Brandt) is a lingerie model in her mid-20's.After cornering Mitch, the two friends tell Mitch of his present: a 2-week cattle drive in the southwest. Mitch is at first excited, but then declines, claiming that he promised his wife they'd visit her parents in Florida.The festivities then grind to a halt when a woman named Nancy (Yeardley Smith) appears at the party looking for Phil, claiming she missed her period. It soon becomes apparent that Phil has been having an affair, and he and his wife Arlene end up in a shouting match that brings the party to a halt.Later on that evening, Barbara, having noticed Mitch's attitude and feelings during the day, suggests that he go with his friends on the cattle drive.Taking her advice, Mitch, Phil, and Ed find themselves on the drive with a number of other persons, including a father/son that are dentists, two men that run an ice cream business, and a woman.During their time getting ready for the cattle drive, Mitch, Phil and Ed get into an altercation with two men on the ranch named T.R. (Dean Hallo) and Jeff (Kyle Secor). However, before they can go further, an unnamed, tough cowboy breaks up the fight.Later on that evening, the group meets with the others, and identify the unnamed man as Curly (Jack Palance), the trail boss. Everyone speaks in hushed tones about Curly, but Mitch instantly decides that the man is a lunatic... just as Curly comes up behind him.A few days afterward, the group head off to drive the cattle across the plains. During the first leg of the trip, Mitch, Ed, and Phil discuss certain questions about life and relationships. Early one morning, Mitch operates a battery-operated coffeemaker he brought, with the noise spooking the cattle and sending them stampeding off. With some cattle still missing, Curly decides to take Mitch with him to recover them.Mitch and Curly recover the extra cattle, but end up spending the night out in the wilderness. Mitch is sure that Curly is planning to kill him for what he said about him, especially since Curly makes a show of stropping his large Bowie knife, which Mitch finds intimidating. Curly tells Mitch to put away the harmonica Mitch'd been playing and Mitch finds the courage to stand up to Curly. Curly's rough countenance seems to soften a bit and he sings "Tumblin' Tumbleweeds" while Mitch plays. During their time alone together, Curly and Mitch begin to discuss life and decisions. Curly then explains to Mitch that the secret of life is 'one thing,' but says that Mitch will have to figure that out for himself.Right before they return to the herd, one of the cows goes into labor, and Mitch ends up helping with the birth. Mitch happily names the little calf Norman, and ends up caring for it once they return to the group. However, Curly suddenly shoots Norman's mother, explaining that she was dying and suffering for it. Mitch seems to understand.While with the group, Mitch explains what a great guy Curly is, and wants the others to chat with him as well. However, upon finding Curly, they see that he has died while watching over the cattle. Curly is buried on the trail, before everyone moves on, with T.R. and Jeff taking Curly's place.Mitch, Phil and Ed share another moment of conversation, talking about the happiest and worst day of their life. Each man has something different:Mitch remembers his Dad taking him to Yankee Stadium for the first time as his happiest. The worst was the day when it seemed that his wife may have had breast cancer. Phil (surprisingly) remembers his wedding day as his happiest. Every day since, he claims, is a tie for the worst day. Ed recalls the day that his father finally left their family as his happiest, as his father had been cheating on their mother. Ed also claims this as his worst day.Sometime later, the cook known as Cookie (Tracey Walter) gets drunk and ends up destroying the chuck wagon and killing the two horses that pulled it. The incident leaves him with broken legs, and little food left. Later the same evening, T.R. and Jeff get drunk on some liquor, and threaten to kill Norman the calf. An altercation takes place, with Phil almost snapping, and killing one of the cowhands.T.R. and Jeff to rush off, leaving the others and the herd with no guides. Mitch volunteers to move the herd himself, mentioning that Curly said they would eventually encounter a river before arriving in the valley where the other ranch is.The others leave, but Phil and Ed stay to help Mitch. They manage to get the herd to the river, but Norman almost gets swept away in the current. Mitch is able to overcome his inability to rope a cow and lassos Norman but falls in the river. Phil and Ed save Mitch and each other, before finally arriving at the other ranch.The ranch owner is excited at what the boys have done, and agree that in reward for what they've done, they'll be refunded their money for the experience. When one of them asks about maybe herding the cows back to the other ranch, the ranch owner claims that the cows will actually be taken to market. Mitch, Phil and Ed are a bit saddened by this, seeming to not comprehend just where these cows were originally intended to have happen.During their last day, the three friends decide what to do about their lives. Phil decides that he will graciously start his life over, in the face of his impending divorce. Ed decides to fulfill his girlfriend's request to have children. Mitch meanwhile, has deciphered Curly's 'one thing' saying, which he feels is something different to everyone, what's most important.Mitch returns home to his family, and is eager and happy to see them. He shocks his wife by showing that he has brought Norman the calf along with him. After the family and Norman are loaded into the family van, they head home.

Tags: entertaining

Review:
One of the best movies Billie Crystal has ever made.City Slickers had moments of comedy that were actually funny.
The beauty of this film is that it explores an uncommon theme among movie makers - the bond between male friends which is just as strong as the female version, but not discussed as often.Billy Crystal plays a typical bloke in that uneasy period between being "one of the lads" and being "old"  i.e. coming up to his 40th birthday.
To get an escape by going away with your old friends once a year to relive your youth - sorry ladies, but all us guys do it now and then - provides an excellent theme for this movie made better by the fact that most viewers will relate themselves to at least one character in the cast, from the lively funster who always has the bright ideas to the quiet lad who secretly looks forward to finding out what his mates have lined up for him this year.
The fairer sex are not in any way left out of this character identification with characters from the middle-aged housewife through the feisty-but-dull teenager and back to to good ol' Old Dear - all smiles, reliable no matter what life throws at you.Without giving too much of the story away, it's difficult to say any more, other than I voted this movie 8 out of 10 and if you do decide to watch it, feel free to complain to me if you don't enjoy it - I don't expect any complaints for this recommendation :-).
Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby play the perfect buddies to Billy Crystal in the film and really have great chemistry between the three of them.
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 ..
There they meet the beautiful Bonnie Rayburn (Helen Slater) who just was recently dumped, father & son dentists, Barry & Ira ice cream makers, and the harden trail boss Curly (Jack Palance).What makes this work is the chemistry between the three good comedic talents, and Jack Palance playing up his rough cowboy act.
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.
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.
The three guys are Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal), a radio advertiser who is experiencing his midlife crisis after turning thirty-nine, Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern), who is stuck in a sexless marriage in the midst of managing a grocery store, and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby), a womanizer uncomfortable with the notion that there is a time to "settle down." On his birthday, Mitch is given a present from his two buds which is a vacation down on a southern cattle drive.
Stern and Kirby work well in the supporting characters, mainly because they themselves have good comedic timing and work well off of Crystal's lead.City Slickers works better than another western farce by the name of Three Amigos, which was stunningly mediocre in its inclusion of three hilarious comedians - Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short - and successfully finding nothing interesting to do with them.
Too many instances in the film were dry and the laugh to actor ration was surprisingly very low.City Slickers works because writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel know how to effectively utilize their talent and give each character sustainable depth and energy to run for the near-two hour runtime the film holds.
As a guy who just turned 30, got himself married and gave up many crazy projects in order to convince the woman of his life that he's ready to raise a family, I'm probably sure I would end up like Mitch Robbins when I'll turn 39, or like his best friend Phil, or who knows, maybe like Ed. Yes sir, maturity, responsibility, practicality turned "City Slickers", a film I laughed at a lot when I was a kid, into a real eye-opening experience, the laughs are still intact, but the whole existential thing cut to my heart, as it never did, making some parts depressingly predictive.
This is to the credit of "City Slickers", a great comedy with an original premise; three white- collar New Yorkers decide to spend a two-week vacation, herding cattle from New Mexico to Colorado, like real cowboys.
Billy Crystal is Mitch, Daniel Stern is Phil and the late Bruno Kirby is Ed, the film screams '90's comedy' through these three faces, but their friendship is not just believable, I wouldn't believe it if these guys were not friends in real life.
These guys have enough problems, Mitch is in a middle-age crisis, contemplating the emptiness of his life, Phil lost his job and wife, Ed lives with a 24-year old girl who wants a baby, whatever the solution is, it's not a woman not yet anyway.
"City Slickers" is a buddy movie and I guess that's what men would enjoy the most: watching guys they can all relate to, having a good time once in their lives, having a break.
That's what a supporting is about, helping the main character to change, to see life differently, without doing much.Directed by Ron Underwood, "City Slickers" belongs to the best breed of comedy.
And the icing on the cake is the 'Magnificent Seven'-like score of the film which never seems out-of-place."City Slickers" is one of these few comedies that make you both laugh and think like "Groundhog Day" or "Back to the Future", but it doesn't take a fantasy device for that, just an Old West trip.
Billy Crystal was never sharper and funnier than in "City Slickers." His hilarious comments, and so many funny situations, make this a very funny and entertaining movie.
This enjoyable comedy about a bunch of soft city guys who test their mettle on a cattle ranch has one major thing to recommend it: Jack Palance, in an all too brief appearance as a scary cowboy named Curly.
The ending was too boring and predictable.The most amazing thing about this movie is that Jack Palance won a best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance.
Billy Crystal - and this is typical of all his comedies - and his buddies look at the world in an extreme worldly manner.In between the laughs in this movie are the guys (Crystal, Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby) expressing their viewpoints on life, marriage, happiness, relationships and "the secret to life,"as it's literally put in this film.
The theme is middle aged blokes dealing with their mid life crisis via a cattle drive, but the film has a wider appeal to anyone who ever looked for the hero inside.Great musical score, with a nod to the classic western movies and TV shows.
City Slickers (1991) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Wonderful buddy film/comedy about three men (Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby) facing mid-life crises who decide to go on a two week vacation, which just happens to be a cattle drive.
It stars Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby, Daniel Stern, Patricia Wettig, Helen Slater and Jack Palance.
Music is by Marc Shaiman and cinematography by Dean Semler.Mitch (Crystal), Phil (Stern) and Ed (Kirby), three everyday hard working guys going through a mid-life crisis.
The cliché's from some of those Westerns, the kind that these city folk would know only via the silver screen, come thick and fast, but with a great script to work from, the on form cast provide a true family winner of a picture.The complaints are small when judging the film as a whole, but only having one woman character in the group is a disappointment, for even though Slater is perky and crucial to the group dynamic, it still feels like there's a missed opportunity by the makers to broaden the narrative with at least another female in the mix.
Tasteful comedy driven to trained audiences from hollywood success formula, the story is compeling with Daniel Stern overcame the power comedians trio,Criystal although be a top billing is unfunny,bad jokes,Jack Palance is another highlights of the casting,died early unfortunately,the sequel is much better!!Resume:First watch: 1998 / How many: 3 / Source: Cable TV-DVD / Rating: 7.
Basically, "Slickers" tells the story of a middle-aged man named Mitch (played superbly by Billy Crystal) who undergoes a mid-life crisis.
Over the course of the trip, Mitch (and his pals, by extension) slowly but surely (and with often hilarious results!) begins to recapture the excitement that seemed to have been missing from his life.Besides the inspiring storyline that rivals any feel-good film, "Slickers" vaults itself into the stratosphere with the quality of both its humor and acting.
Plus, the auxiliary characters (including Jack Palance as the trail-hardened cowherd Curly) each add their own take on life into the picture.Towards the end of the film, Mitch proclaims that he has finally found his "one thing" in life.
I always liked "City slickers " due to the smart alec comments made by Billy Crystal (Mitch), Daniel Stern (Phil), Bruno Kirby (Ed) and Jack Palace (Curly).
Released in 1991 and directed by Ron Underwood, "City Slickers" is a Western dramedy taking place in modern times (1991, that is) starring Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby and Daniel Stern as three buddies from the New York City area who are experiencing mid-life problems and decide to take a two week vacation driving cattle from New Mexico to Colorado to find their mojo.
An excellent film starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby and the iconic Jack Palance (in his Oscar winning role).The story was deeper than just comedy, and the dialogue was really great.
I definitely don't think Jack Palance deserved the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, he did a great job and Curly is a very likable character, but it simply isn't a performance, nor is it a movie, strong enough for an award of this prestige.
City slickers is a riot.Curly makes the whole film.He is so funny.I wish he didn't cashout so soon.The film is very refreshing and funny.Films today are so blah.They think they can curse their way to success.Billy Crystal is his usual self.A great movie..
Both writers have been at it for a while with movies like Multiplicity (1996) and Robots (2005) under their belt.City Slickers did nab an Academy award though, Jack Palance went home Best Actor in a Supporting Role.The movie plot has 3 men who decided to go on a trip and be cowboys for 2 weeks which will involve hoarding a herd of cattle.In their journey they experienced death, birth and near death.Ron Underwood (Mighty Joe Young 1998) was the man behind the wheel in this one, a wheel I believe he held to loosely, the movie dragged for almost 2 hours, most of which were wasted watching the characters discussing pointlessly.Did I enjoy City Slickers?
I couldn't watch that movie and feel anything other than the amateur way they dealt with that It was a good story though and there were lots of laughs, and the calf (Norman) is just TOO CUTE!!I think that the picked the right guys for the parts and I just loved Jack Palance, I cannot imagine any other actor in this part.
I mean it has a great cast, Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby, Daniel Stern and Jack Palance, and it has a good director, Ron Underwood who directed the cult sci-fi classic Tremors.
It doesn't have enough Jack Palance but it has enough about life & a mixture of drama to make it a good film.Rather than just trying to put Crystal's comedy on film, this film follows the stories of 3 frustrated middle aged men & why they need to go out west for 2 weeks & be in a cattle drive.
Now i know that not everybody is a Billy Crystal fan and thats fair enough because sometimes i find him completely humourless but not 'City Slickers' it has to be his best film by a long shot.
From it's animated opening credits to it's western score to it's on camera talent,City Slickers is a winner.It's another good example of what looks like an excellent idea on paper,the idea then being put in excellent hands and turning into an excellent movie.Worthy of note here is the on screen camaraderie of Billy Crystal,Daniel Stern,and Bruno Kirby.Everyone should have friendships in real life like the one depicted here between the three leads.The supporting cast is excellent, particularly Jack Palance,a participant in Crystal's all time favorite western,"Shane".Let's not forget little Norman,the calf who steals the show.Though it is set in modern day,you will no doubt add this to your western collection alongside the classics of the genre.Top notch!.
And the scene when Curly and Crystal's character deliver Norman the calf is very good, and even had me wondering, "How exactly did they film this?"8/10 stars.
"Phil Berquist" Daniel Stern (City Slickers II, Home Alone), and Bruno Kirby (When Harry Met Sally) "Ed Furillo" are Mitch's best friends.
On the drive, however, Mitch learns from Curly (Jack Palance), an intimidating old cowboy who leads the trip, what the most important thing in life is, and that he'll find out what it is when the time is right.
I think Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern are great actors and they act very well in City Slickers'.
Billy Crystal puts a spin on the western as suffering city guy Mitch Robbins, going on a cattle drive with his friends (Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby).
Sure, Daniel Stern's character and Bruno Kirby's character all suffer from the insecurities and hard knock disappointments of life and end up sharing great male bonding with Crystal in the wild west, but the general feel is that the filmmaker and scriptwriters could have done better.
Considering these two scenes were very prominent in the trailers and adverts and the fact Jack Palance won an Oscar for his part as Curly this unfortunately isn't really what the movie is about Three city slickers ( Hence the title ) are having a mid life crisis .
CITY SLICKERS (1991) ***1/2 Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Jack Palance, Helen Slater, Patricia Wettig, Josh Mostel, David Paymer, Kyle Secor, Tracey Walter.
The only things that threaten their fun are bad weather, difficult cattle, abusive cowhands and a harsh cattleman called Curly.Billy Crystal's sense of humour is pretty much a winner if he is given the right film with good material to work with  his career is cluttered with examples of times when he did and didn't get these things together.
Three harried New Yorkers (Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby) take a vacation to a cattle ranch and are guided by an aging cowboy (Jack Palance).
In 1991's often daft, and regularly inspiring, "City Slickers" our three heroes all learn to appreciate life as they drive a herd of cattle to Colorado.Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) feels old.
Helped by the flaw free Jack Palance and the brilliant Bruno Kirby, Crystal leads the way in this often funny, often inspiring and always enjoyable film.
Pretty much the story goes like this.Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) is going through a mid-life crisis and is yearning to just get away from the family and work and go away with some friends.
Starring: Billy Crystal, Jack Palance, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, and Josh Mostel.4 out of 5 Stars..
Basically Mitch Robbins (Golden Globe nominated Billy Crystal) is the middle-aged radio adverts salesman, and with his best friends Phil Berquist (Home Alone's Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (When Harry Met Sally's Bruno Kirby) are all having a mid-life crisis.
Minor Spoilers ..."City Slickers" is a clever comedy about Mitch (Billy Crystal) and his loser friends (Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby) who take a trip to the 'Old West'.
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..
Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal), approaching middle age, is a rather unhappy Manhattan radio station advertising salesman who decides to get away from it all by joining his two best friends, Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby), on an adventurous trip.
Very funny film, especially early on, about three middle-aged yuppies who go on a true life cattle drive in a desperate attempt to find themselves.Billy Crystal gets better and better, and his comic timing is spot on.
Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby and an irresistible Jack Palance as 'Curly' support him well."City Slickers" weighs itself down a little during the end of the film and over-stays its welcome by about fifteen minutes.
Billy Crystal, Jack Palance, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Patricia Wettig and Noble Willingham star in this 1991 comedy.
They decide to get away by taking a cattle drive that runs from New Mexico to Colorado where they meet tough cowboy, Curly (Palance) who scares Mitch at first, but they become friends.