City Slickers

City Slickers, like most of the comedies I like best, works both as a vehicle for some pretty good humor and as a drama with heart, with something real at stake. Mitch (Billy Crystal) and his two best friends (Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby) are each having midlife crises in their own ways. In an effort to find themselves they join a two-week dude cattle drive adventure where they do indeed surpass their former boundaries and find more about who they really are. Jack Palance plays Curly, the imposing, tough-as-cowhide, scene-stealing trail boss. The setting allows for endless jokes about cowboys and related matters, as well as some wry comments on human nature. All the principle actors are in top form.

The new DVD release of City Slickers will have a bunch of new special features:

-- audio commentary from director Ron Underwood and stars Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern (Bruno Kirby and Jack Palance are no longer living)

-- 4 featurettes
. . . "Back in the Saddle: City Slickers Revisited"
. . . "Bringing in the Script: Writing City Slickers"
. . . "A Star is Born: An Ode to Norman" (Norman being the calf Mitch adopts)
. . . "The Real City Slickers"

-- 2 deleted scenes: "Releasing the Herd" and "A New Job"

I've always enjoyed this movie and look forward to the new features, especially the commentary. Looks like it will be a worthy special edition. Four stars for this old DVD, but the new one gets five. Amazon is taking orders for the new DVD here.

I ordered a full screen version...but I was sent a widescreen version.
It was for my mom after I bought her first DVD player.
It's one of her 2 favorite movies and I don't have the heart to take it away from her now...she watches it and "Twister" at least 2 times a week. She occassionally asks me what the 2 black lines are from. She's 88 years old, God Bless Her.

What can I say. I real classic, even enjoyed by my young children. Extremely entertaining.

This is a great family movie. It's definately a feel good flick. Billy Crystal is great and funny, as always. This movie has a sweet message and it's an uplifting movie. I highly recommend it.

Many times I revisit a favorite movie after a number of years and I'm surprised how dated it looks or feels. This is especially true for films that try to project a hip or breakthrough style. The problem with being trendy is that when fashions change, you're left looking a bit dowdy to the next generation. My rule is that if a film can be dated within plus or minus three years without looking at the case, it tried too hard to be stylish.

City Slickers, nearing twenty years old, has aged well: little flab, wit still sharp, and a story that still resonates. (Whoops, resonate is cliché and out of style.) Billy Crystal is funny and does an outstanding job of projecting an everyman image. If you haven't seen City Slickers in a while, pick this one up. You'll enjoy it.
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